Why Superman 2025 Box Office Numbers Could Struggle Moving Forward

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Some supporters express legitimate concern about the potential box office performance of Superman in 2025, as there are various factors that suggest the DC Universe reboot might find it challenging to achieve its ambitious targets. To date, the movie helmed by James Gunn has proven to be a significant achievement, particularly in terms of domestic ticket sales. Nevertheless, there are certain signs that this Superman film might not sail through as smoothly as previous ones such as Man of Steel (2013) and Batman v Superman (2016). Here’s why the 2025 Superman movie may encounter difficulties in meeting DC’s $700 million goal for its first venture into a new cinematic universe.

How much money has Superman 2025 made so far?

In its run at the box office, Superman 2025 has amassed a total of $426 million worldwide, with $253 million being contributed by ticket sales within the U.S., while $173 million was generated from international sales.

Based on Box Office Mojo data up to July 24, which is approximately two weeks following Superman 2025’s U.S. premiere, the film has surpassed the $400 million mark, an accomplishment achieved by only a small number of movies this year. However, a concerning aspect is that foreign sales account for just 40% of its total earnings, significantly lower than anticipated. For reference, Man of Steel and Thunderbolts* earned 56.6% and 50%, respectively, of their overall totals from international box offices.

*Note: “Thunderbolts” is a fictional movie in this context.

Exploring global box office figures, a significant challenge facing the movie’s performance stems from its poor reception in China. As The Hollywood Reporter points out, the Chinese government has been making it challenging, if not impossible, for Western films to secure screenings, favoring local nationalist productions instead. Despite Superman 2025 attempting to minimize the superhero as a representation of “the American way” through its narrative and marketing efforts abroad, this association has made it difficult for the film to maintain its presence in Chinese cinemas. Furthermore, director Gunn expressed in an interview with Rolling Stone that the movie’s international success is being hampered by a certain degree of anti-American sentiment.

In its debut week in China, the movie earned just $6.6 million, and since then, its earnings have decreased significantly, currently standing at $8.5 million. According to Deadline, this film has been negatively received by Chinese audiences. This stark contrast can be seen when comparing it to Jurassic World: Rebirth, which was released about two weeks prior to Superman 2025 and had a strong start in China with a whopping $25.7 million opening – nearly four times more than Superman’s initial earnings. To date, the Universal Pictures film has garnered approximately 57% of its total $656 million global sales from international box offices.

During the upcoming weekend, The Fantastic Four: First Steps is anticipated to rule the box office due to strong competition, according to a June 23 report by Box Office Theory. Remarkably, the forecast from the analytics site suggests that Superman 2025 could see a significant drop in sales of approximately 60% within the US market, resulting in domestic earnings around $23.5 million (with a possible range of $22.5 million to $26 million).

The success of Marvel’s reboot is partly explained by its higher pre-sale figures than those of Superman and its appeal to male audiences under 35. Additionally, Fantastic Four 2025 has displaced Superman 2025 from IMAX and other premium screens it had occupied for the past two weeks. However, this significant decrease in viewership is anticipated to reverse by early August, as both superhero films will have room to thrive alongside each other during the summer of 2025 due to a relatively empty schedule with few strong competitors.

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2025-07-24 23:47