Warner Bros is finally seeing some box office success in its Superhero Film division with James Gunn’s new film, Superman. The film is seeing $22.5 million for previews, making it the best previews YTD and a record for James Gunn.
According to Deadline, it’s higher than the previews for last year’s Barbie ($22.3M, 3-day $162M) and ahead of all the previews for Matt Reeves’ The Batman ($21.6M, $134M opening in 2022). Superman is seeing success at the Box Office, despite facing criticism from the right-wing and critics such as former Superman Actor, Dean Cain (Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman), who is “worried” that calling Superman an immigrant will not only hurt it at the Box Office, but is afraid of Hollywood making the character ‘woke’. What they fail to realize is that he is INDEED an immigrant from another world, with both creators, Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, who put their hearts and souls into creating the hero, a form of empowerment for them and anyone who would read it. Writer Dwayne McDuffie said it best in an old interview featured in the DC Documentary Secret Origin: The Story of DC Comics: “Superman is about the Immigrant experience in a very powerful way. It is the kid from the old country who brings the best values from the old country, in this case, the Old Planet to America, adds it to the pot, and accepts the best part of America. It was a really powerful set of ideas, it was important to people in the 30s and 40s.”
Superman has always been an allegory for the immigrant experience, especially when you look into the personal history of his creators, writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joseph Shuster, both are second-generation Jewish Immigrants and were quick to address big issues in the world, take for example in Action Comics #1, Superman fought domestic abuse, urban crime, and took on corruption in the same issue. The Man of Steel has been described as the original fighter for Social Justice (and has fought against certain Social Justice Issues) over the years, notable examples include the radio serial, where Superman took on the Clan of the Fiery Cross (aka, the Ku Klux Klan, which would later be adapted into a limited issue comic book series) in comic book pages, for example, in the 2017 issue of Action Comics Issue No. 987, where Superman saved migrant workers from a racist shooter, and we would see him comtinue his fight in other forms of media. The White House decided to voice its opinion on upcoming film, only to fantasize about the President as Superman, which he was mocked for instantly. A reminder that in the past, he has compared himself to Elvis Presley, Mother Teresa, and yes, Jesus Christ. It’s also not the first time he has fantasized himself as a Superhero, which he portrayed himself as one in his NFT Digital Trading Card line. Despite Superman being called “Super Woke,” and other criticisms about a pro-immigration theme to it, the film looks to be shrugging the criticism off with ease, possibly making it to be the best film of 2025 with its current earnings still rising.
RELATED: James Gunn Addresses Superman Criticism, While Critics Call the Film “Too Woke”
This has been described as the DCU’s True Beginning. This is Superman’s first solo film since Zack Snyder’s 2013 film, Man of Steel. A lot is riding on this film due to Warner Bros Discovery’s Superhero film division faced scrutiny due to constant box office flops. Which included its biggest Box Office Flop, The Flash, in which the company lost an estimated $155 million, and Joker: Folie à Deux, which also lost between $150 million to $200 million. The new DCU soft-launched in December with James Gunn’s animated series, Creature Commandos. Following Superman, fans can look forward to next year’s Supergirl (based on writer Tom King and Artist Bilquis Evely’s comic book story) movie, and the Green Lantern Corps with the down-to-Earth TV series Lanterns.
AD: Curious about Superman’s Beginnings? Check out DC Finest: Superman: The First Superhero, Available Now on Paperback
Superman was created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. Superman made his heroic debut in Action Comics #1 in June 1938 (Cover Dated June 1938, published on April 18, 1938). Since his debut, Superman has been adapted into numerous forms of merchandise and media such as Television, Films, Radio Serials, Novels, Theater, and Video Games. Superman makes its debut in Theaters today, and be sure to pre-order Superman: The Art and Making of the Film, available on November 18th.
For a recommended reading list, click the links below:
- Warner Bros and DC Release New Character Posters of Superman and the Justice Gang
- New Superman Posters Reveal Lex Luthor and the Opposition
- Superman’s Final Trailer Shows The Hero’s Humor and ‘Important Stuff’
- Happy Superman Day, A thank you to Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster.
Source: Deadline
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