$125 Million! Superman has Revived the Cape Game
Is the Superman hype train finally faster than a speeding bullet?
Damn right it is… and the opening weekend numbers prove it.
After a half decade of sagging cape sales and an era where the average comic book movie limped across the line with a measly $74 million opening.
James Gunn’s Superman just punched through the stratosphere with $125 million domestic out of the gate!
That’s not simply beating the genre’s recent curve… No, it’s pile driving it through the Phantom Zone.
Let’s compare that to other films in 2025
Captain America: Brave New World—$89 million
Thunderbolts*—$75 million
Superman—checks notes $125 million
Yeah, Supes didn’t just edge past his Marvel counterparts he heat visioned them into a crispy footnote. In a year many pundits had already declared “peak superhero fatigue,” Kal‑El answered, “Hold my cape.”
Why does this matter? Two big reasons:
Momentum for a Shaky Genre
The last five years gave us pandemic closures, streaming cannibalization, and more superhero flicks than there are multiverse variants. Audiences started not just cherry picking but just not going to the theater at all (see image below). Superman’s debut bucks that trend, proving there’s still room for an old school, big‑screen spectacle. That’s as long as you nail the tone, heart, and, yes, the marketing.Proof of Concept for Gunn’s DCU
Gunn pitched his revamped universe on optimism and mythic grandeur. This $125 million opening is the first receipts on the table moment that shows fans (and Warner’s board) the gamble is working. When your launch title rockets 64% past the genre’s five year average, you’re not just ahead you’re charting a new flight path.
Comic Book Movie Genre Failings
This is the Average DOMESTIC Weekend Box Office for All Movies within the Comic Book Genre from 2020-2024.
The Next Big Leap
Superhero movies are middling when it comes to worldwide totals currently hovering around $453 million on average.
If current legs hold… remember, strong word of mouth and minimal four quadrant competition through mid August… Well, Superman staying laser focused could easily clear that bar faster than Clark can change in a phone booth (Google it, Zoomers).
Anything north of $500 million Box Office would turn Superman from “promising pivot” to bona fide mission statement.
Final Flight Check
In short
Opening weekend? Blows past recent averages.
Beats his 2025 competition? Handily.
Signals the DCU’s new era? Up, up, and well, you know.
If this is how James Gunn starts Chapter One, imagine where we’ll be by the time his Batman shows up. Grab your popcorn and your optimism… the House of El just turned the tides, and the rest of the genre is playing catch up.
