James Gunn’s Superman Lost Over Half the Audience of Zack Snyder’s Films

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In a recent development, James Gunn’s version of Superman has surpassed Batman v Superman in domestic box office earnings, raking in $331 million, compared to Batman v Superman’s $330 million. Some media outlets have even referred to it as the highest-domestic grossing Superman film to date.

However, it’s important to note that while the numbers might suggest otherwise on X, the higher ticket prices for Superman are a significant factor contributing to its success. In reality, Superman lags behind its predecessors in terms of actual tickets sold.

It’s noteworthy that the moderators of the DC_Cinematic subreddit on Reddit have locked a post, preventing fans from commenting. However, we’ve shared the same post on an uncensored Reddit page of ours where fan interaction is allowed.

Grok Breaks Down the Numbers

In the discussion about X, user Ben W pointed out that as of 2016, the movie “Batman v Superman” was estimated to have sold approximately 159 million tickets globally. On the other hand, “Superman” has only managed around 67 million tickets. This means that nearly half – about 47% – of the audience for “Batman v Superman” chose to watch that movie instead.

Grok, X’s built-in AI, confirmed the math:

  • BvS (2016): ~$874M worldwide / ~146–159M tickets sold (avg ticket price $5.50–$6 adjusted).
  • Superman (2025): ~$579M worldwide / ~64–67M tickets sold (avg ticket price $8.64–$9).

That’s a 43–46% audience drop.

Man of Steel Comparison

User @Olexio1 asked Grok to run the same comparison against Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel (2013):

  • Man of Steel (2013): ~$668M worldwide / ~112–122M tickets sold (avg $5.50–$6 adjusted).
  • Superman (2025): ~64–67M tickets sold.

That’s only 52–60% of Man of Steel’s audience.

What the Numbers Really Show

Previously mentioned, after accounting for inflation, it appears that significantly less individuals have been attending screenings of Gunn’s reboot compared to previous data.

Although the overall earnings of the dollar may surpass those of the Superman movies within the U.S., it’s important to note that the audience size is significantly lower, with a decrease of approximately 55-60% compared to “Batman v Superman,” and around 40-48% compared to “Man of Steel.

In today’s currency, Gunn’s Superman doesn’t stand a chance against Man of Steel or Batman v. Superman in terms of box office earnings. The Man of Steel made almost a billion dollars, while Batman v. Superman surpassed $1.175 billion. Gunn’s Superman has only managed to gross around $600 million so far and is unlikely to reach the $670 million earned by Man of Steel without adjusting for inflation, let alone the $874.3 million made by Batman v. Superman.

James Gunn suggests that the issue isn’t audience fatigue with superhero films, but rather the quality of the movies produced by DC.

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2025-08-12 05:02