{"id":270776,"date":"2025-06-03T15:59:17","date_gmt":"2025-06-03T15:59:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/peraltafinancing.com\/animation\/can-dc-rise-from-the-ashes-with-superman\/"},"modified":"2025-06-03T15:59:17","modified_gmt":"2025-06-03T15:59:17","slug":"can-dc-rise-from-the-ashes-with-superman","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=270776","title":{"rendered":"Can DC Rise From the Ashes With ‘Superman?’"},"content":{"rendered":"


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When \u201cSuperman\u201d<\/a> hits theaters on July 11, more than just the future of the DC superhero wing hangs in the balance.<\/p>\n

The opening salvo in a rebooted approach to an interconnected DC universe, \u201cSuperman\u201d <\/a>represents a make-or-break moment for Warner Brothers Discovery CEO David Zaslav\u2019s strategy to leverage DC\u2019s intellectual property after previous Warner regimes struggled for years to build a cohesive cinematic universe that connected with global audiences.<\/p>\n

The litmus test will be whether director and DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn\u2019s\u00a0film will generate enough box office to keep his and co-CEO Peter Safran\u2019s ambitious 10-year plan for DC Studios on track.<\/p>\n

With a $225 million budget, \u201cSuperman\u201d needs to cross the $700 million threshold at the global box office to be considered a success, according to a top talent agent who spoke to TheWrap but wished to remain anonymous. <\/p>\n

\u201cWhile release dates are important, I don\u2019t think the challenge is \u2018Jurassic World: Rebirth\u2019 or any other film,\u201d the agent said of the film\u2019s summer competition. \u201cThe challenge is almost entirely a question of if Superman resonates with today\u2019s audience. Did they successfully update an Eisenhower-era character so the 2025 Gen Z audience can identify with him?\u201d<\/p>\n

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The stakes couldn\u2019t be higher. The company is still carrying $37 billion in debt from the 2022 Discovery-WarnerMedia merger<\/a>, making Superman\u2019s performance critical to Zaslav\u2019s use of franchise IP to drive both theatrical and streaming revenue. It\u2019s one of many IP pillars he reignited after the merger, along with HBO\u2019s upcoming \u201cHarry Potter\u201d series and a new \u201cLord of the Rings\u201d film. <\/p>\n

In short, \u201cSuperman\u201d is a major test not just for the superhero genre, but Zaslav\u2019s vision for Warner Brothers as a whole.<\/p>\n

The $700 million threshold<\/h2>\n

The studio itself seems confident. According to one insider, if \u201cSuperman\u201d grosses anything north of $500 million worldwide, the film will turn a profit at the box office (not inclusive of ancillary revenues). In the court of public opinion, however, it will need to gross closer to $700 million to be considered a hit.<\/p>\n

Henry Cavill\u2019s previous outings as Superman \u2014 <\/strong>the Zack Snyder-directed \u201cMan of Steel,\u201d which made $670 million worldwide; and the team-up movie that followed, \u201cBatman v Superman,\u201d which cracked $874 million \u2014 provide the baseline, but neither film managed to spark universe-building success.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThe simple brand recognition of Superman will probably take them to or close to $500 million worldwide, but anything above that will be because the audience identifies with the title character,\u201d the talent agent said.<\/p>\n

The film is a true reboot of the property, written and directed by Gunn, who also serves as the co-CEO of DC Studios with his longtime manager and producer Safran. David Corenswet, a 31-year-old actor whose biggest film role to date was in last year\u2019s \u201cTwisters\u201d opposite Glen Powell, fills the title role, while Emmy-winning \u201cMarvelous Mrs. Maisel\u201d actress Rachel Brosnahan plays Lois Lane and Nicholas Hoult is the villainous Lex Luthor.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a young cast, and while the stars are far from unknowns, the ensemble doesn\u2019t have an A-list \u201cringer\u201d that is sometimes used to entice audiences, such as Gene Hackman and Marlon Brando in the original 1978 \u201cSuperman.\u201d<\/p>\n

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A timeline of Superman at the movies (By Christopher Smith for TheWrap) <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The stakes<\/h2>\n

\u201cSuperman\u201d is the first film in a 10-year plan of interconnected films and TV shows that Gunn and Safran have planned to rival Marvel\u2019s MCU, one they laid out when they first took over as co-CEOs of DC Studios at the behest of Zaslav in 2022.<\/p>\n

The rub, of course, is that Gunn is not just the co-head of this entire DC universe but also directly responsible for the film, and if \u201cSuperman\u201d <\/strong>underperforms, the larger plans face significant challenges.<\/p>\n

\u201cSupergirl: Woman of Tomorrow\u201d<\/a> \u2014 directed by journeyman filmmaker Craig Gillespie and slated for release in 2026 \u2014 is the only other DC movie currently guaranteed, as it completed production earlier this year.<\/p>\n

Given the previous DCEU\u2019s (DC Extended Universe) commercial shortcomings, and underwhelming results for the 2023 release \u201cThe Flash,\u201d <\/strong>DC Studios appears to be taking a cautious approach to expanding beyond Batman. \u201cOutside of anything Batman-related, DC will most likely wait to react to how \u2018Superman\u2019 performs before deciding on which superhero from their library to tackle next,\u201d the DC insider told TheWrap. \u201cGreenlighting \u2018Supergirl\u2019 may seem risky, but it extends the new universe they are trying to establish and shows a commitment to the larger brand.\u201d<\/p>\n

