2025’s Marvel & DC Movies Break A Vital Superhero Box Office Trend After 14 Years

The Marvel Cinematic Universe and the new DC Universe movies released in 2025 have failed to continue a superhero franchise record that had been going on since 2012. After the end of the Infinity Saga, the MCU has started to see some films struggle at the box office in ways that the Marvel movie franchise had not really known.

DC is no stranger to box office troubles, as the old DCEU franchise faced its fair share of issues. After the final four movies of the DCEU, which were released in 2023, all underperformed, the studio released the first film in James Gunn’s DC Universe, Superman, in 2025. The project has done a solid job of kickstarting the new franchise.

That said, it is fair to ᴀssume that the threat of superhero fatigue is more real than some would believe. In another time, smaller Marvel movies like Ant-Man were guaranteed to at least cross the $500 million mark at the worldwide box office. Sadly, even that has become a struggle as of late, with a major superhero box office trend broken.

Superman Is The Only Truly Successful 2025 Superhero Movie

Superman looking up in the DCU Superman movie

Marvel Studios released three movies this year: Captain America: Brave New World, Thunderbolts*, and The Fantastic Four: First Steps. The first two films grossed $415.1 million and $382.4 million, respectively. No matter how Marvel marketed them as a film that included Harrison Ford as Red Hulk or the MCU’s New Avengers coming together, both movies underperformed, which was quite disappointing.

After years of divisive movies and with Marvel finally being able to put its own live-action spin on the Fantastic Four, the team did not fare much better than the rest of the studio’s theatrical slate. At the moment, The Fantastic Four: First Steps‘ box office total stands at $491.1 million, according to The Numbers. It should scrape by the $500 million mark.

DC might only have one movie in 2025, but it is the highest-grossing superhero entry of the year, as Superman‘s worldwide box office is currently at $605.3 million. The movie has already secured millions in profit for DC Studios. Superman has also broken domestic box office records, making it the only superhero movie of 2025 to be considered a hit.

2025’s Marvel & DC Movies Fall Short Of Continuing A 14-Year Box Office Trend

Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards in Fantastic Four First Steps

Superman‘s box office performance has secured the тιтle of highest-grossing superhero movie of the year for DC, ending Marvel’s 17-year box office streak, as Marvel films had topped the superhero box office for as many years. Despite Superman‘s box office being seen as a hopeful note for the genre in a year when things did not go Marvel’s way, 2025 saw another streak broken.

Every year from 2012 to 2024 saw at least one superhero movie cross the $700 million mark at the worldwide box office, not taking 2020 into the equation due to how the pandemic affected the film industry. In 2025, only Superman came somewhat close to the target, with the film projected to end its worldwide run falling short of it.

According to box office analyst Luiz Fernando, Superman, which has already been released on digital, thus impacting its box office performance, should end its run with around $620 million. That would mean quite the distance to the $700 million mark. As such, 2025 will be the first year since 2011 not to have at least one superhero movie pᴀss the target.

Marvel Can Bounce Back In 2026 In A Major Way

While 2025 might have been a bit of a down year for the MCU despite the positive reviews for Thunderbolts* and The Fantastic Four: First Steps, the franchise can already bounce back in 2025 to make sure superhero movies once again top the $700 million mark. Instead of having a single film reach it, Marvel should have two.

Those movies are Tom Holland’s Spider-Man: Brand New Day and Avengers: Doomsday. Depending on how marketing goes and what is revealed beforehand, the latter even has the potential to cross the $2 billion mark. However, even conservative projections point to both MCU movies pᴀssing $1 billion at the worldwide box office, which is well above the needed mark for restarting the superhero trend.

DC Should Have A Hard Time Reaching $700 Million In 2026

Milly Alcock as Supergirl in James Gunn's Superman movie — Milly Alcock as Supergirl in James Gunn’s Superman movie

While Superman outgrossed all the 2025 MCU movies, both DC films set to be released in 2026 will have a hard time at the box office against Marvel’s juggernauts. Clayface is a smaller Batman villain spinoff that should play like a horror movie, so $700 million at the box office is nearly impossible.

While Supergirl should build on Superman‘s success, the hero is not as popular to outgross the DCU film, making its chances of getting to the $700 million mark, which Superman could not, hard to believe. That said, both films could still be successful, just not hitting the same high ceiling the 2026 MCU movies are about to set.

Marvel Studios is releasing new entries in two of its biggest franchises next year, with the last films from those franchises being the $2.8 billion Avengers: Endgame and the $1.9 billion Spider-Man: No Way Home. However, even if the DC films fail to match the MCU releases, superhero movies should revive the box office trend either way in 2026.