Director James Gunn’s Superman reboot has delivered a mighty box office debut, signaling a powerful new start for DC Studios and Warner Bros. The film, starring David Corenswet as Clark Kent, Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane, and Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor, opened to a robust $122 million domestically and $95 million internationally, for a global opening weekend total of $217 million. This strong overseas showing helped Superman nearly recover its reported $225 million production budget in its first weekend.
Superman’s domestic opening ranks as the third-largest of 2025, trailing only A Minecraft Movie ($162.8 million) and the live-action Lilo & Stitch ($146 million). The film’s Thursday preview screenings alone brought in $22.5 million, with Friday’s total reaching $56.5 million—making it the second-biggest single-day opening of the year. This performance not only exceeded early industry estimates but also marked the biggest-ever domestic launch for a solo Superman film, surpassing Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel (2013), which debuted at $116.6 million.
The opening is a much-needed win for Warner Bros. and DC Studios, which have struggled in recent years to match the box office success of rival superhero franchises. The film’s positive reception—highlighted by an 83% critic score and a 93% verified audience score on Rotten Tomatoes—has been credited with reigniting fan enthusiasm and setting the stage for a new, interconnected DC Universe under Gunn and producer Peter Safran.
Gunn expressed his gratitude on social media, noting, “I’m incredibly grateful for your enthusiasm and kind words over the past few days.”
Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav also celebrated the film’s debut, vowing that “Superman is just the first step” for the studio’s ambitious 10-year plan for the DC Universe, which will include upcoming films like Supergirl and Clayface and new HBO series such as Lanterns.
Warner Bros….