Superman Being The Highest Grossing Superhero Movie Of 2025 Is Great News For The DCU’s Next Big Movie

Warning! This article contains SPOILERS for Superman.

Superman has broken a major box office mark, and it is just the kind of boost that the next DC Universe movie needed for two very important reasons. James Gunn’s Superman movie might not be the breaking point for the franchise’s already finished projects, which would not be canceled if it did not fare well at the box office.

However, Superman is the hero’s first solo movie in over a decade and the start of the DCU’s Chapter One on the film side. As such, DC Studios needed it to be a major hit, and, thankfully, all the faith put in the film is panning out. Before release, Gunn said that he would be happy if Superman made back its budget.

Superman‘s reported budget is $225 million. If the fate of the DCU’s future movies and shows truly depended on Superman‘s box office, then DC has already secured that. While Superman‘s success is great for the franchise as a whole, there is one specific project that is being boosted by it. That happens to be the DCU’s next movie.

Superman’s Box Office Has Passed Every Other 2025 Superhero Movie

The DC Universe Starts Firing On All Cylinders

According to Box Office Mojo, Superman is now at $510.8 million at the worldwide box office at the time of writing. While the film still has some way to go before it could potentially take Man of Steel‘s crown as the highest-grossing Superman solo movie of all time, Gunn’s Superman has passed Man of Steel‘s domestic total, leading at $296.7 million.

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While Superman‘s box office run is already looking good when compared to the Man of Steel’s movie history, the film’s performance looks even better when looking at 2025’s other superhero entries. Superman was DC’s only theatrical release, with Marvel Studios adding three new movies this year: Captain America: Brave New World, Thunderbolts*, and The Fantastic Four: First Steps.

As it currently stands, Marvel’s lowest-grossing movie of the year is The Fantastic Four: First Steps at $241.3 million, though that number will rise as the film only premiered in theaters last week. Thunderbolts* ended its box office run at $382.3 million. The first Captain America movie without Chris Evans fared a little better with $415.1 million. Superman outgrosses them all.

According to box office analyst Luiz Fernando, James Gunn’s Superman movie is tracking to finish its global run in the $640-$700 million range. The only superhero movie released in 2025 that could still overtake the Man of Steel is The Fantastic Four: First Steps. However, given that Superman opened with $2 million more worldwide and has better legs so far, that seems difficult.

The DCU’s Next Movie Is Boosted By Superman’s Box Office In Two Ways

The Hero Has Already Appeared In The DC Universe

With Superman soaring at the box office, leading all 2025 superhero movies, the DCU’s next film can only be helped by it. While any DC movie that followed Superman could do with a boost due to the James Gunn movie’s positive performance, 2026’s first DCU film is certainly in a better place because of the project. That movie is Supergirl.

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Gunn’s Superman movie ended with a major surprise. After being cast before her Supergirl film was up and running, it was revealed that DC did so in order for Milly Alcock’s Supergirl to debut in a cameo role in Superman. The movie confirmed that Supergirl was Krypto’s owner, teasing the story of her solo movie, with Kara’s drinking habits explained.

Any character who appears in Superman is bound to get a boost in terms of audience interest going into the DCU’s future projects. Given how Supergirl is a major player and her cameo was a fun moment that gave the franchise its first interaction between the Super-cousins. 2026’s Supergirl will now have more eyes on it.

Supergirl being so closely connected to Superman, more so than any other DCU hero for now, is perfect for her solo movie’s chances at the box office. Fans of the Man of Steel’s movie are likely more inclined to show interest in Supergirl than in a project like Clayface, DC’s R-rated Batman movie, which is quite an interesting bet for the studio.

The DCU Supergirl Movie Also Has Another Box Office Weapon

The Franchise Is Putting Multiple Exciting Characters In Each Project

Besides Supergirl’s cameo in Superman and the movie’s successful run, Milly Alcock’s first DCU solo movie will have another card up its sleeve when it comes to its box office potential. That is former Aquaman star Jason Momoa, who plays Lobo, a scene-stealing bounty hunter from the comics that should prove one of the film’s most talked-about elements.

When it comes to the box office, Momoa has been part of two major hits that could help Supergirl. 2018’s Aquaman was DC’s latest cinematic universe movie to break the $1 billion mark, with $1.15 billion (via Box Office Mojo). In 2025, the actor played a major role in another film that nearly broke $1 billion, A Minecraft Movie.

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The video game adaptation stands tall at $955.1 million, showing how Momoa continues to be a box office draw. With Supergirl’s boost from her cameo in Superman and Momoa helping attract even more interest in Supergirl, I feel confident that the DCU’s next movie will have a healthy box office run.