Superman's secret $175 million box office victory is evidence that the DC Universe can work despite the complexities around DC starting again with its main interconnected movie franchise. Though the DCU timeline was technically founded with Creature Commandos beforehand, the release of Superman has been the real kicking off point for the world as its first film.
As such, all eyes have very much been on Superman both regarding the quality of the film, and also whether it could create a foundation that an entire expanded cinematic universe could then be built from. While the future isn't set in stone just yet, Superman's secret $100+ million box office win proves the franchise can genuinely work.
Superman Making Almost $200 Million More Than The DCEU's Final Movie Bodes Well For The DC Universe's Future
David Corenswet's Superman smiling at the end of the DCU movie while lying in a chair in the Fortress of Solitude
Superman has understandably been compared primarily to DC's most successful film fare in the months that have followed its release. While this makes sense, it avoids the perhaps most crucial comparison point to make when it comes to looking at the DC Universe's viability: namely, comparing it with the last film in the DCEU, and seeing how audiences reacted to each respectively.
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom was a film that clearly suffered from its place in the DCEU timeline, and the complex circumstances around DC's movie landscape at the time. This goes some way to explain its $440 million worldwide box office results (via Box Office Mojo), though its divisive reception also appears to have factored in, discouraging others from seeing it via word of mouth.
Comparatively, Superman's $615 million results mean the 2025 film made $175 million more than its 2023 counterpart – with these results inversely appearing to be reflective of both increased interest in the new start of the DCU, and positive reviews encouraging viewers and repeat viewings.
Though it's worth noting that $615 million is still some way off DC's highest-ever movie results, this does seem to speak to promising things for the DCU, especially since 2025 has been a more challenging year for the vast majority of its releases – evidenced by Superman's results currently making it the movie with the eighth-biggest worldwide box office of the year.
Superman's Critical & Commercial Results Prove The DCU Has Passed Its First & Most Important Test
David Corenswet's Superman waving as a robot treats him in the Fortress of Solitude
While focus is now on whether the DCU can continue to build itself a successful path forwards with the likes of Lanterns, Supergirl, and Clayface, Superman's positive reception in terms of its reviews and box office mean the franchise has at least passed its first main test.
The ending of the DCEU fared less strongly in part because audiences knew the franchise was coming to a close, and subsequently weren't as engaged with the final forays into its world. Though this suggested the start of the DCU could see the opposite response, there was always the chance the DCEU's fate would also sabotage further attempts to establish a new universe.
Instead, though, the margin between Aquaman and The Lost Kingdom and Superman appears to underline that audiences are willing to give DC's fresh start a fresh chance. This is promising, as establishing this early interest and trust was always going to be the DCU's first and most pressing challenge, given this early reception will naturally go on to decide whether plans for the franchise are truly viable.
