Ahead of Superman‘s release in July, director and DC Studios co-head James Gunn downplayed the amount of pressure the film was under to perform at the box office. Still, there was no denying Superman had a lot riding on it. It was the first theatrical release in the new DC Universe franchise, attempting to get DC Comics adaptations back on track after the uneven output of the DC Extended Universe. People kept a close eye on Superman‘s box office figures, comparing the reboot’s grosses to 2013’s Man of Steel. While Gunn’s film emerged as the winner on the domestic charts, the worldwide numbers tell a different story.
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As of this writing, Superman has grossed $594.5 million globally. While it could cross the $600 million milestone before its time in theaters is over, it’s unlikely it will pass Man of Steel‘s worldwide haul. Zack Snyder’s film earned $670.1 million worldwide, making it the highest-grossing solo Superman movie of all time at the worldwide box office. Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice brought in $874.3 million back in 2016, but obviously, Superman was sharing top billing with the Dark Knight.
Superman‘s Box Office Performance Explained
Domestically, Superman exceeded box office expectations by earning $125 million in its opening weekend. It then held very well in the United States, steadily rising up the all-time charts each weekend. However, from the beginning, its international numbers left a little to be desired. Superman wasn’t as big a draw overseas, meaning it always had an uphill climb to top Man of Steel‘s worldwide total.
Superman was already starting to slow down a bit as the calendar turned to August, and its box office numbers should slow down even more now. The film hit PVOD digital platforms on Friday, August 15th, giving everyone a chance to watch it at home before Peacemaker Season 2 premieres on August 21st. With Superman now available on home media, people have less incentive to make the trip to the theater to watch it.
Since Man of Steel earned more worldwide, some people may try to paint Superman‘s box office numbers in a negative light. However, there is some nuance to consider when discussing this topic. In the post-pandemic landscape, viewers have become accustomed to shorter theatrical windows (case in point, Superman hit home media roughly a month after it premiered). Die-hard fans will always be there to see a big blockbuster on opening weekend, but casual audiences are more comfortable waiting for streaming. In the pre-2020 days, a well-received comic book adaptation would potentially push $1 billion. Things have changed now; Marvel movies that were box office disappointments become hits on Disney+.
Even if Superman is looking up at Man of Steel on the worldwide chart, it’s still a success. Warner Bros. executives had hoped Superman would gross “more than $500 million globally,” a figure it has cleared. Superman is also the highest-grossing comic book adaptation of the year and is currently just one of four releases to earn $300+ million domestically in 2025. DC Studios and WB are clearly happy with the way things turned out, as Gunn is busy working on a Superman follow-up on top of developing more DCU projects. Perhaps the next Superman film will set a new worldwide record.
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