“Superman” launches a new chapter for the DC Universe

It’s a bird, it’s a plane: It’s Superman, swooping in to save the day for DC Studios. Like a speeding bullet, the film, starring David Corenswet as the titular Man of Steel, zoomed to a solid $122 million in its opening weekend at the North American box office.

• It marks the second-largest domestic debut for director James Gunn, and the third-largest of 2025 behind A Minecraft Movie and Lilo & Stich.
• The movie brought in $217 million globally, putting it on track to exceed its reported all-in budget of ~$325 million as early as this month.

The stakes are high for Clark Kent & co.

Superman marks the first entry in the relaunched DC Universe (DCU), which is starting fresh with a new interconnected series of superhero films after its last iteration imploded following a streak of poor box office results.

• The creative reboot is being led by Gunn, who previously helmed Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy franchise before being fired in 2018 for past offensive social media posts.
• Future films include 2026’s Supergirl and Clayface, as well as a new take on Wonder Woman that’s currently in development.

Zoom out: The DCU relaunch comes amid another major makeover for parent company Warner Bros. Discovery, which has now turned in five-consecutive #1 hits following one of the worst box-office runs in its 102-year history.