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James Gunn's Superman has come flying against all odds and has become a critical and commercial success. As of now, the movie, released on July 11, enjoys an 83% score on Rotten Tomatoes. On top of that, the film has now achieved a new milestone as it crossed $555 million mark at the global box office as of August 6.
The latest film in the new DC Universe's Superman (2025) has earned $317.9 million from domestic theaters and $237.1 million from the rest of the territories it was released in. James Gunn's Superman wasn't expected to do that well, given that fans weren't hoping David Corenswet would fill the shoes of the iconic superhero after he replaced Henry Cavill, who played the role in Man of Steel (2013).
However, it came out as the top film, as it opened with $125 million at the domestic box office. It took the movie over three weeks to reach the $300 million mark in the US.
Superman is way behind James Gunn's highest-grossing film
When James Gunn directed Slither (2006) and Super (2010), they weren't exactly box office bangers. The former earned only $12 million against its $15 million budget, and the latter earned $594k against a $2.5 million budget. However, Super gained a cult following over the years.
His commercial success came in 2014 when Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 1, the 10th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, made $773 million against a $232 million budget at the global box office. That's over $200 million more than what Superman has earned... so far.
Next came its sequel in 2017, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017), and it was even better. The best so far, commercially speaking. The 15th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe saw Star-Lord (Chris Pratt) and crew swiping $869 million against a $200 million budget. That's the competition James Gunn's Superman is looking forward to going head-on with.
The third film in the MCU sub-series, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023), was more or less the same, as it garnered $845 million against a $250 million budget. Before this, the director also made a standalone sequel to David Ayer's Suicide Squad (2016), The Suicide Squad (2021), but that was a commercial failure. Though that doesn't come as a surprise given its release window, during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Can Superman take over Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2?
With the pace Superman is flying, it seems likely that the film will take over Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 by the end of its theatrical run. As of this writing, Rotten Tomatoes' critics consensus reads,
"Pulling off the heroic feat of fleshing out a dynamic new world while putting its champion's big, beating heart front and center, this Superman flies high as a Man of Tomorrow grounded in the here and now."
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Currently, James Gunn hasn't announced any sequels to his film. However, he said that the Kryptonian will appear in a major role in the movie's follow-up he is currently working on. He didn't say the name, but it is likely to be the upcoming film, Supergirl, which he and Peter Safran are co-producing, and Milly Alcock will be in the titular role as Kara Zor-El.
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