Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle Breaks Box Office Records, Outperforming Marvel and DC Films

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Last week, Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle reached $730 million worldwide, becoming the fifth highest-grossing film of 2025. This puts it ahead of Superman, which made over $660 million globally, and The Fantastic Four: First Steps, with around $520-521 million. When considering marketing and other costs, the difference in profit is significant, and this success wasn’t due to chance.

The anime series is a huge success, setting viewership records worldwide despite its relatively low $20 million production cost. This is leaving Marvel and DC wondering why their popular franchises aren’t performing as well. The reason seems clear: viewers are looking for new and exciting stories, and Marvel, in particular, hasn’t been able to deliver that freshness.

Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle Is The Highest-Grossing Comic Book Movie Of 2025

The latest Demon Slayer movie, Infinity Castle, earned $52.4 million in China, bringing its worldwide box office total to $730 million. This makes it the fifth highest-grossing film of 2025 – even surpassing the box office numbers of all superhero movies released this year.

While Superman started with a strong $125 million in the US and has done well internationally, it’s still behind where other blockbusters have been. The Fantastic Four: First Steps earned $118 million domestically and $218 million worldwide during its opening weekend, but neither film has had the lasting success of Demon Slayer, which has been performing well since July.

The movie has been incredibly successful. Twenty-five years after its release, Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle has become the highest-grossing foreign film ever in North America, surpassing Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. Despite having a budget of only $20 million – far less than the production, marketing, and distribution costs of films like Superman and Fantastic Four – Demon Slayer is earning more at the box office.

The success of Infinity Castle isn’t limited to one country; it’s been a hit worldwide. The film had a strong opening weekend, surpassing many other popular movies, and this isn’t just a lucky break or a local phenomenon. People around the globe are excited about a fresh story that isn’t a remake or part of an existing franchise.

What Marvel And DC Can Learn From Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle’s Box Office

For years, anime and manga have been more popular in America than comics from Marvel and DC. In 2022, manga made up almost half of all comic book sales, and in 2021, it generated $1.47 billion of the $2.075 billion total. It’s clear that fans have been showing they want something different, and they’re losing interest in yet another Superman remake or complicated entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Manga and anime are gaining popularity with younger audiences because the stories feel fresh and different. Titles like Demon Slayer, Chainsaw Man, and Jujutsu Kaisen stand out because they’re original stories with planned conclusions. Viewers appreciate this structure, especially when compared to the constant reboots and sprawling multiverse narratives often seen in franchises like Marvel and DC.

Big movie studios like Disney are noticing fewer people, especially Gen Z, are interested in their recent films, leading to lower box office numbers. However, it’s not because audiences are tired of superhero movies. The real issue is that Marvel and DC keep relying on the same old characters and predictable stories, and viewers are simply losing interest.

The huge success of Demon Slayer in theaters is great news for anime fans. However, it also sends a message to Marvel and DC. While they continue to depend on familiar heroes like Superman, Batman, Spider-Man, and the Avengers, they need to understand why stories like Demon Slayer are connecting with audiences they’re starting to lose.

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2025-11-30 21:38