James Gunn is bringing back one of the world’s most beloved superheroes, Superman, on the big screen with his latest film. This marks his second directorial outing in the DC universe after The Suicide Squad (and its spin-off series Peacemaker), and the first entry in the revamped DC slate under DCU Chapter One: Gods and Monsters. ‘Superman’ Movie Review: ‘Triumph for DC Universe’! Early Reactions in Favour of James Gunn’s Vision, High Praise for David Corenswet, Rachel Brosnahan and Nicholas Hoult.

Superman stars David Corenswet as Clark Kent/Superman, with Rachel Brosnahan playing Lois Lane and Nicholas Hoult portraying Lex Luthor. The movie also boasts an ensemble supporting cast including Edi Gathegi, Anthony Carrigan, Nathan Fillion, Isabela Merced, Frank Grillo, Pruitt Taylor Vince, Wendell Pierce, Skyler Gisondo, Mikaela Hoover, Sara Sampaio, María Gabriela de Faría, and Sean Gunn.

Set to release in theatres on July 11, 2025, the success of Superman will be crucial in determining the future of the revitalised DC Universe. It also tests how willing fans - particularly those still attached to the Snyderverse - are to embrace this new chapter.

So, what does Superman need to earn to be considered a box office success?

Budget and Break-Even Target for 'Superman'

According to The Wrap, Superman has been made on a reported budget of USD 225 million, with an estimated additional USD 200 million spent on marketing and promotion. This means the film would need to gross around USD 700 million worldwide just to break even.

However, in an interview with GQ, James Gunn dismissed the USD 700 million break-even figure. He said, "Is there something riding on it? Yeah, but it’s not as big as people make it out to be. They hear these numbers that the movie’s only going to be successful if it makes USD 700 million or something, and it’s just complete and utter nonsense. It doesn’t need to be as big of a situation as people are saying."

Still, things may not be as simple as Gunn suggests. According to an article in The Hollywood Reporter, Superman's production budget could be as high as USD 368 million, based on documents reportedly filed by the film’s production team with the Ohio state government. Gunn has since denied these figures when the report went viral, but no official breakdown has been released.

James Gunn's Response to Rumoured Budget on Threads

If the marketing budget of USD 200 million is included, the total cost could approach USD 568 million, suggesting that Superman might need to gross over USD 1 billion worldwide to generate a profit.

'Superman' Advance Opening Predictions

At the time of writing, Superman is tracking to earn between USD 140 million and USD 160 million in North America, and around USD 300 million globally during its opening weekend, as per reports.

Watch the Trailer of 'Superman':

These are strong numbers, but the film will face tough competition from Gareth Edwards’ Jurassic World Rebirth, which released on July 4 and is currently performing well at the box office.

What could work in Superman’s favour, however, is the wave of positive first reactions following its Los Angeles premiere. If the official reviews mirror that enthusiasm, the film could see a significant boost in ticket sales during its theatrical run.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 08, 2025 10:28 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).