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A \u201cSgt. Rock\u201d film, to be directed by Luca Guadagnino and with Colin Farrell in talks to star, was scrapped in April<\/a>, further underlining the caution ahead of \u201cSuperman.\u201d Another movie, \u201cClayface,\u201d secured a fall 2026 release date but is still undergoing script changes before it moves into production. \u201cThe Batman: Part II\u201d starts filming in 2026, but that film is outside DC Studios\u2019 continuity and essentially exists in its own universe.<\/p>\n

The insider added: \u201c\u2019Supergirl\u2019 is a much safer bet than, say, \u2018Sgt. Rock,\u2019 which despite a good package, is a property with zero awareness in the greater landscape. There are better superheroes ripe for adaptation in the DC library.\u201d<\/p>\n

This careful strategy is not only cognizant of the cooler market for the superhero genre (even Marvel\u2019s last two films have failed to crack $500 million) but also reflects lessons learned from the previous Warner regime\u2019s failures.<\/p>\n

The Snyder-era DC Extended Universe began with \u201cMan of Steel\u2019s\u201d $670 million worldwide gross in 2013, but \u201cBatman v Superman\u201d suffered a massive 69% second-weekend drop despite a strong $166 million opening. While \u201cWonder Woman\u201d was a critical and commercial hit in 2017 ($824 million worldwide) and 2018\u2019s \u201cAquaman\u201d was the first to crack $1 billion, the franchise crashed and burned with the reshoots-plagued \u201cJustice League,\u201d which opened to just $93.1 million domestic and failed to match even \u201cMan of Steel,\u201d with $661 million worldwide.<\/p>\n

The stewardship of DC has undergone considerable turnover, especially in contrast to the consistency of Marvel under Kevin Feige\u2019s leadership. <\/strong>Greg Silverman served as President of Creative Development and Worldwide Production at Warner Bros. and launched the DCEU with 2013\u2019s \u201cMan of Steel.\u201d He also oversaw \u201cBatman v Superman\u201d before being ousted at the end of 2016<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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David Corenswet in \u201cSuperman\u201d (Credit: Warner Bros.)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Jon Berg and Geoff Johns then took over and launched DC Films in May of 2016<\/a>, overseeing the launch of \u201cWonder Woman,\u201d the DCEU\u2019s top domestic grosser at $413 million. Following the failure of \u201cJustice League,\u201d Berg stepped down<\/a>. Six months later, Johns followed.<\/p>\n

In January 2018<\/a>, Walter Hamada joined DC Films\u00a0and led the division to the successful\u201cAquaman,\u201d but he left DC Films in October 2022<\/a>, after Zaslav took over, subsequently tapping Gunn and Safran to run the division.<\/p>\n

Before Gunn and Safran\u2019s hiring, Warner Bros. Pictures chiefs Mike De Luca and Pam Abdy briefly tried to get a standalone Henry Cavill-led \u201cSuperman\u201d film going in 2022, with Michael Bay eyed to possibly direct, according to two insiders.<\/p>\n

Zaslav restructured DC operations after the Discovery-WarnerMedia merger, siloing Gunn and Safran from the larger Warner Bros. Pictures group. The duo report directly to Zaslav, not to De Luca and Abdy. This mirrors the successful Marvel Studios structure and represents a complete organizational overhaul from the previous regime.<\/p>\n

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Earlier this month during the the <\/strong>studio\u2019s first quarter earnings call, Zaslav underlined<\/a> how critical he sees DC as a pillar of his IP approach. \u201cWhen you look at the major characters that James Gunn and Peter Safran are developing with their 10-year plan around DC, that is to build asset value for us globally everywhere in the world, Wonder Woman, Batman, Superman, Supergirl,\u201d he said. \u201cWe look at those as big asset builders and big differentiators.\u201d<\/p>\n

The success of Warner Bros.\u2019 film slate in 2025 so far, between \u201cA Minecraft Movie,\u201d \u201cSinners\u201d and \u201cFinal Destination: Bloodlines,\u201d has likely given \u201cSuperman\u201d something of a cushion when it comes to the company\u2019s bottom line. But as for Zaslav\u2019s plans to set the stage for consistent superhero hits from DC Studios, \u201cSuperman\u201d needs to make a great first impression with fans that promises this isn\u2019t yet another interconnected DC universe destined to fizzle out.<\/p>\n

The Marketing Momentum<\/h2>\n

Early signs suggest \u201cSuperman\u201d has overcome one of the DCEU\u2019s biggest problems: audience apathy. The film\u2019s December trailer became \u201cthe most-viewed and the most-talked-about trailer in the history of both DC and Warner Bros.,\u201d according to Gunn<\/a>, with over 250 million views, while generating more than a million social posts across various platforms.<\/p>\n

The cast and Gunn kick off a monthlong global press tour in June that will see them traveling to London, Paris and Rio De Janiero before returning stateside. Warner Bros. is pulling out all the stops.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe new Superman movie looks like a total return to form for DC with the new trailer for the film proving to be absolutely epic,\u201d Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst at Comscore, told TheWrap. \u201cIf you look at the number of views that each of these trailers has received on YouTube, you can see that there\u2019s a groundswell of interest in the new Superman movie.\u201d<\/p>\n

Can it hold, and will it be enough? While most industry insiders are bullish on \u201cSuperman,\u201d the degree of that success will likely determine the future of Gunn and Safran\u2019s universe-building strategy.<\/p>\n

We\u2019ll find out in July.<\/p>\n

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