James Gunn’s Superman is off to a powerful start, delivering an estimated $123 million domestic opening weekend. That marks the second-highest debut for a Superman movie, trailing only Batman v Superman ($166M), and the best opening for a first solo Superman installment, ahead of 2013’s Man of Steel ($116.6M).
This is also Warner Bros.’ second $100M+ opening of the year following A Minecraft Movie ($162M), continuing a strong summer box office trend. For Gunn, it becomes his second-highest opening weekend as a director, following Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 ($146.5M).
Not Quite the Wild $150M Many Predicted—But Still a Win
While early preview numbers ($22M) sparked talk of a potential $140M–$150M launch, sources now say Superman‘s $120M+ range represents the realistic ceiling for a standalone PG-13 Superman film not featuring Batman. Red-state turnout remained on par with other big comic book films, suggesting outside controversies—like Gunn’s “immigrant” commentary—did not dampen attendance.
Strong Word-of-Mouth and Audience Scores
Audiences are responding positively. The film received:
- A- CinemaScore
- 86% positive score on PostTrak
- 74% definite recommend
- 82% critic and 94% audience scores on Rotten Tomatoes
49% of moviegoers bought their ticket the same day — an encouraging sign for momentum. That’s higher than Deadpool & Wolverine (41%) and just under A Minecraft Movie (57%).
Key audience breakdown:
- Latino/Hispanic: 26%
- Black: 19%
- Asian American: 9%
- Caucasian: 41%
- Male/Female split: 68% / 32%
- 66% under 35
Demographics skewed younger and male, with the largest group being men over 25 (43%) followed by men under 25 (25%). Women under 25, though the smallest quadrant at 13%, gave the film a strong 90% rating.
Marketing That Paid Off
According to PostTrak:
- Top reasons people attended: it looked fun (49%), it was a superhero movie (43%), and it’s part of a franchise they like (40%)
- Top marketing drivers: social media (20%), in-theater trailer (15%), online trailer (13%), and word-of-mouth (12%)
Despite early doubts over the sentimental tone of the trailer (including Krypto the Superdog and robots), audiences seem pleasantly surprised. Many say what was left out of the trailers added to the movie’s freshness — a James Gunn marketing hallmark.
How It Compares
While Gunn’s Superman shares similar box office legs with Man of Steel, its stronger reception sets it apart. Batman v Superman still holds the record for a DC film opening ($166M), but its B CinemaScore signaled waning interest post-weekend. Gunn’s take, with an A-, signals sustained appeal.
Bigger Picture: A Strong Box Office Weekend Overall
The second weekend of July brought in a record $197M across all films — the best for this frame post-COVID and +60% from last year’s Despicable Me 4 frame.
Top 5 Films This Weekend:
- Superman – $123M
- Jurassic World: Rebirth – $38.7M (Week 2 total: $230.8M)
- F1 – $12.8M
- How to Train Your Dragon – $7.75M
- Elio – $4M