Warner Brothers’ ‘Superman’ soars with third-biggest opening weekend of 2025, hits $217 million globally

Director James Gunn’s Superman reboot has delivered a mighty box office debut, signaling a powerful new start for DC Studios and Warner Bros. The film, starring David Corenswet as Clark Kent, Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane, and Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor, opened to a robust $122 million domestically and $95 million internationally, for a global opening weekend total of $217 million. This strong overseas showing helped Superman nearly recover its reported $225 million production budget in its first weekend.

Superman’s domestic opening ranks as the third-largest of 2025, trailing only A Minecraft Movie ($162.8 million) and the live-action Lilo & Stitch ($146 million). The film’s Thursday preview screenings alone brought in $22.5 million, with Friday’s total reaching $56.5 million—making it the second-biggest single-day opening of the year. This performance not only exceeded early industry estimates but also marked the biggest-ever domestic launch for a solo Superman film, surpassing Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel (2013), which debuted at $116.6 million.

The opening is a much-needed win for Warner Bros. and DC Studios, which have struggled in recent years to match the box office success of rival superhero franchises. The film’s positive reception—highlighted by an 83% critic score and a 93% verified audience score on Rotten Tomatoes—has been credited with reigniting fan enthusiasm and setting the stage for a new, interconnected DC Universe under Gunn and producer Peter Safran.

Gunn expressed his gratitude on social media, noting, “I’m incredibly grateful for your enthusiasm and kind words over the past few days.”

Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav also celebrated the film’s debut, vowing that “Superman is just the first step” for the studio’s ambitious 10-year plan for the DC Universe, which will include upcoming films like Supergirl and Clayface and new HBO series such as Lanterns.

Warner Bros. Discovery has been navigating a period of significant uncertainty and transformation. In June 2025, WBD announced plans to split into two publicly traded companies by mid-2026—a dramatic move aimed at adapting to the rapidly changing media landscape and addressing persistent financial pressures. One of the companies will comprise the streaming operations and Hollywood studio, including Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group, DC Studios, HBO, HBO Max, and the company’s extensive film and TV library, led by CEO David Zaslav. The other will oversee legacy television assets such as CNN, TNT, and TBS, under former WBD CFO Gunnar Wiedenfels.

The move comes as WBD continues to grapple with a heavy debt load—over $39 billion—and a stock price that has plunged nearly 70% since the 2022 WarnerMedia/Discovery merger. For now, the Man of Steel’s triumph offers a bright spot for a media giant in the midst of reinvention and another in a string of box office successes, including Ryan Coogler’s Sinners in addition to Superman and A Minecraft Movie.

For this story, Fortune used generative AI to help with an initial draft. An editor verified the accuracy of the information before publishing. 

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