Spoilers Superman (2025) Grade and Discussion

[CoveTom]

Superman spent two weeks as the number one film at the box office and is still holding solid at number two. It has crossed half a billion dollar in 18 days. Yet stories are being written about how it is going to be a box office disappointment. It is so ludicrous.

Hollywood accounting is quite insane, but also just way too much money is being spent on making movies today. Wrath of Khan was made for $11 million and is considered an all-time classic. Even adjusted for inflation, that would be less than $40 million today. It is absolutely absurd how much money they spend making a film now.

 

[Mudd]

 

[Noname Given]

I've been reading 700 mil. That's insane. No way they spent that much on marketing.

They sometimes spend as much worldwide on advertising as the actual production budget of nsaid film. (And that's all major Hollywood studios not just WB)

And remember Box Office isn't the only profit stream. Merchandising, Streaming and Cable Channel revenue all add in, so it's often creative accounting to show a 'loss' for tax puirposes unless something REALLY bombed at the Box office.

 

[rocketscientist]

Moving on from Dean Cain (because I’m just going to get myself in trouble there) ….

Somebody elsewhere mentioned how the movie’s Clark isn’t very circumspect about his secret identity, which is a fun plot point. But it occurred to me to wonder: When did he tell Lois, and how? They’ve only been dating three months, and haven’t even exchanged “I love you”s when the movie first finds them — though it’s suggested that feeling isn’t new for Clark. (“I probably should have told you that a long time ago.”) Unless he didn’t have to tell her the secret, because she figured it out? Possible, and certainly well within Lois’s capabilities. I feel like the movie wants you to read it as part of his guileless openness, though.

Yeah, that was a bit off compared to the comics. Initially, IIRC Superman kept his identity pretty close to the vest. Besides the Kents, I believe Batman figured out who he was so they knew each other. Maybe that was the first costumed hero outside of his family and immediate friends that knew Superman's identity.

I really find it hard to believe that Superman would entrust Guy and the young Hawkgirl with his identity. Guy hated Superman because his ex-girlfriend Ice had a crush on Supes when Superman joined the post-crisis JLA. Also, in the comics, he was never close to Mr. Terrific either, so that's something I would've changed. I don't think, beyond the humorous banter, the fact that the "Justice Gang" members knew that Superman was Clark Kent was an important plot point at all.

As for Lois, its 3 years working together and developing a relationship. I think that's long enough for Superman at least to trust her with his identity.

 

[Nerys Myk]

Immigration is when you join a foreign culture.

Colonization is when you declare yourself king, and make a harem from native slave girls.

And Superman did this when? He didn’t even know he was supposed to!

 

[TRON JA307020]

Superman spent two weeks as the number one film at the box office and is still holding solid at number two. It has crossed half a billion dollar in 18 days. Yet stories are being written about how it is going to be a box office disappointment. It is so ludicrous.

Hollywood accounting is quite insane, but also just way too much money is being spent on making movies today. Wrath of Khan was made for $11 million and is considered an all-time classic. Even adjusted for inflation, that would be less than $40 million today. It is absolutely absurd how much money they spend making a film now.

Agreed. Its crazy. These movies are so expensive they need to make near a billion to break even or make a profit. Its insane

 

[Guy Gardener]

And Superman did this when? He didn’t even know he was supposed to!

I said that he was really incredibly bad at something he was expected to do. He was so bad at what he was expected to do that he wound up doing the complete opposite of what his parents wanted him to do with his life. He is the worst Colonizer ever. Negative Colonization. Reverse Colonization. He's a good Immigrant.

This is literally a c plot to the movie.

 

[Lakenheath 72]

I liked this film a lot. I expected a light entertainment, something to get my mind off the world. I wasn't bothered by the revelation that Superman was sent to conquer the world, and that the mission went off the rails because Superman, in the end, identified himself as Human and not as Kryptonian. My two favorite scenes are when Superman is alone with Lois Lane after the final climatic battle and him seeing the videos of his life in Kansas, being with his parents. I have liked the films made by Gunn, the three Guardians of the Galaxy movies, the Suicide Squad, and now Superman.

 

[TREK_GOD_1]

I've pretty much enjoyed all the superman starting with the 1948 Kirk Alyn serials. Superman is my favorite superhero. I liked tge Snyder version well enough. Not close to my favorite but fun. The character is always fun to watch in tv or in movies.

