The film — marking the dawn of a new era for DC Studios — is set to become only the third Hollywood release this year to surpass $100M in its U.S. opening.
James Gunn‘s Superman has officially taken wing at the box office.
The weekend tentpole, produced by DC Studios and Warner Bros., is projected to lead Friday’s charts with $55 million, a figure that includes a record $22.5 million from Thursday previews and select early IMAX screenings, early estimates show.
Superman’s first outing has drawn unusually close scrutiny. In advance of the weekend, Warner Bros. and DC cautiously pointed to a $100 million floor, while the industry key tracking service pitched a $130 million launch. Early returns now suggest the studios prudent outlook was prudent.
Despite that preview record, the new forecast pegs the domestic debut between $115 million and $120 million, a range still subject to change should walk-up audiences prove heavy. Anticipation remains intense; even President Donald Trump weighed in, posting a doctored meme presenting himself as the new Man of Steel.
While Superman is not set to shatter box-office milestones associated with James Gunns prior blockbusters, its moderate debut lands as an encouraging barometer for the newly structured DC Studios that Gunn oversees with producer Peter Safran.
Surpassing the $100 million threshold is rarely routine even under optimum conditions, and it’s a harder accomplishment still within the current climate that has dulled audience enthusiasm for many superhero pictures.
If the figures hold, Superman will become the first superhero title since Marvels summer 2024 Deadpool & Wolverine to debut above the century mark in North America; that film launched with $211 million and set a robust benchmark.
Broader industry context shows it is only the third 2025 release so far to cross that benchmark, trailing A Minecraft Movie, which kicked off with $162.8 million, According to “Screen Rant” data Lilo & Stitch, which zapped $146 million on its opening weekend.
Even the $22.5 million earned during previews was a career high for Gunn, eclipsing figures recorded over a decade while he directed Marvels Guardians of the Galaxy saga. Not adjusted for inflation, Guardians Vol. 2 currently owns Gunns biggest launch with $146.5 million, trailed by the third entry, which posted $118.2 million in 2023.
James Gunn currently wears two important hats: he is the writer and director of the new Superman film, and he shares executive oversight of DC Studios with Peter Safran. Simultaneously, the feature will debut in seventy-eight foreign markets, where the opening weekend forecast also tops a hundred million dollars.
Zack Snyder’s Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice remains the record holder for any Superman-centric film, pulling in 166 million domestically in 2016; that figure has not been inflated. Snyder’s own 2013 origin story, Man of Steel, opened to 116 million on its first weekend.
Warner Bros. Pictures
Bryan Singer’s Superman Returns, released nearly twenty years earlier, managed an impressive six-day North American total exceeding 84 million dollars. Given the inconsistent projections that have marked recent blockbuster seasons, Gunn and Safran understandably tread cautiously as they monitor pre-release tracking.
According to “The Hollywood Reporter” The film features David Corenswet as Clark Kent, Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane and Nicholas Hoult as the ambitious Lex Luthor. Supporting performances come from Skyler Gisondo as Jimmy Olsen, Isabela Merced as Hawkgirl, Beck Bennett as Steve Lombard, Nathan Fillion as Guy Gardner, Anthony Carrigan as Metamorpho and Edi Gathegi as Mister Terrific.
The film represents James Gunns inaugural outing as co-head of DC Studios, a role he assumed alongside Peter Safran in November 2022. Future projects under the newly reorganized banner include the HBO anthology series Lanterns and a Supergirl feature slated for release in 2026.
Updated box-office projections were added on July 11 at 1:15 p.m.
Superman Takes Off Worldwide With Over $40M in Just 2 Days — Global Box Office Soars!
Warner Bros. Pictures
Today 21 more markets come online, bringing the total release count to 78 around the globe.
ITALY
Italy opened on Wednesday with $519,000, enough to claim first place and coming in about where Justice League landed. Its also 2% bigger than Man of Steel, 51% ahead of the first Guardians, 97% larger than Wonder Woman, and 159% above Aquaman & The Lost Kingdom.
INDONESIA
Indonesia scored a $462,000 debut on Wednesday, again forging a No. 1 finish. That number matches the level of Thunderbolts and beats the first and second Guardians, Man of Steel, The Batman, and Top Gun: Maverick.
BRAZIL
Brazil, a key market for DC, added another $2 million to the tally and locked down the top spot. That figure makes it the biggest single day James Gunn has had in the cinema. Thursday’s number also outpaced the opening days for all three *Guardians*, as well as for *Joker* and *The Batman*, a noteworthy benchmark.
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
According to” IMDb” Over in the United Arab Emirates, the David Corenswet, Rachel Brosnahan, and Nicholas Hoult film ranked first and captured roughly half the entire market. Early results are similar to those of *The Batman* but exceed the openings of both *Aquaman* and the *Mission* films.
THAILAND
In Thailand, *Superman* ruled the box office as well, earning $631,000 and holding a fifty-eight percent market share. The current weekend chart through Thursday shows Mexico leading with $2.2 million, followed by Brazil at $2 million.
AUSTRALIA
Australia also debuted at No. 1, bringing in $1.3 million. That total marks the strongest opening day of 2025 so far. It lines up nearly exactly with *Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom*, sits about ten percent above *The Batman*, thirteen percent ahead of *Man of Steel*, and is a hefty fifty-six percent larger than *Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3* Acoording to “reddit”
FRANCE
According to “VARIETY” France led the midweek charge, topping the box office with $1.3 million, previews included, just ahead of the Bastille Day holiday. That debut came in 3% above *Thunderbolts* and even outpaced recent *Venom* and *Aquaman* launches by 8%. Through Thursday, Frances total stands at $1.8 million.
France earned $1.8 million, Australia brought in $1.3 million, and Korea sits at $1.1 million. Although we dont expect it to make a big splash, China release today came in at $2.4 million.
Well update the numbers again over the weekend.
Sources:
The Hollywood Reporter, Variety, Screen Rant, IMDb, Reddit.
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