James Gunn is pushing back on claims about Superman’s budget and break-even point as the film’s box office slows.
Before we dive in, it could be possible that Gunn and Warner Bros. Discovery (Zaslav) may be viewing Superman as their own “Batman Begins, meaning a “foundation film” meant to launch the new DCU. Christopher Nolan’s Batman Begins earned $375 million worldwide in 2005 but set the stage for The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight Rises, each of which went on to gross over $1 billion. Gunn’s Superman does happen to follow a string of DC failures, which haven’t had success since the 2018 Aquaman.
However, Superman looks to finish with a box office less than Gunn’s first Guardians movie at Marvel, which grossed over $773 million back in 2014. Of course, Gunn had the benefit of a strong MCU at the time.
What does James Gunn say about the Superman budget? Denies $650M break-even claim
On Threads, a fan asked Gunn about a widely circulated claim that Superman would need to make $650 million to break even.
Gunn replied:
“Absolutely false. Anyone saying that doesn’t have an understanding of the film business — and we would be idiots to make a first-in-a-franchise film that would need to make that much to be profitable.”
Reported Budgets Tell a Different Story
Back in June, THR noted that official documents filed with the Ohio government listed Superman’s gross budget at $363.8 million. Gunn dismissed that figure at the time, but a longtime financier told THR the number “isn’t incorrect.”
DC has claimed the net budget is closer to $225 million after tax incentives. However, sources also told THR that marketing could run as high as $200 million — significantly above the typical $150 million for a summer tentpole — bringing the combined total into the $400 million club.
Our Earlier Report
As I previously reported, a Hollywood insider at Comic-Con also claimed Superman’s budget has surpassed $350 million, largely due to reshoots, aligning with the Ohio filing. Using the industry rule of 2.5x production cost to turn a profit, that would put break-even at roughly $875 million, which is well above the $650 million figure Gunn denied.
Current Box Office Numbers
As of Friday, Superman has grossed $569,543,139 worldwide — with $325,643,139 from domestic theaters and $243,900,000 from international markets. The overseas haul is notably lower than The Batman’s $400+ million, which helped push that film to over $772 million worldwide.
At its current pace, I am guessing Gunn’s Superman could finish around $630 million, well below the estimated break-even point for a $350 million, even potential $400 million production.
That number also comes up short of Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel, without even counting inflation.
