The Man of Steel is back — and he’s reminding Hollywood why he’s still one of its most iconic heroes.

James Gunn’s Superman, one of this summer’s biggest movie gambles, is already paying off for Warner Bros. and DC Studios. The film debuted to an impressive \$122 million domestically across 4,135 theaters, with an additional \$95 million from 79 overseas markets, pushing its global launch to \$217 million. While its international opening was modest, that’s not entirely surprising given Superman’s deep roots as America’s quintessential comic book patriot — a sentiment even echoed by a meme President Donald Trump posted on opening day, featuring himself in tights and a cape.

This is more than just another superhero flick. Superman marks a pivotal moment for DC Studios, which has struggled in recent years to keep pace with Marvel’s box office juggernaut. Gunn, now co-head of DC alongside Peter Safran under Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav, was entrusted with breathing new life into DC’s crown jewel — and his \$225 million gamble (before marketing) seems to be working.

Importantly, Superman is the first superhero movie in over a year to crack \$100 million at the domestic box office — a milestone that felt almost out of reach amid the so-called “superhero fatigue.” The last comic book blockbuster to achieve that was Marvel’s Deadpool & Wolverine, which smashed its debut with \$211 million in summer 2024.

Beyond capes and kryptonite, Gunn’s reboot stands out in an industry where crossing the \$100 million mark on opening weekend is no easy feat, especially in the unpredictable, post-pandemic landscape. So far this year, only two other Hollywood releases have done it: Warner Bros.’ A Minecraft Movie (\$162.8 million) and Disney’s live-action Lilo & Stitch remake (\$146 million).

For DC, this success is especially sweet — and rare. Over the past eight years, only Wonder Woman (2017) and Matt Reeves’ The Batman (2022) crossed that magic threshold. Now, Superman joins their ranks, outpacing Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel (\$116.7 million) to claim the title of the biggest domestic opening ever for a solo Superman film. It even flew past Bryan Singer’s Superman Returns (2006), which opened to \$52.5 million for its three-day weekend (\$84 million over six days).

Of course, the benchmark for DC’s biggest debut remains Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, which bowed to \$166 million back in 2016. But Gunn’s take on the Man of Steel shows a promising new direction — and fans and critics alike seem to agree. The film earned a strong A- CinemaScore (matching Man of Steel and topping Superman Returns’ B+). Audience reactions on Rotten Tomatoes are glowing at 94%, while critics are on board with a solid 82% score.

Gunn, already beloved for Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy franchise, now adds another hit to his résumé. While Superman won’t beat his biggest domestic launch (Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 opened to \$146.5 million), it did surpass Guardians Vol. 3 (\$118.2 million), making it his second-best opener yet.

Perhaps more importantly, Superman is winning where it counts: word of mouth. Strong reviews, high audience scores, and a diverse moviegoing crowd all point to a long, healthy box office run — and a desperately needed boost for DC’s cinematic future.

If the opening weekend is any sign, the Man of Steel may have just saved the day — not only for Metropolis but for DC Studios itself.