10 Recent MCU & DC Movies James Gunn’s Superman Has Beat at the Box Office

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It’s common knowledge that this summer, Superman has stolen the show at the box office. The movie, marking the beginning of the rebooted DCU led by James Gunn and Peter Safran, is on track to earn around $600 million worldwide. When you break down these figures, it’s even more impressive, with domestic and international grosses considered separately. Even compared to Zack Snyder’s DC movies and broader political discussions, more than half of Superman’s box office earnings have come solely from the U.S., where the film has made an astonishing $322 million so far. Although it’s unclear if Marvel’s Fantastic Four: First Steps will continue to challenge Superman at the box office after a significant drop in revenue during its second weekend, James Gunn’s take on Superman has already surpassed several recent superhero films in terms of earnings.

Still, Gunn’s Superman has already managed to overcome the below superhero grosses.

1) Thunderbolts*

Following the release of two Suicide Squad movies from DC and a general decrease in interest due to franchise exhaustion, audiences were not particularly eager to watch Thunderbolts*, Marvel’s interpretation of an anti-hero team. Despite the presence of beloved characters such as Sebastian Stan’s Bucky Barnes/The Winter Soldier and Florence Pugh’s Yelena Belova, Thunderbolts* failed to generate nearly the same level of success at the box office as Marvel’s Avengers films, which consistently grossed over a billion dollars.

Despite generally positive reviews stating that the movie was a fun ride, *Thunderbolts* managed to generate a global box office total of just $382 million.

2) Captain America: Brave New World

In the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), Anthony Mackie’s portrayal of Sam Wilson as Captain America has been warmly accepted, yet it didn’t achieve the same financial success as Chris Evans’ original Captain America character did.

The First Avenger”, as both “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” and “Captain America: Civil War” grossed more than $700 million. So, in comparison, “Brave New World” underperformed.

3) Joker: Folie à Deux

From a die-hard movie enthusiast’s perspective: Experiencing “Joker: Folie à Deux” was a stark reminder that sequels don’t always equal success for a franchise. The original “Joker” film struck the perfect chord, winning Oscars and earning over a billion dollars at the box office, but its follow-up left me underwhelmed.

Folie á Deux earned just $207 million at the international box office, which barely covered its expensive production cost of $190 million.

4) Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom

In contrast to the impressive earnings of the 2018 movie Aquaman, which amassed a total of $1.1 billion globally, its follow-up, titled Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, did not manage to earn even half of that when it was released towards the end of 2023. Despite the extended time gap between the two films potentially contributing to the sequel’s underperformance, Aquaman and the Last Kingdom was one of several titles suggesting a need for a fresh perspective within the DCEU (DC Extended Universe), as its worldwide box office revenue amounted to a comparatively meager $440 million.

5) Blue Beetle

The Blue Beetle movie didn’t receive a fair opportunity at the box office due to the writers’ and actors’ strikes in 2023. Consequently, the cast was unable to promote the film extensively before its release, which would have been beneficial since the character wasn’t well-known within the DCEU films.

As a dedicated movie enthusiast, I must confess my admiration for the Blue Beetle, which earned an impressive “certified fresh” seal of approval from critics and boasted a stellar 90% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. Yet, despite its critical acclaim, this extraordinary film managed to gross only $130 million globally during its theatrical run.

6) The Flash

Since its beginning, “The Flash” encountered numerous challenges. The production process experienced significant setbacks due to frequent changes in directors joining and leaving the team. Unfortunately, actor Ezra Miller’s involvement in multiple controversies – including allegations of assault and burglary – appeared to have dealt a fatal blow to the film when it premiered in cinemas in 2023.

In my perspective, during its theatrical release, I found it challenging for The Flash to surpass the $100 million mark in domestic earnings. However, it still managed to garner $271 million worldwide, which, while not exceptional, shows that it had a moderate level of global appeal.

7) Shazam! Fury of the Gods

In 2023, Shazam faced a sequel fatigue, often referred to as Sequelitis. The initial film’s success was unexpected yet joyful, earning over three times its $100 million budget at the box office. However, Shazam! Fury of the Gods failed to surpass $200 million in ticket sales. A large ensemble cast, a crowded DCEU release schedule, and a decline in Zachary Levi’s popularity between the two films seemed to contribute to this outcome.

8) Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania

In contrast to Superman’s massive box office earnings, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, which grossed approximately $476 million, might seem small. Yet, it’s remarkable that a lesser-known hero like Scott Lang has managed three standalone films. Although Ant-Man didn’t quite make it to Marvel’s billion-dollar club on his own, the character’s ongoing success demonstrates Paul Rudd’s charisma and ability to lead both comedic and non-comedic films effectively.

9)The Marvels

2023 proved to be a challenging year for superhero movies, and no movie seemed to struggle more than The Marvels. Despite the initial Captain Marvel film raking in over a billion dollars at the box office, its sequel – Carol Danvers’ cosmic adventure – faced significant challenges. In fact, it had the lowest opening weekend gross among all Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) films with just $47 million. To add to its troubles, The Marvels was also affected by the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) strike, which prevented the cast from promoting the film. As a result, its worldwide gross fell short at $206 million.

10) Black Adam

Generally speaking, having Dwayne Johnson in a movie often guarantees a financial success, but even The Rock couldn’t turn around Black Adam. Critics heavily criticized the film, making it one of the most notable instances of the DCEU’s questionable strategic approach to its franchise. Despite featuring a major star like Johnson, the lesser-known character only managed to earn $393 million at the worldwide box office.

Superman is in theaters now.

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2025-08-19 01:45