The Man of Steel has triumphed over naysayers, starting the rebooted DC Universe (DCU), formerly known as DC Extended Universe (DCEU), off on a strong foot. James Gunn’s Superman, one of the most anticipated superhero movies of the year, opened to an encouraging US$217 million at the global box office, with US$122 million coming from theatres in the U.S.
The more lukewarm response on the international front isn’t surprising, given the heavier focus on American ideals and the character’s portrayal as a patriot rooted in its history. Still, the feat is nothing short of impressive — the tentpole entry is the first comic book film in an entire year to surpass US$100 million, after Marvel Studios’ Deadpool & Wolverine debuted with a whopping US$211 million domestically, and US$438 million globally, last year.
Superman joins A Minecraft Movie and Disney’s live-action Lilo & Stitch as the third movie of 2025 to gross over US$100 million in the U.S. in its opening weekend, versus US$162.8 million and US$146 million, respectively. Among the DC titles, it’s also one of the only three with a debut of over US$100 million in more than five years, coming in between 2017’s Wonder Woman (US$103.3 million) and Matt Reeves’ The Batman (US$134 million), not adjusted for inflation. It should be noted, however, that the latter served as a standalone entry and isn’t considered part of the DCEU; in the same vein, the forthcoming sequel will be separate from the DCU as well.
In terms of solo outings, the David Corenswet-led pic is now the largest domestic launch for the character on the big screen, defeating Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel (US$116.7 million). The question now is whether it can maintain the current box office momentum, as both the 2013 adaptation, alongside Marvel’s recent comic book instalment Thunderbolts*, failed to generate enough hype to become an enduring blockbuster past their opening weeks.
Warner Bros. Discovery head David Zaslav is keeping his hopes up for Superman, expressing excitement for the future of the DCU. The movie, starring Rachel Brosnahan (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, House of Cards) as Lois Lane opposite Corenswet, comes with high stakes as the launchpad to Chapter One of the rebooted cinematic universe.
“This weekend, we watched Superman soar as James Gunn’s passion and vision came to life on the big screen. Superman is just the first step,” Zaslav said. “Over the next year alone, DC Studios will introduce the films Supergirl and Clayface in theatres and the series Lanterns on HBO Max, all part of a bold 10-year plan. The DC vision is clear, the momentum is real, and I couldn’t be more excited for what’s ahead.”
But DC Studios isn’t the only one celebrating a major milestone. Universal Pictures has unearthed a box office success with Jurassic World Rebirth, now stomping past the US$500 million mark globally. This comes after earning US$318 million internationally in its opening outing, pushing Scarlett Johansson to the top of the list of highest-grossing lead actors before inflation adjustment.
Joseph Kosinski’s F1: The Movie trails behind the standalone sequel to 2022’s Jurassic World Dominion, totalling US$375 million worldwide in its third weekend. In another victory for Universal, DreamWorks Animation’s live-action How to Train Your Dragon continues to soar high, bumping its global box office haul to US$560.8 million. Rounding out the top five list is the ill-fated Elio, which, unfortunately, is on track to be one of the lowest-grossing titles from Pixar.
Si Jia is a casual geek at heart – or as casual as someone with Sephiroth’s theme on her Spotify playlist can get. A fan of movies, games, and Japanese culture, Si Jia’s greatest weakness is the Steam Summer Sale. Or any Steam sale, really.
Kevin Low
