‘Superman’ reboot soars as James Gunn’s DC Universe takes off

James Gunn’s highly anticipated reboot of Superman is off to a flying start at the box office, raking in $56.5 million on its opening day, including $22.5 million from Thursday previews. With momentum on its side, the film is now projected to close out its domestic opening weekend with a powerful $122 million, according to independent estimates.

The film stars David Corenswet as the Man of Steel and marks the official launch of Gunn’s revamped DC Universe. Hitting 4,135 theatres nationwide, the movie has become a bright spot in a packed summer slate and is generating comparisons to past DC hits. If it continues this pace, Superman could land just behind The Batman’s $133 million opening in 2022 and close to the $128 million that Man of Steel pulled in back in 2013.

Despite pre-release projections varying widely, with some placing it as high as $130 million, the current trajectory still places Superman among the year’s top-performing titles. It also holds strong early ratings, with an A- CinemaScore, 82% critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes, and an impressive 94% from audiences.

With Marvel’s Fantastic Four: First Steps looming on the release calendar, the coming weeks will test the film’s staying power. But for now, Superman seems to have soared back into cultural relevance, and box office success, in heroic form.