Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav issued a statement committing to James Gunn and Peter Safran’s vision for the DC Universe over the next 10 years despite a weak opening weekend of Gunn’s first film, Superman.
Gunn’s Superman film only opened to $217 million globally and interestingly enough did better domestically than internationally. It grossed $122 million domestically and $95 million internationally. Those numbers are worse than previous Superman films such as Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel and Bryan Singer’s Superman Returns when adjusted for inflation. It also performed worse than Matt Reeves’ The Batman film, which did $134 million domestically in its opening weekend without adjusting for inflation.
Additionally, the film is far from having one of the top opening weekends of 2025. Disney’s Lilo & Stitch did $361.3 million worldwide and Jurassic World Rebirth had a global opening of $318.3 million. A Minecraft Movie also had a $301 million global opening. Superman did post the third highest domestic opening weekend only behind A Minecraft Movie and Lilo & Stitch.
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Despite the weak opening weekend, Zaslav issued a statement committing to Gunn’s vision saying, “Three years ago, I hired James Gunn and Peter Safran to reimagine and unify the creative direction of DC under one leadership team, by breathing new life and excitement into one of the most iconic storytelling franchises in the world. James and Peter’s commitment to honoring the legacy of the DC Universe while forging something new and enthralling is inspired.”
“I remember my first meeting with James three years ago. He spoke about growing up in Missouri and how the characters of the DC Universe weren’t just stories to him, they were like his family,” he continued. “His personal bond with these DC heroes was powerful and I knew then that James was the right person to bring them to life. His love for the DC world runs deep, and it shines in every frame of his work.”
“This weekend, we watched Superman soar as James Gunn’s passion and vision came to life on the big screen. 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 ten-year plan. The DC vision is clear, the momentum is real, and I couldn’t be more excited for what’s ahead,” Zaslav concluded.
What do you make of Zaslav’s statement?
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This is the completely opposite statement of the one he needs to make - "James Gunn is fired.".
Sounds like replacing "the American Way" with "the human way" to appeal to secular globalists around the world did not work. That's a lot of domestic success, though. The movie will probably break even or make some profit, and do okay as the start of Gunn's DCEU.