Here's How DC Could Finally Dethrone Marvel at the Box Office This Summer

Recent years have seen both superhero shared cinematic universe titans, Marvel and DC, struggle at the box office. But now, one may be primed to rise above the other.

Though there have been a number of relatively recent successes between the two, such as the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Avengers: Endgame (2019), Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021), and Deadpool & Wolverine (2024), and the DC Extended Universe’s Shazam! (2019) and Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom (2023), there have been many disasters along the way, too, from the MCU’s Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023) and The Marvels (2023), to the DCEU’s Wonder Woman 1984 (2020) and The Flash (2023), to name a few.

However, the loser in that race was clearly DC, as the DCEU has since been rendered defunct, with Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom marking the end of the continuity that started with Man of Steel (2013). Now, DC Studios’ CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran are spearheading a brand-new DC shared cinematic universe titled the DC Universe (DCU).

Launching the new series of films and TV shows (animated and live action) is the upcoming Superman (2025), which stars David Corenswet (Twisters) in the title role, replacing Henry Cavill, who portrayed the character from Man of Steel through Black Adam (2022).

The new film marks the beginning of a new era for DC and will pave the way for other reboots such as Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow (2026) and Batman: The Brave and the Bold (TBA).

Directed and written by James Gunn himself (the Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy), the film also stars Rachel Brosnahan (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel) as Superman’s love interest and Daily Planet reporter Lois Lane, and Nicholas Hoult (the X-Men film series) as Superman’s arch nemesis and evil LuthorCorp CEO Lex Luthor.

The estimated budget for the film is reportedly $363.8 million (although its accuracy has been disputed by Gunn). As for its projected takings when it’s released this July, it remains to be seen whether it will make an uncomfortably hard landing like the last several DC cinematic projects, or soar to the top of the global box office faster than a speeding bullet.

However, if the second trailer that premiered online this week is anything to go by, the film stands a pretty solid chance, as the official DC YouTube channel’s video alone amassed 9.2M views in just over 12 hours since it was uploaded (it’s now shy of 22M). Watch it below:

Related: Everything We Know About ‘Superman’ (2025) and the DC Universe Reboot

The question is, how will it fare against current and upcoming MCU films? Captain America: Brave New World (2025) grossed $415.1 million against a budget of $180 million, while Thunderbolts (2025)–out now–has grossed $282.4 million against the same budget.

The real competition, however, is The Fantastic Four: First Steps (2025), set for release on July 25, just two weeks after Superman soars into theaters on July 11. The upcoming Pedro Pascal-starring MCU entry is also expected to make a huge dent in the global box office, so it’ll be interesting to see which of these two superhero reboots will come out on top.

What really sets these two films apart, though, is Superman’s global legacy. After all, he is, without contest, the most iconic superhero that has ever existed, and, as such, it’s likely that audiences will flock to movie theaters to see the character’s latest outing, even if it’s just to compare it to the late Christopher Reeve’s legendary performances in the original film series.

But who knows — maybe it will be closer to a tie, which will make Marvel and DC fans happy. Either way, with other mega flicks hitting the theaters this July, including Jurassic World Rebirth (2025), it’s shaping up to be quite a summer at the movies.

Which are you most excited for, Superman (2025) or The Fantastic Four: First Steps? Let us know in the comments down below!