Report Claims ‘Superman’ Was More Profitable Than ‘Man of Steel’, But Not Everyone Is Buying It
Reported profit figures are in for Superman, and they make the James Gunn film look impressive compared to Man of Steel. This is obviously good news for Gunn and Warner Bros. Discovery’s relaunch of DC on film and TV, if the report is accurate.
Variety says that Superman has netted WBD $125 million in profit, which is more than any of their other releases this year except for A Minecraft Movie. That film generated $162M after earning $957M globally, according to the report. Deadline additionally noted that Man of Steel might look stronger based on its performance internationally, but it made only $42.7M in profit, they say. This means Superman has an $82.3M lead over the Zack Snyder whiz-bang beat-em-up.
Furthermore, MovieWeb points out that while MOS “earned an impressive $670 million worldwide,” a lot more money was poured into it. Supposedly, it and Superman had the same budget of approximately $225M, but MOS’s costs balloon to a reported $58M when factoring salaries for cast, crew, director, and producers, including Christopher Nolan, Charles Roven, and Jon Peters.
Conversely, says MovieWeb, “It was reported that the highest-paid actor for Superman was Nicholas Hoult, who made $2 million. Stars David Corenswet and Rachel Brosnahan made $750,000. All three actors are eligible for performance-based bonuses, and judging by the box office, they’ll presumably be getting paid more.”
Superman, and Warner Bros. more generally, also outperformed Marvel’s tentpoles this summer, Thunderbolts* and The Fantastic Four: First Steps. That, too, is being seen as a victory and an indication that The Man of Tomorrow is back to a form we haven’t experienced since the heyday of Christopher Reeve.
At least, that’s the narrative the mainstream would like us to believe, according to skeptics. Not everyone believes the numbers, and scooper Jeff Sneider is one of the most vocal nonbelievers. While the Hot Mic co-host thinks the $125M figure is credible, he doesn’t believe the math.
“People don’t know how to read these facts,” Sneider declared. As he explains, the number most likely comes from “ancillaries” – home video, cable rights, VOD, and the like – while the theatrical profit was probably just $25M. Sneider has been one of James Gunn’s most consistent critics as of late, as, from what he hears, Gunn is one of the more annoying executives on the Warner lot.
In any case, the fact remains Superman is getting a sequel of sorts in 2027, Man of Tomorrow, although the developing project might share the same fate as most titles part of the original Gods & Monsters slate announced in 2022. That is to say, canceled or stalled.
NEXT: ‘Peacemaker’ Ratings And ‘Superman’ Digital Success Aren’t What They Seem — Is The DCU In Trouble?