The Alyn serials were the best way to interpret a mid Golden Age Superman sans the worst elements of the comics under Weisinger. Its too bad a third serial was not produced before studios shuttered their short subject divisions in the short years to follow.

So I thought superman had broke even already. Reports are saying it needs to get to 700 mil. I think it will but I really thought it would make a decent profit. They must have spent a lot on marketing.

Not certain if its broke even (depending on what source is covering the budget), but as posted in the box office thread, where its overall theatrical earnings are concerned, as of 7/30/25, Superman has grossed $510,842,483. Compare that to 2013's Man of Steel, with its final theatrical earnings coming in at $670,145,518 worldwide--$379,100,000 of that from the international market (courtesy of Box Office Mojo), making it the most successful Superman film of this century so far (for the record, 2006's misguided Superman Returns only earned $391,081,192 worldwide). So, we will see if Gunn's Superman can earn another $159,303,035 just to match Man of Steel's global earnings.

 

[TRON JA307020]

The Alyn serials were the best way to interpret a mid Golden Age Superman sans the worst elements of the comics under Weisinger. Its too bad a third serial was not produced before studios shuttered their short subject divisions in the short years to follow.

Not certain if its broke even (depending on what source is covering the budget), but as posted in the box office thread, where its overall theatrical earnings are concerned, as of 7/30/25, Superman has grossed $510,842,483. Compare that to 2013's Man of Steel, with its final theatrical earnings coming in at $670,145,518 worldwide--$379,100,000 of that from the international market (courtesy of Box Office Mojo), making it the most successful Superman film of this century so far (for the record, 2006's misguided Superman Returns only earned $391,081,192 worldwide). So, we will see if Gunn's Superman can earn another $159,303,035 just to match Man of Steel's global earnings.

A third serial would have been cool. Well at least the first tv show was born only a couple years later. I love that as well .


I think it will get there. I was hoping for a billion but I think thats a pipe dream.

 

[Mudd]

No one involved seriously expected this movie or FF to do near a billion dollars of business.

What is surprising is that it's doing better business than FF. In April the expectation was the opposite.

 

[Noname Given]

No one involved seriously expected this movie or FF to do near a billion dollars of business.

What is surprising is that it's doing better business than FF. In April the expectation was the opposite.

Well to be fair Fantastic Four opened in 150 less theatres than Superman looking at the theatre counts for each of their first week of release. That will affect Box Office take as (unless a film is a massive hit it's first couple week), theatre counts only go down.

 

[Mudd]

All of that sort of data is available to exhibitors, trade reporters and other industry trackers when they make these estimates ("predictions" is maybe putting too much weight on them). That also includes factoring in the number of IMAX and other PLF screens for each film, with the concomitant ticket price differentials.

"All things being equal..." almost never are.

 

[Ovation]

As a general rule, post 2020 box office numbers are not a straight up apple to apple comparison with pre 2020, most of which, though not all, are pandemic related. I have no idea how one would make the appropriate calculations to determine an equivalence, but it is quite clear a straight comparison is not the answer (nor is a simple adjustment for inflation).

Regardless, Superman will clearly be viewed as a successful film. As it should (both financially and qualitatively).

 

[Mudd]

As a general rule, post 2020 box office numbers are not a straight up apple to apple comparison with pre 2020, most of which, though not all, are pandemic related. I have no idea how one would make the appropriate calculations to determine an equivalence, but it is quite clear a straight comparison is not the answer (nor is a simple adjustment for inflation).

Regardless, Superman will clearly be viewed as a successful film. As it should (both financially and qualitatively).

This is all true.

People in the business are concerned with present conditions and the future. Comparisons looking backward are interesting for observers, maybe, but ultimately just dick-measuring.

 

[Guy Gardener]

I have a friend twice the size of me, and I'm not exactly small.

They pay almost 4 times what I do to see a movie ($78.00) for a smaller theatre, with no children allowed, modern huge Archie Bunker recliners, and alcohol service.

If I wait long enough, maybe the new movie will come out on VHS?

 

[Ovation]

smaller theatre, with no children allowed, modern huge Archie Bunker recliners, and alcohol service.

Once a year my wife and I go to the cinema set up this way (it doesn’t require a special occasion but rather something far less common—a movie we both really want to see ). Needless to say, Superman is not that film (I’d actually have far more frequent movie outings with her best friend, but that would probably get weird at some point ).