James Gunn Sets the Record Straight on One Persistent ‘Superman’ Myth: “Absolutely False”
Superman hit theaters a few weeks ago and quickly became a big success, both with audiences and critics. By August 8, 2025, the movie had made $326 million in the U.S. and Canada, and $244 million internationally, bringing the worldwide total to $570 million.
Some reports said the film needed to make over $500 million just to break even, and more than $700 million to be considered a real success. But James Gunn, the director, recently cleared up that idea on social media.
A fan asked him if it was true that Superman had to make $650 million to break even and be successful. Gunn replied, “Absolutely false. Anyone saying that doesn’t have an understanding of the film business – and we would be idiots to make a first-in-a-franchise film that would need to make that much to be profitable.”
On July 10, the film earned $2.8 million from Tuesday previews and was expected to make $21 million including Thursday previews. When counting both theater and Amazon Prime screenings, Thursday previews hit $22.5 million, setting a record for James Gunn movies and the best preview box office of 2025 at that time.
It also beat Warner Bros.’ previous record held by Barbie. The movie was expected to make between $115 million and $121 million domestically in its opening weekend, with over $210 million worldwide.
On its first day, Superman made $56.5 million, the second-highest of 2025, behind only A Minecraft Movie. The movie debuted with $125 million, topping the box office and setting a record for the biggest opening weekend for a solo Superman film. It beat Man of Steel’s $116.6 million opening but was behind Batman v Superman’s $166 million. It also ranked as the third-best opening for a 2025 film, following A Minecraft Movie and Lilo & Stitch.
Superman stayed in first place during its second weekend, making $57 million. This was a 54% drop from the first weekend but was better than other 2025 superhero movies like Captain America: Brave New World and Thunderbolts. In the third weekend, The Fantastic Four: First Steps took the top spot, pushing Superman to second with $24.9 million. The movie became the first DC film since The Batman to earn over $300 million domestically.
Internationally, Superman made an estimated $95 million in its opening weekend, adding up to $220 million worldwide. The biggest markets included the UK, Mexico, China, Brazil, Australia, France, Korea, India, Spain, and Japan. The film didn’t do as well as expected in some countries like China, where it opened in fourth place. David A. Gross from FranchiseRe movie consulting said, “Superman has always been identified as a quintessentially American character and story, and in some parts of the world, America is currently not enjoying its greatest popularity.”
A sequel is already in the works, but Gunn says it won’t be a simple follow-up. He’s already writing it. David Zaslav recently called the next movie part of the “Super-Family,” confirming that Gunn will direct and write the sequel.
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