Superman Passes Man of Steel, Reaches Series’ New Box Office High (With a Catch)

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In a twist at the box office, James Gunn’s Superman movie is breaking records for the franchise. However, it’s important to consider a caveat when examining its commercial success: as reported by Forbes, Superman has outpaced the domestic total of Man of Steel ($291 million) in the U.S., making it the highest-grossing Superman film domestically. But, there’s a footnote attached to this achievement: the inflation adjustment isn’t factored into these figures. In 2013 dollars, Man of Steel‘s $291 million earnings would be equivalent to approximately $407 million today. This means that Gunn’s reboot still needs to earn more before it officially surpasses Man of Steel in terms of box office revenue when accounting for inflation.

Another point to consider is that the earnings of Superman in international box offices are currently trailing behind those of Man of Steel. To date, Superman has made $214 million outside the US, making it doubtful that it will surpass the global total of Man of Steel, which was $379 million from international sales and eventually reached a worldwide total of $670 million. As we speak, Superman has recently gone past the $500 million mark globally.

Opening in cinemas earlier this month, the film “Superman” surpassed box office predictions with a $125 million domestic opening week. It garnered $220 million globally during its premiere weekend. Alongside favorable reviews from critics, “Superman” has proven to be an impressive launch for the upcoming DC Universe series, boasting two additional films slated for release next year and several more in different stages of production. Prior to its premiere, there were worries that “Superman” could determine the fate of Warner Bros., but now discussions revolve around what lies ahead for the DCU.

To start, Superman encountered tough rivals when The Fantastic Four: First Steps premiered on July 25th. Likewise boosted by favorable critic assessments, First Steps enjoyed a robust opening weekend in the U.S., raking in $117 million and an additional $216 million globally. Although Superman managed to outperform Fantastic Four in a direct comparison, First Steps also surpassed its projections, serving as a successful box office venture for Marvel.

When Superman premiered in cinemas, insiders at Warner Bros. expressed satisfaction if the movie grossed over $500 million worldwide, a target it has already surpassed. Some might criticize Superman’s box office performance if it falls short of Man of Steel’s global earnings, but there are complexities to keep in mind as well. The cinematic universe launched by Man of Steel was met with significant division, and many projects associated with it did not meet their financial goals. Superman was positioned as a fresh start intended to rebuild audience faith and enthusiasm towards the DC brand. In this regard, it succeeded; Superman is highly praised on Rotten Tomatoes and has positive buzz among moviegoers. Fans are eager for more of David Corenswet’s portrayal of Superman and intrigued by the enigmatic Superman sequel that Gunn is working on.

During the 2010s, it became usual for superhero films to bring in a billion dollars globally, but it’s important to recall that some of Hollywood’s most successful franchises started out quite modestly. Without accounting for inflation, Iron Man launched the Marvel Cinematic Universe with $585.7 million worldwide and Batman Begins earned a relatively small $375.4 million globally. As Gunn pointed out before the release of Superman, Superman didn’t have an extraordinary burden to shatter box office records. Gunn would have been content as long as Superman recouped its production costs. Now that the DCU is set up and appears to have audiences on their side, maybe the next Superman movie can be even more successful.

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2025-07-29 18:19