Is Superman’s Box Office Decline the Beginning of the End for Gunn’s DC Universe?

According to recent predictions, the box office earnings for the movie ‘Superman’ seem to be decreasing after a powerful opening.

It seems quite similar to the way Man of Steel unfolded in 2013; it started strong with a large opening, but its momentum slowed down following mixed reviews.

What are the latest Superman box office estimates?

Based on the positive Tuesday and Thursday previews, predictions soared late on Thursday night into early Friday morning, reaching an estimated $130 million or potentially even higher. At one stage, The Wrap speculated a whopping $175 million opening weekend (which was clearly overestimated).

By the break of Saturday morning, the revisions from trades put the estimated range at approximately $115-$121 million. Moreover, Deadline reports that competing studios expect it to potentially fall below this figure.

Superman vs The Batman

As a movie buff, it’s exciting to note that Superman managed to outshine The Batman during their Thursday previews, raking in an impressive $22.5 million compared to The Batman’s $21.6 million. This initial advantage theoretically should have set the stage for Superman to maintain its momentum and surpass The Batman’s opening weekend box office of $134 million.

As a movie enthusiast, I find myself questioning the early projections for “Superman.” Given that the anticipated box office numbers are lower than expected, it’s evident that fewer fans flocked to cinemas over the weekend. But here’s the intriguing part: It’s still only Saturday afternoon, and the trades are already revising their estimates. How is this possible?

It appears that the box office earnings for Friday were less than anticipated, with Friday’s total taking into account Tuesday and Thursday previews. The movie “Superman” is reported to have made approximately $56.5 million. In contrast, “The Batman” slightly outperformed this figure by earning around $56.6 million on its opening Friday. Although the difference is minimal, it suggests a decline in the performance of “Superman”, which some in the industry interpret as an indication of a lower overall opening weekend revenue.

What about Man of Steel?

Unfair to compare

It seems unfair to draw a parallel between Gunn’s Superman and Snyder’s Man of Steel opening. Snyder benefited from following Christopher Nolan’s successful billion-dollar Dark Knight trilogy, while Gunn steps into the picture after the DCEU faced multiple setbacks, including The Flash among others.

In addition to executive producing “Man of Steel” and having “Dark Knight” writer David S. Goyer pen the script, it’s worth noting that Zack Snyder was chosen by Christopher Nolan himself to direct, a decision that some saw as Nolan’s approval. In fact, it has been shared that Nolan selected Snyder over Matt Reeves for this task.

Man of Steel failed to hits its mark

It’s reasonable to think that Man of Steel might have been considered a greater disappointment given the caliber of talent involved, as it fell short of expectations. I was informed that Warner Bros. aimed for it to earn a billion dollars like the Nolan films, but it didn’t quite reach that target. Despite having a successful debut and initial discussions about a follow-up, plans for a sequel were eventually abandoned in favor of introducing Batman instead.

Initially, they had planned a standalone Batman film focusing on a younger Bruce Wayne during his second year as a superhero. Does this ring a bell? Not only that, but Man of Steel 2 was in consideration, along with individual movies for The Flash, Aquaman, and Wonder Woman, eventually culminating in Justice League. However, the performance of Man of Steel didn’t meet expectations, causing a shift in plans. As we are all aware, this led to the events that transpired.

Man of Steel vs Superman reactions

Regarding the audience feedback on movies like Superman and Man of Steel, it’s worth noting that while Zack Snyder is rejoicing over the box office success of Man of Steel surpassing James Gunn’s figures (however, when adjusted for inflation, Man of Steel made $160.9 million initially and accumulated $924.7 million in today’s terms, which is quite impressive), the reactions to both films have been rather similar. And unfortunately, this isn’t a positive sign.

Many viewers found issues with the film “Man of Steel,” particularly the high level of violence, the portrayal of Pa Kent by Snyder, and the controversial Zod neck snap. Notably, prominent Superman fans expressed their disapproval openly. There was a lot of debate among fans online.

The same thing is happening now with Gunn’s Superman. That didn’t happen with The Batman.

In a nutshell, opinions on this film vary greatly. While some admire the film’s tone, others find issue with how Superman is depicted. The portrayal of Jor-El seems to be a contentious point for many viewers, who feel it’s overemphasized and won’t remain an issue. Criticisms also extend to the villains, the ending cameo, and other aspects. Additionally, political debates surround the movie. On the positive side, many fans appreciate the quick pace, comic book atmosphere, and the broader setup within the DC Universe.

Much like the film Man of Steel, Gunn’s Superman has sparked divided opinions among viewers – some adore it while others dislike it intensely. This poses an issue, particularly for a debut movie intended to ignite a new universe and create anticipation for what follows.

Superman box office reflecting fan split sentiment

Currently, it appears that the box office earnings of the latest Superman movie are mirroring a split. If its performance follows suit with Man of Steel, we can anticipate a significant decrease in week two – Man of Steel dropped by 64.6%. This trend is likely to continue, and it’s unlikely that the new Superman movie will reach the numbers of Man of Steel when accounting for inflation.

In this situation, it seems like we’re merely crossing our fingers that Gunn’s movie manages to earn approximately $560 million at the box office. That’s not overly optimistic, and it raises questions about the prospects of upcoming films such as Supergirl, the next film in the DCU, as well as Clayface. It also leaves us wondering about the future direction of the entire DC Universe.

It had been thought that Gunn’s take on Superman could revitalize the superhero genre, yet much like the optimism absent in the film itself, it may now be too late. You can read my review of it there (and I must say, I enjoyed it).

2025-07-12 22:32