Despite James Gunn’s Denial, ‘Superman’ Is Reportedly One Of The Most Expensive Superhero Films Ever Made
That James Gunn’s Superman was one of the most anticipated films going into 2025 is no mystery, considering the long wait for a Man of Steel film and the enthusiasm around the rebooting of DC under Gunn. Still, DC’s parent company, Warner Bros. Discovery, had to invest heavily in the DCU’s first film to give the franchise a lifeline.
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However, tongues are now wagging after a tax rebate and incentives filing by the production team revealed the gross cost of the film, accompanied by equally astronomical marketing-cost projections.
The net costs of a film are often a well-hidden secret, at least until a proper audit is done after the film’s release, and Superman was no different, until the production team filed for tax credits in Ohio in December 2024. According to the numbers, which were first brought to light by a Columbia University Journal, Superman‘s gross production budget was $363.8 million.
Studios and directors, however, like to keep production costs at a minimum so that their projects can seem profitable. James Gunn, therefore, didn’t delay in coming out to condemn the leak, even suggesting that the filing could have been faked. Gunn and DC studios, instead, quoted the budget to be around $225M, $130M less than the amount stated in the tax filing.
THR has, however, dismissed Gunn’s claims, insisting that the $368M figure is, in fact, accurate according to their experts. The net cost of the film will, obviously, go down slightly after the production receives the various incentives and tax rebates, but it is unlikely to reach the studio and director’s claimed $225M. With post-production included, the actual production cost of Superman will likely be even higher than the stated figures, especially after the long editing process and reshoots that followed the film’s first screening.
The film, which Stars David Corenswet as Superman, Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane, and Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor, will is set to premiere on July 11, 2025. Its release window is a highly contested spot with Jurassic World: Rebirth coming out just a week earlier and the MCU’s Fantastic Four: First Steps being released two weeks later. The competition, therefore, meant that James Gunn’s Superman had to be heavily marketed around the world to stand a chance.
According to a THR source, DC’s global marketing budget for Superman is $200M, $50M more than what would normally be spent on a superhero film. Avengers: Endgame is the most popular counterpart that cost a similar amount to market, which means DC employed a similarly aggressive marketing strategy. Superman could therefore have a combined budget of $500-$600M when ancillary costs are factored in.
When compared to similar superhero films, James Gunn’s Superman has now surpassed the most expensive Superman film on record, Man of Steel (2013), which cost an estimated $258M. The film is now in competition with the most expensive superhero film ever created so far, Avengers: Age of Ultron, which cost $495 million. The only other superhero films to hit the $350-$400M mark are Avengers: Infinity Wars and Avengers: Endgame.
Avengers: Endgame eventually accumulated an estimated $700M in costs, although other reports later stated that the figure could have been as high as $1.1 billion. Fortunately, Endgame paid for all these costs with its $1.2 billion global opening weekend earnings, a feat James Gunn’s Superman might struggle to accomplish with its projected domestic opening-weekend earnings of $150 to $175M.
Superman is not as big as its MCU counterpart, but it is still expected to be successful at the box office, especially after such a huge investment. The film received positive indicators from fans, even before production was completed, with its first trailer hitting 250 million views, the highest of any Superman film. However, most revenue projections don’t put it over $1B.
While it sounds extravagant, DC’s expenditure on Superman is largely justified considering the high stakes the film holds. Being the first actual film of James Gunn’s DCU, it is important for DC Studios to use it as the base to set the tone for future DCU films. A positive reception is, therefore, key in bringing back and retaining a strong following for future DC projects.
So, while Superman might have to gross at least $1B to break even, a positive theatrical reception is a lot more important since the future of the franchise depends on it.
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