Warner Bros. Weakens Superman: Early Digital Drop Betrays Theaters & Fans

Warner Bros. just threw kryptonite at James Gunn’s Superman. The studio announced that the latest man of steel flick will land on digital today, a mere 35 days after swooping onto the big screen. The move is raising questions about whether the film has already sprung a leak online, prompting the studio to grab any last-minute cash before piracy does the job for free.

While the movie was not exactly leaping over box office records in a single bound, it was one of the few summer titles keeping theater owners from total collapse. Pulling it early cuts short its run just as it might have been drawing in a few latecomers. Now, for the cost of a single ticket, families can simply rent it at home — leaving those who paid a small fortune for the popcorn-and-parking experience feeling foolish.

Superman is available digitally at home on Amazon Prime Video, AppleTV, Fandango at Home, and more. On September 23, Superman will become available to own on 4K UHD, Blu-ray, and DVD from online and physical retailers. Superman will also continue to be available in high definition and standard definition from participating digital retailers.

Major comic-book tentpoles usually get a 45-day theatrical window before heading to digital. Shaving that down to 35 means Warner Bros. pockets more direct-to-digital money instead of splitting weeks of ticket sales with exhibitors. Theater owners won’t see that as heroic, but more as Lexcorp style ruthlessness dressed up in fan service tights.

Nate from Mr. H Reviews called the decision to bump up the home release “insane”:

Social media chatter speculates that this means the studio is admitting Superman might not have the box office strength they hoped for. And even if it is a panic move in response to piracy, that is still a blow to the very theater partners who have stood by the studio through flops, delays, and shaky DC reboots. It also makes James Gunn a liar, since he was telling fans it would not be released for another 10 days, perhaps getting it out before the next season of Peacemaker drops, which may be the most likely scenario.

Another reason this feels rushed is that Warner Bros. also announced that there will be additional special features including a gag reel, deleted scenes, and a director’s commentary featuring James Gunn, but not immediately. These special features will be automatically added for consumers who have purchase the film on digital. These will apparently NOT be on the physical media editions.

Superman Digital, 4K UHD, and Blu-ray contain the following special features:

• Krypto Saves the Day!: School Bus Scuffle – (5:32)
• Adventures in Making Superman Featurette (60:00)
• Icons Forever: Superman’s Enduring Legacy – Featurette (6:05)
• Lex Luthor: The Mind of a Master Villain – Featurette (5:18)
• Kryptunes: The Music of Superman – Featurette (6:31)
• Paws to Pixels: Krypto is Born – Featurette (5:54)
• Breaking News: The Daily Planet Returns – Featurette (5:23)
• The Ultimate Villain – Featurette (5:30)
• The Justice Gang – Featurette (10:37)
• A New Era: DC Takes Off – Featurette (4:53)

The following special features will be coming soon to Digital:

• Director’s Commentary with James Gunn
• Gag Reel
• Deleted Scenes

Superman may be soaring into home queues today, but the long-term damage could be the trust of audiences and the loyalty of the venues that built his legend on the big screen. This trains moviegoers to be patient and wait for home video.

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