Superman has been soaring at the box office since its release a few weeks ago, and today it has passed a major milestone. The DCU movie has now grossed over $500 million globally, a number that is expected to grow over the rest of the summer.
Taking only into account the film's box office results in the US, James Gunn's Superman has now become the highest-grossing solo Superman outing of all time, passing Man of Steel's $291 million domestic run back in 2013. If those fans who have been debating which one is a better Superman movie need some more fuel for their arguments, that's a good one.
There are, however, some clarifications to be made in order to put these numbers into perspective.
On one side, inflation should perhaps be considered if we're making comparisons between both films. As Forbes points out, $291 million twelve years ago would equal around $407 million today, making the statements above technically incorrect.
It's also unlikely that the new Superman will pass Man of Steel's global earnings ($670 million) due to the slightly disappointing numbers coming from the international audiences. Zack Snyder film grossed $379 million overseas, more than half of its total box office run, while Gunn's film can "only" count $214 million so far.
"Superman is not a known commodity in some places," Gunn said recently in reaction to these box office results. "He is not a big known superhero in some places like Batman is. That affects things. And it also affects things that we have a certain amount of anti-American sentiment around the world right now. It isn't really helping us. So I think it's just a matter of letting something grow. But again, for us, everything's been a total win."
Considering the current state of the box office, Superman's results are actually excellent. It's important to note that, if Superman had been released in a pre-Covid reality where blockbusters were making a lot more money than they are now, it would have probably outperformed Snyder's version. After all, Gunn's film has had a much warmer reception from audiences and critics alike.
Next up in the DCU schedule is Peacemaker season 2, which arrives on August 21, followed by Supergirl next year.
Superman is out in theaters since July 11. For more, check out our Superman review or our Superman ending explained, and see our breakdown of all upcoming DC movies and shows in 2025 and beyond.
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