"Superman" Soars to $122M Domestic Debut, Reigniting DC at the Box Office

"Superman" Soars to $122M Domestic Debut, Reigniting DC at the Box Office

Posted on July 13, 2025 by Neil Cole

Warner Bros. Pictures and DC Studios are celebrating a triumphant return to form as "Superman", the highly anticipated reboot from filmmaker James Gunn, soared to a spectacular $122 million domestic opening this past weekend. The film's debut marks not only the highest-grossing opening weekend of the year but also the strongest launch for a Superman film in history, surpassing the $116.6 million debut of 2013's "Man of Steel".

Kicking off with an electrifying $22.5 million from Thursday previews alone, Superman quickly established itself as a box office powerhouse. It outpaced major blockbuster benchmarks and exceeded Warner Bros.' own conservative forecast of $100 million. Analysts had projected a haul closer to $130 million, and while the final figure came in just under that mark, the opening signals a bold and confident new era for the DC Universe under Gunn and co-chair Peter Safran.

Audiences flocked to premium formats, with nearly half of total ticket sales coming from IMAX, Dolby Cinema, and other large-format screenings. IMAX contributed an impressive $19.1 million from just 419 screens, reinforcing the film's event-level status. Internationally, the film is off to a similarly strong start, launching in over 78 markets and projected to surpass $200 million globally by the end of its first week.

Critically, "Superman" has been well-received, earning an 85% score on Rotten Tomatoes. Audience reactions have been overwhelmingly positive, with the film garnering a 93% rating on PostTrak and an "A–" CinemaScore, suggesting strong word-of-mouth momentum as it continues its theatrical run.

Directed, written, and produced by James Gunn, "Superman" stars David Corenswet in his debut as the Man of Steel, alongside Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane and Nicholas Hoult as the iconic villain Lex Luthor. As the first chapter in DC Studios' new shared cinematic universe—titled Gods and Monsters—the film lays the foundation for a revitalized franchise grounded in hope, heart, and humanity.

The monumental opening of "Superman" is not just a win for DC and Warner Bros., but a clear sign that audiences are ready to embrace a new, emotionally rich vision of their favorite heroes on the big screen once again.