'Superman' Tops Weekend Box Office With Inconclusive $217M Global Debut

James Gunn’s DC Studios kick-off flick opens with what could be a solid start. Now it needs legs closer to 'The Batman' or 'Spider-Man: Homecoming' than 'Man of Steel' or 'Thor: Love and Thunder'.

Superman flew to an estimated $122 million domestic debut, notching Warner Bros. Discovery’s second $100 million-plus opening of the year. Both of those (Superman and A Minecraft Movie) were non-sequels. Additionally, it ranked in the top ten among July openers and nabbed the third-biggest July launch for a non-sequel (behind Disney’s The Lion King and WB’s Barbie). However, with final grosses pending, it’s below the unadjusted debut of Man of Steel ($128 million in 2013) and The Batman ($134 million in 2022). It’s also below the inflation-adjusted debut of Wonder Woman ($103 million in 2017, $130 million adjusted) and Superman Returns ($85 million over five days in 2006, $147 million adjusted). The key question now is whether James Gunn’s DC Studios kickoff film has traded a “smaller” opening for longer legs.