Superman has flown onto screens everywhere, releasing on VOD on August 15, barely a month after hitting theaters. The film stars David Corenswet, Rachel Brosnahan, Nicholas Hoult, Edi Gathegi, Nathan Fillion, Anthony Carrigan, and Isabela Merced, among others.

It follows an early-career Superman (Corenswet) as he deals with the fallout of stepping into an international crisis and drawing the hatred of Lex Luthor (Hoult). Interestingly, Superman’s streaming release comes while it is still in theaters. Currently, its box office is sitting at $588.7 million globally, with a split of $337.1 million domestically and $251.7 million internationally.

Superman’s success has continued on streaming, as, according to iTopChart, it is currently the number one rental during its first weekend on VOD for iTunes. The film is followed by Jurᴀssic World Rebirth in second and Thunderbolts* in third.

What Superman’s Streaming Success Means

Superman heading to home video rentals so early in its theatrical run is surprising, especially as the film is still in the top 10 at the box office as of August 15, 2025. Interestingly, this was not originally intended to be the case. Superman director James Gunn actually expressed disappointment with how this turned out.

In a recent interview with Screen Rant’s Liam Crowley, he explained: “it’s very complicated, but the truth is it is because of Peacemaker.” The filmmaker “originally thought Peacemaker was going to be coming out next month,” which better aligned with Superman’s release window because it allowed interested fans to see the film before the next entry in the DCU.

Due to “things that are beyond [Gunn’s] control,” Peacemaker is releasing in August. As a result, Gunn “wanted everyone to be able to see Superman that wanted to, even those people who couldn’t get to a theater before Peacemaker.”

Our Take On Superman’s Streaming Success

Though a longer time being exclusive to theaters may have bolstered Superman’s box office, its success on VOD shows that the film will still continue to find an audience. Moreover, it will still be in theaters for a while longer, meaning those who prefer to have a big-screen experience can still do so.

Additionally, Gunn’s reasoning makes sense. Superman is not the first release in the DCU, but it is the first theatrical film of the franchise. As such, it is meant to be an entry point for fans, and the director has said it ties into the second season of Peacemaker.

Making Superman accessible allows more audience members to watch the film. Judging by its streaming performance, this is exactly what is happening.