James Gunn Finally Reveals Why ‘Superman’ Is Coming to Digital So Soon
Warner Bros. has announced that James Gunn’s new Superman movie will be available to rent or buy digitally starting August 15. Fans can also get the 4K, Blu-ray, and DVD versions when they hit stores on September 23.
The home release comes with a lot of extra features that fans will love, including deleted scenes, a gag reel, nine featurettes, and a director’s commentary from Gunn himself. One of the biggest additions is an hour-long documentary called Adventures in Making Superman, which shows how the movie was made. Other featurettes explore topics like Superman’s long history in Icons Forever: Superman’s Enduring Legacy, and the main villain in Lex Luthor: The Mind of a Master Villain, focusing on Nicholas Hoult’s role.
Some fans are surprised by the early digital release. Big blockbuster movies usually stay in theaters for longer before hitting streaming platforms. Some see this as a sign that the movie might not have made as much money as expected, and studios could be trying to make up for it through home sales.
ScreenRant spoke with James Gunn while promoting Peacemaker season 2, and he explained why the digital release is happening so early. Liam Crowley from ScreenRant asked Gunn about the timing, and Gunn said, “Well, it’s very complicated, but the truth is it is because of Peacemaker. I originally thought Peacemaker was going to be coming out next month. There was a lot of things that are beyond our control, so that Peacemaker is coming out now, and, at the end of the day, I wanted everyone to be able to see Superman that wanted to, even those people who couldn’t get to a theater before Peacemaker. And that’s really the reason for it.”
This fight is even dirtier than the last one. Season ✌️of #Peacemaker premieres next Thursday, August 21 on HBO Max. pic.twitter.com/NJ3iUZcZlX
— James Gunn (@JamesGunn) August 14, 2025
This shows that the early release is tied to the Peacemaker TV show. Gunn emphasized that Superman leads directly into Peacemaker and helps set up future DC Universe projects. He said, “It’s a big part, definitely Superman leads directly into Peacemaker; it should be noted that this is for adults, not for children, but Superman leads into this show and then we have the setting up of all of the rest of the DCU in this season of Peacemaker, it’s incredibly important. Lots of guest stars coming up, lots of characters that are showing up that we’ve already met in Superman. I don’t think there’s anything that I’ve ever done that I love more than this season of Peacemaker, so I’m so excited for people to see it.”
With Superman coming early to digital platforms, fans can watch the movie at home and prepare for Peacemaker season 2. Gunn wants people to see both, saying the timing allows everyone to enjoy Superman before diving into the show. This early access also builds excitement for future DC Universe stories connected to both the movie and the series.
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