We get some potential insights into James Gunn’s Superman, with the budget, break-even number, and success threshold possibly revealed.
Update: Superman to a Billion? New Report Says It Might Have To ➤
Before we dive in, while it was previously reported the Superman budget was an exorbitant $363 million, which was said to be listed on an official Cleveland tax document, Gunn shot that down as being incorrect.
What is the Superman budget?
A new report from The Wrap possibly reveals the Superman budget and brings the number back down to earth.
The site claims the Superman budget is $225 million.
What is the break-even number?
While the site claims anything north of $500 million worldwide would make the movie money, that’s likely not exactly the case. Recently, it was reported that Captain America: Brave New World, with a reported budget of $180 million, had a break-even point of $425 million.
If Superman’s budget is $225 million, its break-even number would be around $530 million. So really, anything above $530 million is what would make Gunn’s Man of Steel movie profitable.
What about the success threshold?
The site adds that for Superman to be considered a success, it needs to hit at least $700 million.
However, the article spins it as Gunn’s Superman needing to hit $700 million “in the court of public opinion,” which obviously depends on whose point of view you’re taking.
It also includes a quote calling Superman an “Eisenhower-era character.” While that might fit in some ways, it’s still subjective, Superman was created in 1938 and has evolved significantly over the decades.
What Does Superman Really Need to Succeed?
Regardless, is that $700 million figure even accurate? Does James Gunn’s Superman need to hit a billion to be considered a success?
A $700 million box office would definitely go a long way in making Superman a win for Gunn. But fan reaction will also matter. Will the audience be split like they were with Man of Steel?
Comparing to Man of Steel
Back in 2013, Man of Steel made $670,145,518. Adjusted for inflation, that’s nearly a billion today—$922,828,382.26. It’s safe to say both DC and Marvel would kill for that number now.
So what happened? I was told WB wanted Man of Steel to hit a billion. It’s also been said they were chasing Marvel’s success at the time. So instead of moving forward with Man of Steel 2 and a separate movie titled The Batman, they combined them, brought in Ben Affleck as an older Batman, and made Batman v Superman. We all know how that turned out.
Why Gunn’s Superman Should Be Treated Like Batman Begins or Iron Man
Assuming James Gunn’s Superman is good—which I’m hoping for—then even if it’s not a huge box office hit, I hope they recognize it as the start of something.
Look at Batman Begins. It only made $375,406,308 back in 2005. By WB’s previous standards, they probably would’ve canceled it right then. But they didn’t, and Nolan went on to make The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight Rises, which made billions.
Same with the MCU’s launch. Iron Man made $585,796,247, but its sequels went on to make billions.
Maybe Gunn’s Superman should be seen as an investment in the future of the DCU, not a short-term grab for Marvel money, which isn’t happening anymore.
Superman needs to be a hit with fans first and foremost. DC has to prove itself, as they have a string of flops going way back to 2018. Make Superman great again, and DC will follow.
Superman flies into theaters on July 11th, starring David Corenswet, Rachel Brosnahan, and Nicholas Holt.
