Warner Executives Will Be Happy If “Superman” Grosses More Than $500 Million, But Is It Enough?

The new Superman movie is a fresh take on the classic DC Comics hero. James Gunn wrote and directed the film, which stars David Corenswet as Clark Kent, also known as Superman.

The movie is the first in the new DC Universe, called the DCU, and it kicks off the first chapter, named Gods and Monsters. Along with Corenswet, the cast includes Rachel Brosnahan, Nicholas Hoult, Edi Gathegi, Anthony Carrigan, Nathan Fillion, and Isabela Merced. In the story, Superman faces a challenge when billionaire Lex Luthor tries to turn people against him, and Superman has to prove he is their protector.

The journey to this film started many years ago. After the 2013 movie Man of Steel, which starred Henry Cavill, there were plans for a sequel. But things changed after the 2017 Justice League movie had a tough production, and by 2020 the Man of Steel sequel was not moving forward. James Gunn began working on a new Superman movie in 2022 and later became co-CEO of DC Studios with Peter Safran.

Gunn revealed he was writing the film by the end of 2022. The film was originally titled Superman: Legacy, but dropped the subtitle in early 2024 when filming began in Norway. Most of the filming took place in Atlanta and other parts of Georgia and Ohio, and the movie drew inspiration from the comic All-Star Superman.

Superman premiered at the TCL Chinese Theater on July 7, 2025, and hit theaters in the U.S. on July 11. Critics generally liked the film, and it started with $40.3 million in box office earnings.

Warner Bros. executives are according to WSJ hoping that Superman will make over $500 million worldwide. While this is a lot, it is much smaller than the billion-dollar hits Marvel sometimes has. Still, $500 million would be a success in their eyes. What’s more important is that fans like the movie and want to see more, since Superman is the first step in a bigger plan. DC Studios has announced upcoming projects like a Supergirl spinoff, a Green Lantern TV show, and several Batman movies.

Before the movie came out, reports from TheWrap and The Hollywood Reporter talked about how Superman needed to make at least $500 million to be profitable, but $700 million would be considered a real success. Some estimates even thought the movie could reach over $1 billion worldwide because the trailers got a lot of attention online. The total cost for making and marketing the movie was around $400 million.

Three weeks before the release, projections for the opening weekend in the U.S. were between $125 and $145 million, which would beat Man of Steel’s $116 million debut. However, DC Studios and Warner Bros. gave a more cautious estimate of $90 to $125 million, but some still hoped it could reach $175 million, which would make it the biggest opening for a DC movie, beating Batman v Superman’s $166 million.

When the movie started showing previews, it made $2.8 million on Tuesday and $21 million including Thursday previews. This $22.5 million total from previews set a record for 2025 and for any movie James Gunn directed. It also beat Warner Bros.’ previous preview record with Barbie.

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