The Highest-Grossing Superhero Movies in 2025 (So Far)

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Curious about which top-earning superhero films from Marvel and DC have dominated the box office in 2025? So far, there have been four significant theatrical releases by both studios, with box office numbers becoming more clear as the year progresses.

DC decided to revamp their cinematic universe with James Gunn’s Superman reboot featuring David Corenswet, while Marvel dropped Captain America: Brave New World, Thunderbolts*, and The Fantastic Four: First Steps as they continue developing towards the anticipated Avengers: Doomsday. Let’s take a look at how these superhero movies have fared financially this year, and where they rank against all films released in 2025.

*Note: Thunderbolts is a fictional team of super-powered individuals appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The specific movie referenced here may not yet have been officially announced or released.

Top 2025 superhero films ranked by box office results

2025’s top-earning superhero movies, listed in descending order, were Superman, The Fantastic Four: Taking Their First Steps, Captain America: A World of Change, and The Thunderbolts.

*Note: Thunderbolts is the title of the movie in this scenario. In real life, the title and release year may vary.

Here’s how the top four superhero films of this year rank on the global box office earnings chart thus far:

1. Film A took the first spot.
2. Film B secured the second position.
3. Film C found a place in the third position.
4. Lastly, Film D rounded off the list at number four.

  1. Ne Zha 2 – $1.90 billion
  2. Lilo & Stitch – $1.03 billion
  3. A Minecraft Movie – $957 million
  4. Jurassic World: Rebirth – $861 million
  5. How to Train Your Dragon – $633 million
  6. F1: The Movie – $621 million
  7. Superman – $614 million
  8. Mission: Impossible: The Final Reckoning – $598 million
  9. The Fantastic Four: First Steps – $515 million
  10. Captain America: Brave New World – $415 million
  11. Thunderbolts* – $382 million

At the moment I’m writing, both Superman and The Fantastic Four: First Steps are still playing in cinemas. It’s expected that their viewer numbers will rise, but since they’re approaching the end of their theatrical run, further growth might be minimal.

Investigating these figures, it appears that four recent films have faced greater challenges at international box offices relative to superhero movies from five or ten years back. A significant portion of this decline can be attributed to weak sales in China, unlike blockbusters such as Jurassic World: Rebirth and F1: The Movie. In a statement made in July, director James Gunn suggested that the difficulties faced by Superman (and consequently the superhero genre) overseas are due to a current wave of anti-American sentiments globally.

Conversely, within the U.S. and Canada in 2025, the top-grossing films list features the Marvel and DC superhero movies as they hold the highest positions.

Or more informally:
In 2025, when it comes to the US and Canada, those Marvel and DC superhero flicks are the ones raking in the big bucks on the box office top lists.

  1. A Minecraft Movie – $423,9 million
  2. Lilo & Stitch – $423.6 million
  3. Superman – $353 million
  4. Jurassic World: Rebirth – $339 million
  5. Sinners – $278 million
  6. The Fantastic Four: First Steps – $270 million
  7. How to Train Your Dragon – $262 million
  8. Captain America: Brave New World – $200 million
  9. Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning – $197 million
  10. Thunderbolts* – $190 million

Notable entries in the superhero-esque category feature the globally successful animated film Dog Man ($145 million worldwide, $97 million domestically), the up-and-coming M3GAN 2.0 ($39 million worldwide, $24 million domestically), and the modestly successful The Toxic Avenger ($3.2 million worldwide, $2.8 million domestically).

A highly anticipated movie set to hit theaters in September is Demon Slayer Infinity Castle. Already earning over $300 million globally, this film is projected to surpass $500 million if its North American, South American, and European releases are successful. While it may not significantly shake up domestic box office rankings due to expected fan enthusiasm for the anime series, it’s predicted to continue setting records for global anime film success.

For the remainder of the 2025 film release schedule, several anticipated movies are projected to perform exceptionally well, either internationally or domestically. These include “Wicked: For Good” on November 21, “Zootopia 2” on November 26, “Five Nights at Freddy’s 2” on December 5, and “Avatar: Fire and Ash” on December 19. Notably, the first Wicked movie in 2024 earned over $756 million globally and $473 million domestically, while Avatar: The Way of Water in 2022 grossed an impressive $2.3 billion worldwide and $684 million domestically. As a result, expectations are high that their sequels will also shatter box office records.

We’ll make adjustments to these rankings as we approach the end of the year, so keep in mind there might be some changes happening before 2025 concludes.

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2025-09-13 00:38