DC Studios’ “Superman” opened to a powerful start at the domestic box office, earning over $21 million from early-access and Thursday preview screenings, according to industry estimates.
The strong performance makes it the highest Thursday preview total of 2025, positioning the DC Studios reboot for a potential blockbuster opening weekend.
Record-setting preview signals strong momentum
The film earned about $2.8 million from Amazon Prime early-access screenings on Tuesday, before its nationwide release. Including standard Thursday night viewings, Superman made over $21 million, surpassing this year’s earlier hits like “Lilo & Stitch” ($14.5M) and “Captain America: Brave New World” (around $12M).
It also more than doubled the Thursday total of 2013’s “Man of Steel,” which was about $12.4 million adjusted for inflation. Many now estimate that “Superman” will make between $115 million and $130 million domestically by Sunday night, marking it as one of the best summer openings of the decade.
Outpacing past DC titles
“Superman” had the highest preview revenue of all DC solo character launches, beating “The Batman” and “Aquaman.” While it didn’t match the $27.7M of “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” from 2016, it still shows strong performance for a standalone reboot without crossover appeal. This early success is a positive start for DC Studios under new leaders James Gunn and Peter Safran.
Gunn, who wrote and directed “Superman,” presents it as the first official film in the new DC Universe. With a blend of hope, science fiction, and classic Americana, the movie stars David Corenswet as Clark Kent, Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane, and Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor.
Global outlook and financial expectations
Globally, the film is projected to bring in over $200 million in its first weekend. International preview data from markets like India and Latin America has also been promising, with early reports indicating strong attendance and positive audience responses.
Although Warner Bros. has not publicly stated its break-even target, analysts estimate that Superman may need to gross at least $700 million worldwide to cover its production and extensive marketing costs, which include high-profile partnerships with brands like Dairy Queen, Milk-Bone, and the “Summer of Superman” promotional campaign led by DC.
A promising future for the Man of Tomorrow
The strong Thursday numbers and positive word-of-mouth suggest “Superman” is not only flying high financially but may also help rebuild faith in DC’s cinematic future after years of mixed results.
With the promise of future connected films and television series, the opening of Superman could mark the rebirth of a franchise—and a modern mythos—that once defined the superhero genre.
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