Latest 'Superman' Box Office Turns Heads, But It's Not Even Close To Another Blockbuster

The new launch of DC Studios is officially a success. The 2025 Superman reboot movie has hit at least $406.8 million in global box office returns, according to Variety. That means it's made roughly $253 million in the U.S. and around $173 million in foreign markets, according to Box Office Mojo. This may sound like a lot, and it certainly is for a new DC movie, but there are a few caveats on this super-success story. 

First of all, despite mixed reviews, Jurassic World Rebirth is over halfway to making $1 billion at the global box office. Last week, despite competition from Superman, and already having been out for a week, the latest dino flick was sitting at around $500 million. Now, it's at $648 million worldwide. This makes Jurassic World Rebirth — which has a 52 percent score from critics on Rotten Tomatoes — the fourth most successful movie of the year so far, just behind Ne Zha 2, Lilo & Stitch, and A Minecraft Movie. While Superman's box office returns could continue to climb, it's currently the ninth most successful of 2025, behind F1: The Movie ($460 million) and Captain America: Brave New World ($415 million). 

Related: 'Jurassic World Rebirth' Refreshingly Ditches an Annoying Blockbuster Trend

While some might say it's unfair to compare box office returns post-COVID to pre-COVID numbers, it's still worth noting here that Man of Steel (2013) did $670 million worldwide during its entire run, and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016) did $874 million. And, the new Superman cost a lot to make and market. The film's budget was $225 million, and it also carried a marketing budget of at least $125 million. So yes, at $406 million, the movie is now, almost certainly, profitable. But, when it opened on July 12, the initial reactions from studio heads, according to Variety, were that the box office returns were "good enough," but not great. 

Basically, there are two paths here for Superman. Either it will continue to do well, and eventually soar beyond $800 million, making it not only as successful as Batman v Superman, but also on par with James Gunn's Guardians of the Galaxy 2, which earned $863 million worldwide in 2017. Or, Superman's box office returns will start to plateau.

But, with great reviews and positive word-of-mouth buzz, what could possibly happen to slow down the speeding bullet of Superman's box office? Well, while Ka-El had help from Mister Terrific, he's about to have competition from Mister Fantastic. And that's because the long-awaited Marvel epic, The Fantastic Four: First Steps, hits theaters very soon, on Friday, July 25. 

Can Marvel come back swinging against DC? It's a grudge match that has been going on for decades, and one of the defining cultural clashes of the modern age. In the 1960s, Marvel was perceived as edgier and more realistic, while DC was generally considered to be the old guard of comic books. But now, has that perception flipped? After a decade and a half of Marvel dominance in the movie theaters, could DC be making a big comeback as the underdog?

Related: Why 'Superman's' Rotten Tomatoes Score Dropped 8 Points After Debut

Early buzz for Fantastic Four: First Steps is positive, with some critics saying the movie is "the best thing Marvel has ever made." Right now, box office predictions for Fantastic Four are unclear. That said, just the existence of this movie will surely cut into Superman's flight a little bit, right? 

Superman is in theaters now. The Fantastic Four: First Steps is hitting theaters on July 25.

Related: 'Thunderbolts*' Review: Marvel Is Back, Baby