On paper, James Gunn’s “Superman” has stored tempo with Zack Snyder’s “Man of Metal,” however it appears that evidently when it comes right down to internet earnings, Gunn’s film has Snyder’s beat. In keeping with Selection, “Superman” is claimed to have generated round $125 million in revenue, whereas Deadline reported again in 2014 that “Man of Metal” in the end made $42.7 million for Warner Bros. It must be famous that the studio hasn’t confirmed these figures, however all indicators level to “Superman” being the extra worthwhile movie.
The film trade is perhaps in a precarious place, however Warner Bros. is having an unbelievable 2025. The studio has churned out hit after hit, and whereas some have been greater than others, even the modest successes have been noteworthy for serving to the historic studio break field workplace data. “A Minecraft Film,” “Sinners,” “Closing Vacation spot Bloodlines,” “F1: The Film,” “Superman,” and “Weapons” have all been successes. Now, with “The Conjuring: Final Rites” breaking horror’s largest field workplace data, making $83 million domestically and $187 million globally throughout its opening weekend, Warner Bros. is formally having a document 12 months. As Selection factors out, the studio has made field workplace historical past with seven consecutive motion pictures opening to above $40 million.
In fact, on the subject of Hollywood accounting, it is at all times difficult for outsiders to know for certain whether or not a film really made a revenue or not. Other than the truth that studios solely get roughly half of the theatrical gross (much less when factoring in China), there’s additionally the advertising and marketing prices to contemplate, which do not type a part of the marketed price range and are sometimes considerably excessive in their very own proper. As such, even obvious field workplace successes can fail to generate profits, particularly in an age the place studios routinely green-light irresponsible budgets that kneecap their revenue potential.
Because the 12 months has performed out, although, it is grow to be clear that Warners is on a sizzling streak and is nearly actually earning money on these motion pictures. “Superman” is an fascinating instance in that regard, particularly as compared with “Man of Metal,” which, while you regulate for inflation, appears to have been a much bigger film than Gunn’s movie.
Man of Metal made greater than Superman, however earned much less
Even earlier than James Gunn’s film debuted, there was a good bit of hypothesis about whether or not “Superman” may match as much as Zack Snyder’s 2013 effort “Man of Metal.” That was comprehensible since Warners and DC underwent a drastic overhaul that resulted within the shuttering of the DC Prolonged Universe, or “Snyderverse” because it turned identified, and the start of Gunn’s new DC Universe. But when the brand new co-head of DC Studios could not make a Superman film that carried out higher than Snyder’s debut Supes effort, the query would certainly grow to be, “What are we even doing right here?” Alternatively, “Man of Metal” got here out a full 12 years earlier than Gunn’s “Superman,” so evaluating the field workplace earnings was at all times going to be dodgy when factoring in inflation and the final state of moviegoing in 2025.
Nonetheless, comparisons had been at all times inevitable, notably as a result of Snyder’s tackle Superman launched the erstwhile DCEU, and Gunn’s film was doing precisely the identical for the newly minted DCU. The Henry Cavill-led “Man of Metal” ended up opening to $116.9 million and ended its field workplace run with $668 million worldwide. That was in opposition to an enormous $225 million price range — the identical quantity the Warners spent on Gunn’s 2025 film.
When “Superman” hit theaters on July 11, 2025, it soared to a $125 million opening, barely outdoing “Man of Metal.” However while you account for inflation, “Man of Metal” jumps from a $116.6 million opening to a $160.5 million debut in as we speak’s phrases. Likewise, its international field workplace take of $670.1 million can be $924.55 million adjusted for inflation. Whereas Gunn’s “Superman” actually noticed main success on the international field workplace, with a $614 million ultimate tally, it will appear as if it wasn’t fairly as large a film for Warners as Zack Snyder’s 2013 effort, particularly while you regulate for inflation.
However based mostly on latest stories, it appears that evidently Gunn’s movie was really extra worthwhile than its predecessor. How? Effectively, explaining that one requires a fast tour into the murky swamp that’s Hollywood accounting.
How did Superman make greater than Man of Metal?
Selection‘s declare that “Superman” made $125 million in revenue is but to be confirmed by Warners, however given the movie wanted to make round $500 million to interrupt even (except the advertising and marketing spend was exorbitant) and ended up with $614 million, the mathematics checks out — particularly while you issue within the nonetheless ongoing digital gross sales. Nonetheless, we do not know the way a lot the studio spent on advertising and marketing the movie, and on condition that these “print and promoting” prices can typically run as excessive as half the price range of the movie, “Superman” would possibly nicely have price Warner Bros. someplace within the $325 million vary.
However as an example Selection’s determine is correct, how can a movie that made barely lower than “Man of Metal” be extra worthwhile? Deadline‘s declare that Zack Snyder’s movie in the end made $42.7 million for Warner Bros included the caveat that the ultimate spend was really nearer to $258 million plus an extra $58 million that was paid out to a number of contributors from producers Christopher Nolan and Jon Peters to stars Henry Cavill, Kevin Costner, Russell Crowe, Amy Adams, producer Charles Roven, director Zack Snyder, and DC Comics. All of which is believed to have contributed to “Man of Metal” costing greater than marketed and in the end making comparatively lower than “Superman” when it comes to internet earnings.
That mentioned, it stays considerably of a thriller how the film field workplace really works, given the dodgy accounting practices of those studios. Typically, corporations will do the whole lot they’ll to cut back internet earnings to make sure they do not must pay residuals, together with paying their very own divisions for advertising and marketing and distribution prices to extend the price of the film with out really growing their spend. It is a part of the explanation why field workplace smashes corresponding to “Batman” seemingly by no means made a revenue (although a lot of that was right down to Jack Nicholson’s completely insane back-end deal). As such, these claims about earnings ought to at all times be taken with a grain of salt, particularly with Warner Bros. eager to make “Superman” look like successful in each method it could forward of extra DC Universe motion pictures arriving within the close to future. For now, although, it actually appears to be like as if Gunn’s cinematic universe is off to a robust begin.
