‘Superman’ Sets New Record with $217M Debut, Marks Biggest Opening for Solo Man of Steel

The latest Superman movie from Warner Bros. and DC Studios kicked off its run with a strong opening weekend, making $217 million at the global box office. That includes $122 million in the U.S. alone. While it’s not the biggest launch for the studio this year, it’s still a strong beginning for the new chapter in the DC Universe.

According to TheWrap, the domestic numbers landed right in the middle of industry projections, which ranged from $115 to $135 million. For comparison, James Gunn’s last movie, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, opened with $118 million, and Matt Reeves’ The Batman started with $133 million.

This new Superman didn’t beat Batman v Superman’s domestic debut of $166 million, but it did come out ahead of 2013’s Man of Steel, which made $116 million in its opening weekend.

So far, the film is getting good feedback from both fans and critics. It holds an 82% score from critics and a 94% audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes. PostTrak reports an 86% positive score, and CinemaScore gave it an A-, which matches the grade given to Man of Steel back in 2013. That film had a slightly higher opening with $128 million, but the strong reactions to this new movie suggest it could have lasting power.

With Marvel’s The Fantastic 4: First Steps arriving in theaters soon, there’s talk that the buzz around both movies could help Superman keep momentum. Some superhero fans might end up seeing both and even return for a second watch.

Internationally, the results were a little less impressive. The movie earned $95 million across 78 markets. One reason for the softer overseas numbers might be competition from Jurassic World: Rebirth, which pulled in $68 million overseas and $40 million in the U.S. during the same weekend. That dinosaur-packed sequel has now passed $529 million globally.

So while Superman may not have soared quite as high outside the U.S., it’s still looking like one of the year’s bigger hits. It’s on track to pass $300 million domestically, which would make it only the third movie this year to do that. Not bad at all for a rebooted Man of Steel.

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