{"id":252621,"date":"2025-12-26T16:45:33","date_gmt":"2025-12-26T16:45:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/252621\/"},"modified":"2025-12-26T16:45:33","modified_gmt":"2025-12-26T16:45:33","slug":"how-dc-finally-beat-marvel-at-the-box-office","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/252621\/","title":{"rendered":"How DC Finally Beat Marvel at the Box Office"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/p>\n

All it took was the Man of Steel \u2014 and a little color.<\/p>\n

For the first time in years, DC has something to celebrate when it comes to their film franchise, as \u201cSuperman\u201d grossed over $616 million worldwide, making it the highest-grossing superhero film of 2025 \u2014 and, crucially, outgrossing every single Marvel release. It\u2019s the first time this has happened since 2008, when \u201cThe Dark Knight\u201d grossed over a billion worldwide.<\/p>\n

Marvel Studios released three superhero movies this year \u2013 \u201cCaptain America: Brave New World,\u201d \u201cThunderbolts\u201d and \u201cThe Fantastic Four: First Steps\u201d \u2013 and none reached \u201cSuperman\u2019s\u201d box office haul, with \u201cThe Fantastic Four: First Steps\u201d serving as its highest grosser at just $521 million. It\u2019s a stunning reversal of fortune for the MCU, which was churning out $700 million \u2013 $1 billion-grossing hits in the leadup to \u201cAvengers: Endgame.\u201d<\/p>\n

And the disappointing performance opened a window when DC needed it most, as \u201cSuperman\u201d served as the launching pad for an entire new vision for the franchise after its collapse in 2023 when all four of its releases \u2014 \u201cShazam!\u201d and \u201cAquaman\u201d sequels, \u201cThe Flash\u201d and \u201cBlue Beetle\u201d \u2014 disappointed at the box office. It also came amid broader concerns about the lasting appeal of comic book movies, which remain a question overseas. <\/p>\n

Peter Safran and James Gunn, the dynamic duo running DC Studios, delivered with \u201cSuperman\u201d and now have a slate of projects lined up through 2027, including \u201cSupergirl,\u201d \u201cClayface,\u201d sequels to \u201cSuperman\u201d and \u201cThe Batman,\u201d and HBO series \u201cLanterns.\u201d All while Netflix is set to acquire Warner Bros. for $82.7 billion, with Lightshed analyst Rich Greenfield calling DC Studios<\/a> \u201cthe single greatest opportunity\u201d in the deal.<\/p>\n

\u201cSuperman\u201d generated more than $100 million in profit for Warner Bros. through theatrical revenue, streaming and merchandise, according to an insider. But the bigger accomplishment may be what Safran and Gunn have done behind the scenes: uniting DC\u2019s historically fractured publishing, film, gaming and consumer products divisions for the first time.<\/p>\n

\u201cJames Gunn and Safran went into this knowing they can\u2019t retread the same ground over and over again,\u201d Fandango\u2019s movie analytics director Shawn Robbins told TheWrap of the revamp. \u201cBut they also knew that they had to connect with today\u2019s younger audience and get younger generations and even some of the older generation off the couch and out to the theater to see the 10th Superman movie. That was a big challenge for them.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"David\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"James Gunn and Peter Safran attend the \u201cSuperman\u201d Fan Event in London\u2019s Leicester Square on July 02, 2025 in London, England. (Photo by Tristan Fewings\/Getty Images for Warner Bros)<\/p>\n

The Safran-Gunn turnaround<\/p>\n

Safran and Gunn took over DC Studios after Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav read Gunn\u2019s script for \u201cSuperman.\u201d Safran came to the job after producing \u201cAquaman,\u201d which remains DC\u2019s highest-grossing film at $1.15 billion worldwide, and Gunn leaped at the chance to co-run DC\u2019s universe after earning acclaim for Marvel\u2019s \u201cGuardians of the Galaxy\u201d franchise.<\/p>\n

As their first order of business, Safran and Gunn shut down the previous regime\u2019s DC Extended Universe (DCEU), launched the DC Universe (DCU) and rebuilt the Man of Steel from scratch.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cSuperman was brought back to his more colorful variety, brought back to a more everyman type of mood,\u201d Robbins said. \u201cWith Superman, there just really had not been a tried and true classic Superman film without retelling an origin story in a very long time. And for not only older fans, that was fresh, but there\u2019s a whole generation of kids and younger audiences who have not been around for Superman at his most popular. And this is it for them.\u201d<\/p>\n

The film connected with audiences in ways previous DC movies didn\u2019t. \u201cGunn has brought optimism, hope, and care back to Superman,\u201d according to Collider\u2019s review of the film<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"superman-david-corenswet--rachel-brosnahan\"David Corenswet and Rachel Brosnahan in \u201cSuperman\u201d (Warner Bros.\/DC Studios)<\/p>\n

The film also went viral and inspired a \u201chopecore\u201d movement on TikTok<\/a>, with Gen Z embracing Superman\u2019s message that \u201ckindness is the real punk rock.\u201d The soundtrack\u2019s \u201cPunkrocker\u201d by Teddy Swims and Iggy Pop tapped the zeitgeist, giving \u201cSuperman\u201d the kind of breakthrough moment \u201cThe Flash\u201d and \u201cBlack Adam\u201d never achieved. One TikTok user summed up the film\u2019s appeal<\/a>: \u201cThis movie is going to do for the boys what \u2018Barbie\u2019 did for the girls.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThis Superman does seem to come at a particular time when people are feeling a loss of hope in other people\u2019s goodness,\u201d Gunn told The Sunday Times<\/a>. \u201cI\u2019m telling a story about a guy who is uniquely good, and that feels needed now because there is a meanness that has emerged due to cultural figures being mean online.\u201d<\/p>\n

Their biggest accomplishment may be operational rather than creative. For the first time, DC\u2019s publishing, movies, gaming and consumer products divisions are working in sync rather than operating as separate fiefdoms. Previously, filmmakers would come in and cherry pick IP, leading to confusion over TV and film versions of The Flash or decisions would be made by Warner executives, which led to The Rock\u2019s failed attempt to bring back Henry Cavill\u2019s Superman<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Under Gunn and Safran, the universe is more cohesive and consistent throughout different media, whether its the \u201cPeacemaker\u201d show or \u201cSuperman.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe work of James and Peter, their creative vision, it\u2019s compelling and a great economic return,\u201d Zaslav told Bloomberg earlier this month<\/a>. \u201cThere\u2019s no storytelling content that we have that provides a bigger palette than DC, and there\u2019s nobody around right now who can tell these stories with the same imagination and excitement.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Brainiac\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n

\"the-fantastic-four-pedro-pascal\"Pedro Pascal in \u201cThe Fantastic Four: First Steps\u201d (Marvel Studios)<\/p>\n

Marvel\u2019s Rough Year<\/p>\n

Contrast DC\u2019s performance with Marvel\u2019s struggles and you start to see how just how dramatic the shift has been. All three of Marvel\u2019s releases underperformed, with none crossing the $600 million threshold that \u201cSuperman\u201d achieved.<\/p>\n