“Superman” Crushes the Box Office with $217M Opening Weekend
“Guardians of the Galaxy” and “The Suicide Squad” director James Gunn’s highly anticipated take on DC’s Superman had mixed expectations, but it seems to be on track to win in the end. The film just had a highly successful opening weekend, grossing $123M in the domestic box office and $217M in the global box office.
While it’s hard for a movie with such an iconic and recognizable character to flop, James Gunn’s “Superman” reboot still wasn’t going to be an easy project to take on. The movie has been done successfully multiple times already, with Richard Donner’s “Superman: The Movie” in 1978 and Zack Snyder’s “Man of Steel” in 2013 both being box office hits. With enough successful Superman films, one who isn’t a diehard DC fan might see a poster for James Gunn’s “Superman” and just think, “Again? No thanks, I’m good.” For this reboot to be enough of a success to make back its $225M budget, it was important for Gunn to make sure that his version of Superman had something new and interesting to say and gave a fresh take on the beloved IP.
One of the ways Gunn’s reboot did end up feeling fresh was returning the character of Superman to his roots and creating a film that feels more “comic-bookish.” For a while now, comic book films have been in a phase of more dark or gritty visuals. Super-suits have become more dull in their colors. Costumes have become less campy. While grittiness in comic book films can be great, the most shining example being Christopher Nolan’s “The Dark Knight” trilogy, audiences are more than ready to embrace brightness and fun again in their superheroes. When they read the news on their phone and the world looks bleak, a colorful Superman with a pet dog can bring some of the hope and happiness they’re looking for. One of the best things the costume department of this film could have done was give Superman his silly red underwear back.
After an already strong opening weekend, all “Superman” needs to be solidified as a success is to have staying power in the box office. Reviews of the film are solid, with a Rotten Tomatoes rating of 82%, so if that positive word of mouth translates to ticket sales then the 2025 “Superman” will have an amazing impact on superhero movies going forward.
Featured image by Tima Miroshnichenko via pexels.com