Box Office: James Gunn's Superman Aims for $200M+ Global Debut

This isn't just another superhero release — it's the start of DC Studios' so-called "Gods and Monsters" era, and the first real test of the Gunn–Safran regime. If it tanks, they don't just lose a movie. They lose a franchise blueprint.

So how are the numbers looking?

Here's what we know:

• Projected global opening: $200M+
• Presales (U.S.): $20M, tracking slightly above Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 and Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania
• Domestic opening forecast: $115M–$130M
• Global rollout: 60,000 screens across 78 territories
• Prime early access screenings: June 26 at 7 p.m.
• Full domestic preview rollout: 3,400 theaters Thursday, rising to 4,000 by Friday

In China, Superman leads Thursday and Friday preview presales but loses steam over the weekend. Early reviews might help push things further — it currently sits at 85% certified fresh on Rotten Tomatoes, putting it right in line with the original 1978 Superman and miles ahead of anything Snyder touched (Man of Steel sits at 57%, Batman v Superman at a dismal 23%).

For Warner Bros., this is a bet not just on Superman — but on Gunn himself. He wrote, directed, and produced this movie. If it bombs, there's no one else to blame.

Release strategy is aggressive: major markets including France, Italy, Korea, Germany, Brazil, Mexico, the UK, Spain, China, and Japan are all coming online throughout the week. The studio even threw up an 11-foot Superman statue atop The Shard in London, hoping fans notice.

Demographics so far? Heavily male — across all age brackets. And the film's first-choice interest tracking is higher than Lilo & Stitch and Minecraft: The Movie, but still 64% lower than Matt Reeves' The Batman in 2022. Which means there's interest — but not hysteria.

It also doesn't help that Superman is sharing premium screens with Jurassic World: Rebirth, which is on track for a $60M second weekend.

For historical context — here's how Superman's previous outings performed:

• Superman (1978):
  • $134.4M domestic
  • $300.4M worldwide (unadjusted)
• Superman II (1981):
  • $108.1M domestic
  • $216.3M worldwide
• Superman III (1983):
  • $59.9M domestic
  • $80.2M worldwide
• Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987):
  • $15.6M domestic
  • Just over $30M worldwide
• Superman Returns (2006):
  • $84.5M five-day opening
  • $391M worldwide
  • Production cost: $223M
• Man of Steel (2013):
  • $116.6M domestic opening
  • $670.1M worldwide
• Batman v Superman (2016):
  • $166M domestic opening (still the record)
  • $874.3M worldwide
• Justice League (2017):
  • $93.8M opening
  • $661.3M global
  • Production cost: $300M

So yes, expectations are high. Maybe unrealistically so. After years of misfires, reboots, and soft rebrands, Superman needs to do more than just perform — it needs to justify the entire future of DC's cinematic universe.

It helps that the reviews are decent. It helps that Gunn still has some Marvel shine on him. But if the box office falls short, it won't matter how many Rotten Tomatoes are fresh. In this business, money is the only superpower that counts.