This summer, the DC Universe franchise had its true coming out party with the release of Superman, DC Studios’ first theatrical feature. Kickstarting a new era of DC Comics adaptations on the big screen, Superman had a lot riding on it and it delivered on all fronts, becoming a well-received box office hit. Now that many fans have gotten a chance to see the film in theaters, they’re probably wondering when they can watch it again from the comfort of home. Fortunately, they don’t have to wait too long. Today, Warner Bros. announced Superman will be available on digital platforms such as Apple and Amazon starting August 15th. The physical release (4K UHD, Blu-ray, and DVD) follows on September 23rd.
Videos by ComicBook.com
Digital copies of Superman will include commentary from director James Gunn, a gag reel, and deleted scenes as special features. The physical release comes packed with even more supplemental material that explores the making of the film. Check out a list of the features in the space below:
- Krypto Saves the Day!: School Bus Scuffle – (5:32)
- Adventures in Making Superman Featurette (60:00)
- Icons Forever: Superman’s Enduring Legacy – Featurette (6:05)
- Lex Luthor: The Mind of a Master Villain – Featurette (5:18)
- Kryptunes: The Music of Superman – Featurette (6:31)
- Paws to Pixels: Krypto is Born – Featurette (5:54)
- Breaking News: The Daily Planet Returns – Featurette (5:23)
- The Ultimate Villain – Featurette (5:30)
- The Justice Gang – Featurette (10:37)
- A New Era: DC Takes Off – Featurette (4:53)
Bolstered by positive reviews and strong audience word of mouth, Superman is on track to become the highest-grossing comic book movie of the year. While it hasn’t fared as well in international markets, its domestic performance has been impressive. As of this writing, Superman has earned $331.3 million in the United States, becoming the highest-grossing Superman film of all time domestically (unadjusted for inflation, of course). After exceeding box office expectations, Superman had strong legs, falling only 53.2% in its second weekend.
With Superman‘s success under its belt, the DC Universe is now off and running. Next year sees the releases of Supergirl and Clayface. Gunn is also busy writing what Warner Bros. Discovery calls “the next movie in the Super-Family,” which will be his follow-up to Superman. Batman and Wonder Woman films set in the DCU are in development. According to reports, DC Studios is targeting 1-2 theatrical releases per year.
Since Superman is still doing pretty well at the box office (it came in sixth this past weekend with $7.9 million) it’s a little surprising to see the home media rollout happening now. It’d be reasonable to assume DC Studios and/or Warner Bros. Discovery would aim to extend the theatrical window to boost profits. Superman will be available on digital a little more than a month after it premiered, which isn’t a very long time. As a comparison, Disney’s live-action Lilo & Stitch remake, which grossed $1 billion worldwide, didn’t hit digital until roughly two months after it opened. Every title is handled differently, however, and Superman quickly hitting home media is indicative of the post-pandemic marketplace, where people are used to seeing new movies on digital and streaming.
It hasn’t been revealed when Superman will be available to stream on HBO Max yet. That announcement likely won’t come for a while. WBD doesn’t want to undercut digital rentals and sales by sharing when people can see Superman for “free” with their HBO Max subscription. Going by the company’s history, Superman will be on the streaming service a few days before the Blu-ray comes out; A Minecraft Movie hit HBO Max on June 20th (four days before the Blu-ray) and Sinners was streaming on July 4th (also four days before the Blu-ray). Superman should follow that pattern.
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Courtesy of Bones Film
