The success of James Gunn’s Superman movie continues as the DC Universe installment has surpᴀssed Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel in a major box office update. The Man of Tomorrow has finally made his cinematic return, as the Superman ending has become a proper launch for the DCU timeline, with DC Studios’ rebooted franchise marking the dawn of a new era for the DC brand.

Starring David Corenswet as the newest take on the DC legend, the Superman movie has become one of the first critical wins for DC in many years after several DCEU films struggled, which brought an end to the decade-long franchise in 2023. As Superman continues its theatrical run, the 2025 installment has now hit another box office record.

Box Office Mojo is reporting that Gunn’s Superman movie has officially crossed $292.4 million at the domestic box office as of Tuesday, July 29, with a total of $506.5 million worldwide. Superman’s domestic number means it has officially surpᴀssed Snyder’s Man of Steel in the domestic category, with the 2013 DCEU installment having finished its US run with $291 million.

At the time of this story’s publication, the Man of Steel domestic box office numbers are unadjusted for inflation. The domestic box office success of Superman comes only 18 days after Gunn’s DCU installment opened in theaters earlier this month, with big releases like Jurᴀssic World Rebirth and The Fantastic Four: First Steps also playing right now.

What The Superman Box Office Update Means

Gunn’s Superman Movie Is The Proper Start For The DCU

With the latest domestic numbers for Gunn’s Superman, the DC Studios-produced film is officially the highest-grossing solo Superman movie of all time in the U.S. market. Gunn’s Superman movie also surpᴀssed the domestic box office of all of Christopher Reeve’s films between 1978 and 1987, both domestically and worldwide, as well as 2006’s Superman Returns with Brandon Routh.

However, the highest-grossing movie featuring Superman overall remains Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, which collected $330.3 million domestically. Additionally, it’s very unlikely that Superman will cross Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice’s global numbers, which made over $874 million.

Nevertheless, the bigger question is whether 2025’s Superman will beat Man of Steel’s worldwide box office numbers by the time Gunn’s installment has finished its theatrical run. At this rate, the chances of Gunn’s 2025 film surpᴀssing Man of Steel and 2017’s Justice League ​​​​​​are unclear, since it will depend on how the next few weeks play out.

While Gunn’s 2025 iteration is performing strongly domestically, the same can’t be said internationally. It’s collected $214 million so far, whereas Cavill’s 2013 DC movie made $379 million. Gunn believes that the lower engagement with international audiences is likely due to “anti-American sentiment” in the political climate. Therefore, it will be tough for Superman to surpᴀss Man of Steel’s global box office. Nevertheless, the director is still considering the movie a big win given all the factors.

Our Take On The Superman Box Office Update

Gunn’s Superman Continues To Revive DC’s Movie Brand

From the latest updates on Superman’s box office success in the domestic market, it’s evident that the audience for Krypton’s last son is still very strong, as this is a win for DC Studios and their new DCU franchise. With the many Easter eggs and DC references in Superman, it’s clear that the DCU has only just begun for DC Studios.

As the majority of the Superman movie reviews have been in the film’s favor, word of mouth is playing a factor in the film’s box office trajectory. Hopefully, after all the hard work that was put into Superman, the new success for the DCU will be something that ideally continues for upcoming DC Studios releases in the coming years.

Source: Box Office Mojo