James Gunn’s Superman Overtakes Iron Man, Captain America & Thor at the Box Office

James Gunn’s Superman continues to rise on the all-time box office charts, passing a trio of notable Marvel Cinematic Universe releases in the process. As of this writing, Superman has grossed about $316 million domestically, clearing the totals for Iron Man 2 ($312.4 million) and Thor: Ragnarok ($315 million). Superman is currently just outside the top 100 highest-grossing movies of all time, and it’s only a matter of time before it passes Star Wars: Return of the Jedi and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull to move into that spot.

Prior to out-grossing Iron Man 2 and Thor: Ragnarok, Superman had passed Captain America: The Winter Soldier ($259.7 million). This means the DC Universe’s Superman has now officially beaten movies featuring all of Marvel’s big three Avengers from the Infinity Saga. Superman should eventually pass the original Iron Man, which grossed $319 million back in 2008. It’s also on the verge of topping this summer’s Jurassic World Rebirth ($317.6 million).

After the DCU canon kicked off with the animated series Creature Commandos last year, Superman marked the franchise’s proper, formal arrival on the big stage. Though Gunn played down the amount of pressure Superman was under to perform at the box office, there was still a lot riding on the film. Fortunately, bolstered by positive reviews and strong audience word of mouth, Superman exceeded box office projections and earned $125 million domestically in its opening weekend. It is well over $500 million worldwide.

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While clearly successful, there are some caveats to consider when discussing Superman‘s box office haul. Obviously, these figures are unadjusted for inflation. The film also hasn’t fared as well internationally. Depending on how things play out, it may not top Man of Steel‘s global total of $670.1 million. Still, Superman is a hit that sets up an exciting future for the DCU. The franchise has a pair of new movies set for release next year (Supergirl and Clayface) and Gunn is writing a Superman follow-up that isn’t a straightforward Superman 2.

With the exception of 2022’s The Batman, several DC Comics adaptations in recent years flopped at the box office. None of Black Adam, Shazam! Fury of the Gods, The Flash, Blue Beetle, and Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom hit $200 million domestically. A couple of those even finished below $100 million in the United States. So Superman marks a much-needed box office win for DC as a whole. Even if there wasn’t a new shared universe trying to get off the ground, the company was in dire need of a non-Batman hit. Superman has gotten the DCU off on the right foot, and it’ll be exciting to see how the franchise develops from here.

Superman will probably fall short of passing Lilo & Stitch ($421.2 million) and A Minecraft Movie ($423.9 million) on the 2025 domestic chart, but it should finish the year as the highest-grossing comic book adaptation. Superman has already easily topped Thunderbolts* ($190.2 million) and Captain America: Brave New World ($200.5 million). There was some question as to whether or not The Fantastic Four: First Steps would beat Superman, but after that film’s massive second weekend drop, Superman is likely going to come out on top.