Superman Director James Gunn ‘Incredibly Grateful’ After $217 Million Box Office Opening, Says Film’s Message ‘Resonates So Powerfully’

Superman director James Gun has offered his first comments on the film’s $217 million global box office opening, and said he’s “incredibly grateful” for the film’s early response.

That impressive figure includes a $122 million haul from the US — enough to make Gunn’s movie the biggest domestic launch ever for a solo Superman film, not adjusted for inflation, and the third-largest domestic launch of 2025, behind A Minecraft Movie and the live-action Lilo & Stitch.

Now, Gunn has taken to social media to give his response to Superman’s opening, and said the reaction had proved the film’s message was resonating with audiences.

“I’m incredibly grateful for your enthusiasm and kind words over the past few days,” Gunn wrote. “We’ve had a lot of ‘Super’ in Superman over the years, and I’m happy to have made a movie that focuses on the ‘man’ part of the equation – a kind person always looking out for those in need.

“That that resonates so powerfully with so many people across the world is in itself a hopeful testament to the kindness and quality of human beings. Thank you. ❤️”

Superman’s early numbers also seem to have pleased DC Studios’ parent company Warner Bros. Discovery, with CEO David Zaslav commenting he “couldn’t be more excited” to now see the rest of Gunn’s DCU plans unfold.

“This weekend, we watched Superman soar as James Gunn’s passion and vision came to life on the big screen,” Zaslav said, via Deadline. “Superman is just the first step.

“Over the next year alone, DC Studios will introduce the films Supergirl and Clayface in theaters and the series Lanterns on HBO Max, all part of a bold 10-year plan. The DC vision is clear, the momentum is real, and I couldn’t be more excited for what’s ahead.”

For now at least, Superman appears to have done what it needs to do — though it remains to be seen how the film performs over its second weekend and beyond, and whether a relatively soft global box office performance picks up.

But, for his part, Gunn has previously suggested that the rumors surrounding exactly how much money Superman needs to make are wide of the mark, and dubbed one figure — an eventual box office total of $700 million — as “just complete and utter nonsense”.

Check out IGN’s Superman review to find out what we think, and then head over to our Superman Ending and Post-Credits Explained to find out what it all means.

Tom Phillips is IGN’s News Editor. You can reach Tom at tom_phillips@ign.com or find him on Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social