James Gunn Addresses July’s Superman & The Fantastic Four: First Steps’ Box Office Showdown: “There’s Room For Us Both!”

Superman director James Gunn has weighed in on both his film and Marvel Studios’ The Fantastic Four: First Steps releasing in July 2025. Though there is a two-week window between them, their similar premiere dates set up a DC versus Marvel showdown. Superman comes out on July 11, while The Fantastic Four: First Steps arrives on July 25, right in the middle of San Diego Comic Con.

View on Threads

Over on Threads, a user asked Gunn for his take on people pitting the films against each other. The filmmaker previously directed the Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy for Marvel, which remains one of their best-received sub-franchises. He, however, had no time for hating on Marvel, stating: “They come out two weeks after us – there’s room for us both! I love my friends at Marvel. You can find whatever discussions you’d want to find online. I’d focus on all the positivity around the films instead of getting sucked up in online fan wars.”

What James Gunn’s Superman And Fantastic Four Comments Mean

When it comes to a film’s legs at the box office, it’s important to consider the variance between its opening weekend and the remainder of its release. Generally speaking, a film’s first weekend makes up around a third of its overall gross, though there are films that deviate from this pattern. Openings typically have the biggest single-weekend showing because existing fans are likely to see the movie right away. Its subsequent box office is a mix between more casual fans, word-of-mouth attendees, repeat viewers, and those just looking for a movie—any movie—to see.

Superman will likely be beyond its most profitable weekends when The Fantastic Four: First Steps releases. Even so, it is likely that the latter will affect the former’s ticket sales for the later duration of its theatrical window. Nonetheless, the broader superhero genre does better when compeтιтion and audience interest are steep. The best modern example is the year 2016, which saw the release of ᴅᴇᴀᴅpool, Batman v. Superman: Dawn Of Justice, Captain America: Civil War, and X-Men: Apocalypse all within only a few months.

Our Take On James Gunn’s Superman And Fantastic Four Comments

David Corenswet as Superman getting arrested in Superman trailer

Gunn is right; plenty of successful movies come out within weeks of each other. Just last year, Moana 2 and Wicked dominated the Thanksgiving movie season, with both films turning a profit. Pitting Superman and The Fantastic Four: First Steps against one another is yet another perpetuation of the DC versus Marvel comic “fan wars” that have raged for decades. In truth, both films are most likely to succeed when the genre succeeds.

Upcoming DC Movie Releases


  • Superman 2025 poster

    Superman

    Release Date

    July 11, 2025






  • Supergirl Woman of Tomorrow Poster

    Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow

    Release Date

    June 26, 2026






  • The Batman Part II Logo Placeholder

    The Batman Part II

    Release Date

    October 1, 2027





Upcoming MCU Movies


  • 01685606_poster_w780.jpg

    Thunderbolts*

    Release Date

    May 2, 2025






  • The Fantastic Four First Steps official poster

    The Fantastic Four: First Steps

    Release Date

    July 25, 2025






  • Avengeres Doomsday logo placeholder poster

    Avengers: Doomsday

    Release Date

    December 18, 2026






  • Spider-Man Brand New Day Logo Poster

    Spider-Man: Brand New Day

    Release Date

    July 31, 2026






  • Avengers: Secret Wars

    Release Date

    December 17, 2027





Related Posts

The Maverick Jedi: 10 Star Wars Characters Who Challenged the Jedi Council’s Authority

The Maverick Jedi: 10 Star Wars Characters Who Challenged the Jedi Council’s Authority

In the Star Wars galaxy, the Jedi Order was guided by the will of its Council. However, not every Jedi Knight was fully on board with their…

How A Marvel Movie With A 9% Rotten Tomatoes Score Changed My Mind About Avengers: Doomsday’s Controversial Casting Decision

How A Marvel Movie With A 9% Rotten Tomatoes Score Changed My Mind About Avengers: Doomsday’s Controversial Casting Decision

After watching a 9% rated Marvel movie, I am more convinced than ever that a controversial casting choice for Avengers: Doomsday will work. The story of Avengers:…

James Gunn Praises Movie With A Budget 15 Times Smaller Than Superman As One Of His “Favorite Movies Of The Past Few Years”

James Gunn Praises Movie With A Budget 15 Times Smaller Than Superman As One Of His “Favorite Movies Of The Past Few Years”

James Gunn has his first DCU movie coming out this week with Superman. However, while promoting the new DC movie, he took the time to discuss a…

New Masters Of The Universe Movie Isn’t Even Trying To Replace 1 Character From Dolph Lundgren’s Original

New Masters Of The Universe Movie Isn’t Even Trying To Replace 1 Character From Dolph Lundgren’s Original

The new Masters of the Universe live-action reboot is one of the most interesting projects coming out in the next few years, as it is set to…

Oscar-Winning Actor, 61, Is An Underrated Summer Blockbuster King

Oscar-Winning Actor, 61, Is An Underrated Summer Blockbuster King

After just a couple of weeks in theaters, F1 The Movie has already become one of the most successful films of Brad Pitt’s career. Just like director…

Brick Review: I Enjoyed Netflix’s Sci-Fi Escape Room Thriller That Delivers High-Stakes But It Is Missing Something

Brick Review: I Enjoyed Netflix’s Sci-Fi Escape Room Thriller That Delivers High-Stakes But It Is Missing Something

Brick is a tense German thriller with a sci-fi twist. The film starts out as a dramatic piece about a couple who have faced some challenges in…