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.

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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

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

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  Superman

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  July 11, 2025
  

  
  
  
  

  
  

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  Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow

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  June 26, 2026
  

  
  
  
  

  
  

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  The Batman Part II

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  October 1, 2027
  

  
  
  
  

  
  

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  Thunderbolts*

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  May 2, 2025
  

  
  
  
  

  
  

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  The Fantastic Four: First Steps

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  July 25, 2025
  

  
  
  
  

  
  

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  Avengers: Doomsday

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  December 18, 2026
  

  
  
  
  

  
  

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  July 31, 2026
  

  
  
  
  

  
  

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  Avengers: Secret Wars

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  December 17, 2027
  

  
  
  
  

  
  

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