James Gunn's Superman opened its theatrical weekend at a strong $217 million globally, Deadline and The Wrap report. Opening on Friday, July 11, the reboot grossed $122 million in North America and $95 million abroad. DC Studios had estimated an opening of almost $100 million. The budget for the film was estimated at $225 million by the Wall Street Journal.
The film casts David Corenswet as the new Superman, replacing Henry Cavill. Lois Lane is played by Rachel Brosnahan, and Nicholas Hoult is cast as Lex Luthor. Other casting includes Skyler Gisondo as Jimmy Olsen, Milly Alcock as Supergirl, Isabela Merced as Hawkgirl, and Nathan Fillion as Green Lantern. Gunn, whose past work includes directing The Suicide Squad and Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy, is also co-head of DC Studios. For the studio, the film will be the tone-setter for its rebranded cinematic universe.
Ahead of release, Gunn described Superman as a film “about politics” — but more deeply, “about morality.” In an interview with The Times, he said the story explores whether one should avoid killing no matter the cost, as Superman does, or approach justice more pragmatically, as Lois Lane believes. Gunn added, “Superman is the story of America… an immigrant that came from other places,” calling the film a reflection on kindness and how it has faded in modern society.
Talking about critics “will take it as offensive just because it is about kindness,” Gunn said, “Screw them.”
Dean Cain, the Man of Steel from the 1990s TV show Lois & Clark, had his say on Gunn's political context. In an interview with TMZ, Cain opined that the immigration twist could be detrimental to the movie's box office and expressed himself as he labeled the themes of the new Superman film as "woke." Nevertheless, he claimed to be optimistic the movie would do well, attributing this to Gunn's humor and tone.
“Superman’s weakness is his goodness. Those are great values, and I root for that,” Cain said. He also noted the franchise needed a lighter tone compared to past instalments. While he didn’t agree with all of Gunn’s commentary, Cain said he looked forward to seeing what this new chapter brings.
He also added that he believed, “it was a mistake by James Gunn to say it's an immigrant thing.” Cain continued, "I was excited for the film. I'm [still] excited to see what it is, because James Gunn seems to have a sense of humor and the last iterations of Superman didn't have much humor. So I'm rooting for it to be a success, but I don't like that last political comment."
What is the opening weekend box office of Superman 2025?
Superman earned $217 million globally in its opening weekend.
Who plays Superman in the 2025 reboot?
David Corenswet stars as Superman in James Gunn's reboot.
What did Dean Cain say about the new Superman film?
Cain criticized the political themes but said he still supports the movie.
Is James Gunn's Superman about politics?
Yes, Gunn said the movie addresses politics, morality, and American identity.
