Superman flies to $123M opening weekend as DC reboot delivers major win for Warner Bros

James Gunn’s Superman has taken flight with a powerful $123 million domestic opening weekend, according to early Sunday estimatesvia Deadline, signaling a major win for Warner Bros. and DC Studios. The film becomes the studio’s second $100M+ debut of the year after A Minecraft Movie and ranks as the second-best opening ever for a Superman film, just behind Batman v. Superman ($166M).

Though early projections expected a $140–150 million debut due to a strong $22.5 million preview night, the $123 million opening remains a major success for Warner Bros. It’s the highest launch for a first solo Superman movie, beating Man of Steel’s $116.6 million, and ranks second among Gunn’s own films, behind Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 ($146.5M).

Despite political speculation around Gunn’s comments about Superman as an immigrant, red county theaters performed in line with expectations, contributing 34% of sales, while blue counties made up 60%, consistent with typical PG-13 family adventure film trends. Analysts say there’s no indication political discourse affected turnout.

Audience response has been strong, with Superman earning an A– CinemaScore, 74% “definite recommend,” and 86% positive score on PostTrak. The film has overindexed in premium large format screenings like IMAX, which made up 42% of ticket sales.

Demographic turnout shows strong diversity and youth engagement, with 66% of moviegoers under 35 and a healthy split across Latino, Black, Asian, and white audiences. Social media, in-theater trailers, and online promotions were cited as major drivers of interest.

As the summer box office heats up, Superman’s strong opening adds momentum to Warner Bros.' recent streak of hits. With Gunn’s new DCU off to a promising start, the Man of Steel may have just helped turn the tide for superhero cinema.