“Superman” partial poster featuring David Corenswet.
Warner Bros. Pictures
Superman, starring David Corenswet, Rachel Brosnahan and Nicholas Hoult, has ended its domestic theatrical run after playing on the big screen for 84 days.
Directed by James Gunn, Superman marks the first release from DC Studios co-CEOs Gunn and Peter Safran’s DC Universe. The film debuted in theaters on July 11 before it arrived on digital streaming on Aug. 15 and HBO Max on Sept. 19.
The official summary for the superhero movie partially reads, “When Superman (Corenswet) is drawn into conflicts both abroad and at home, his actions to protect humankind are questioned, and his vulnerability allows tech billionaire and master deceiver Lex Luthor (Hoult) to leverage the opportunity to get Superman out of the way for good.
“Will the Daily Planet’s intrepid reporter Lois Lane (Brosnahan), together with the aid of Metropolis’s other metahumans and Superman’s own four-legged companion, Krypto, be able to help Superman before Luthor can completely destroy him?”
Superman also stars Edi Gathegi, Anthony Carrigan, Nathan Fillion, Isabela Merced, Skyler Gisondo, Sara Sampaio, María Gabriela de Faría, Wendell Pierce, Mikaela Hoover, Pruitt Taylor Vince, Neva Howell and the voice of Alan Tudyk.
Rated PG-13, Superman officially ended its domestic theatrical run on Oct. 2 when it earned $3.588 from 71 theaters, bringing the film’s final North American box office tally to $354,184,465, according to The Numbers. Combined with the film’s international ticket sales of $261,100,000, Superman’s worldwide box office gross ended at $615,784,465.
Superman had a production budget of $225 million plus a worldwide marketing budget of $125 million, Variety reported after the film was released in theaters in July.
Given that films generally split their ticket sales 50-50 with theater owners, this means that Superman’s theatrical net equates to nearly $308 million. The amount, of course, does not reflect any residuals that are being paid out or other miscellaneous expenses associated with the film.
Even going with the $308 million before taking the other expenses into account, Superman’s net falls below the $350 million Warner Bros. spent on the production of the film and marketing.
Whether Superman will ultimately end up making or losing money, though, is yet to be determined, since Warner Bros. will earn money from premium video on demand, streaming video on demand and other revenue streams, including dollars earned from licensed merchandising.
David Corenswet and Rachel Brosnahan in “Superman.”
Warner Bros. Pictures
‘Supergirl’ Is The Next Film Up For DC Studios After ‘Superman’
No matter if Superman ends up in the red or black, the new DCU is charging full steam ahead with its film and television slate.
With James Gunn’s HBO/HBO Max series Peacemaker serving as the follow-up to Superman to further build out the foundation of the DCU, DC Studios’ next feature, Supergirl, is set to be released in theaters on June 26, 2026.
Supergirl — who was introduced at the end of Superman — stars Milly Alcock as Kara Zor-El/Supergirl. The film is being directed by Craig Gillespie, who has helmed such films as I, Tonya, starring Margot Robbie and the Cruella de Vil prequel movie Cruella, starring Emma Stone.
The film was originally titled Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow before it was shortened to its current title. Oddly enough, the next Superman movie, which will be directed by Gunn and star David Corenswet, drops Superman from the title and is simply called Man of Tomorrow, per an announcement from Gunn on Instagram on Sept. 3. Man of Tomorrow is slated for a July 27, 2027, release in theaters.