Superman‘s box office flies past five DCEU movies in the new film’s first three days in theaters. James Gunn’s DC Universe is off to a solid start, with David Corenswet’s Superman movie proving itself as exciting as fans expected it to be. Superman has been met with positive reception by critics and the audience alike, something DC used to struggle with.
In the DCEU, particularly towards its end, DC had to deal with quite a few movies underperforming at the box office beyond just the usual mixed reception. That has led to Gunn’s Superman already surpᴀssing multiple DCEU movies after only its opening weekend. With positive word-of-mouth and Superman‘s thrilling ending setting up the DCU’s future, the movie can continue to climb.
According to The Numbers, Superman‘s global box office stands at $220 million at the time of writing. That nearly pushes the DCU’s first movie above its reported budget, which is $225 million. Superman‘s opening weekend is enough to put it above five DCEU movies: Blue Beetle, Shazam! Fury of the Gods, The Suicide Squad, Wonder Woman 1984, and Birds of Prey.
What Superman’s Box Office (So Far) Compared To The DCEU Means
James Gunn’s Superman Movie Opened With Healthy Numbers
Superman was always expected to surpᴀss the DCEU’s five biggest bombs, as the new DC Universe’s first movie is projected to be a strong first act for Gunn’s DCU. Besides the anticipation for Superman, which broke trailer records for DC and Warner Bros. Discovery before release, there is also the matter that some of those DCEU releases were affected by COVID.
|
The DCEU’s Lowest-Grossing Movies (& Superman) |
|
|---|---|
|
Movie |
Box Office Total |
|
Blue Beetle |
$130,841,501 |
|
Shazam! Fury of the Gods |
$134,221,819 |
|
The Suicide Squad |
$168,717,425 |
|
Wonder Woman 1984 |
$169,601,036 |
|
Birds of Prey |
$205,358,461 |
|
Superman |
$220,000,000 |
Gunn’s The Suicide Squad, one of the most beloved movies in the DCEU, and Wonder Woman 1984 were released in theaters and on streaming at the same time. That undoubtedly impacted their box office performance. Additionally, Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn team-up movie, Birds of Prey, had its theatrical run cut short as the pandemic closed everything.
Still, Superman‘s $220 million global debut is solid, showcasing how audiences are already embracing the new DCU after the final films in the old DCEU all underperformed. Superman is an example of the potential of the new DCU, and a sequel, which was interestingly not teased by Superman‘s post-credits scenes, could perform even better by building on a solid foundation.
Our Take On Superman’s Box Office (So Far) Compared To The DCEU
I’m not surprised by Superman being able to surpᴀss the total box office of the DCEU’s five biggest bombs after just its opening weekend. This is a new era for DC and one that is being embraced by fans and critics alike. Based on its big opening and the positive word-of-mouth, Gunn’s Superman should climb above many other DCEU movies.
Source: The Numbers
