There was a lot resting on Superman's shoulders this summer. Although the new DCU had got a head start with Creature Commandos in December 2024, this was the live-action debut for both the new Superman and the entire DC cinematic universe. Fortunately, it seems to have got off to a good start, with high ratings and strong box office numbers, as well as an incredibly strong debut on HBO Max.
But something that has defined the discussions ahead of the film is that fans of the so-called Snyderverse, the previous DC film universe where Henry Cavill played Superman, have had heated discussions with those who prefer this new DCU. The former group often wants to make it seem like Superman wasn't commercially successful, while the latter group disagrees with that interpretation. So who's right?
Now, Forbes has put its foot down on this issue in an article about the potential Warner acquisition we previously reported on, where they take an in-depth look at how this would affect the DCU. They use very sharp wording and write, among other things:
"There's a lot of mistaken analysis out there about Gunn, the DCU, and Superman. Some websites (mostly on low-quality fan sites that push rumors and clickbait) are trying to spin things as if Superman is some sort of box office failure and that audiences aren't interested ... but you can safely ignore it and anyone pushing those false narratives."
Forbes also adds that "Superman is the most popular superhero film of 2025" and had "a box office result at least 40% or more higher than any of the previous nine DCEU movies from the past eight years," as well as beating "all three Marvel Studios releases this year," which included this summer's big release The Fantastic Four: First Steps. They end by saying:
"Superman also earned universal critical acclaim and high audience scores, as well as strong streaming numbers and home entertainment sales and rentals. The film will have generated significantly more than $100 million in profits and approaching $150 million globally when all is said and done this year. It's not a failure, it didn't underperform, it was widely beloved by mainstream audiences and most fans, and no amount of resentment or wishes or lies will change those facts."
Forbes therefore lands on the conclusion that Warner's new DCU is most likely secure regardless of who takes over in the future, and any desire to shake this up would probably reduce the chances of a deal going through.
The next project from the DCU was supposed to be Lanterns in early 2026, but as we recently reported, this seems to have changed so that it will instead be released after Supergirl. In addition to these two, the film Clayface will also be released next year.