No, Superman 2025 Hasn’t Beaten Man of Steel at the Box Office (Yet)

The box office numbers for Superman 2025 have been impressive so far, but the movie has yet to match Man of Steel’s performance when you account for inflation. At first glance, the James Gunn–directed reboot looks like a financial win. It’s earned a hefty $316 million at the domestic box office compared to Man of Steel’s $291 million. And that’s with Superman 2025 still in theaters.

The problem is, raw numbers don’t tell the full story. Inflation in the United States has been significant since Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel hit theaters in 2013, and that changes the math in a big way. When you adjust for inflation, Gunn’s film still has ground to cover before it can claim the box office crown.

The Inflation Adjustment: Why $316 Million Isn’t Always Bigger Than $291 Million

Looking at the numbers side-by-side: Superman 2025’s $316 million is solid, but Man of Steel’s $291 million adjusts to about $400 million in today’s dollars. That’s a $84 million gap. If Gunn’s film keeps strong legs through August and September, it might close in on that figure — but it’s far from a sure thing.

For studios, inflation-adjusted comparisons are more than trivia; they give a truer sense of audience turnout and the actual buying power of ticket revenue. Without this adjustment, it’s easy to crown a winner prematurely.

International Markets Tell a Different Story

If the domestic race is tight, the international battle isn’t even close. Superman 2025 has pulled in $235 million overseas so far. That’s nothing to scoff at, but it’s well short of Man of Steel’s $379 million haul.

International inflation makes the picture even less flattering for the new film. Inflation rates vary by country, so a direct adjustment is messy. Still, picking the UK as an example paints a clear picture:

• Man of Steel grossed about £46.2 million in the UK in 2013.
• Adjusted for inflation, that’s roughly £65 million today.
• Superman 2025 has earned just £28.7 million in the UK so far.

Even with a few more months in theaters, that’s a huge gap — one the new film is unlikely to close.

The Ticket Sales Perspective

Revenue is one metric. Tickets sold is another, and it tells a slightly different story. Global Box Office reported on X (formerly Twitter) on July 29 that Man of Steel sold 36 million tickets domestically. Superman 2025 is still around 10 million tickets short of that mark

The ticket count metric has its own caveats. Prices vary based on theater chain, city, and even time of day. Discount programs and subscription services also muddy the waters. And unlike in 2013, streaming platforms now claim a much larger share of the movie-watching audience, so some viewers who might have bought a ticket back then are now waiting for a digital release.

Still, ticket sales give a sense of raw turnout — the number of people who physically showed up. And by that measure, Man of Steel still has the advantage.

Can Superman 2025 Close the Gap?

The next few months will determine whether Gunn’s Superman overtakes Snyder’s Man of Steel in the domestic market. A lot depends on word of mouth, critical reception, and whether the film can hold onto screens in a crowded late-summer box office.

What’s clear is that while Superman 2025 has found commercial success, beating Man of Steel isn’t a guaranteed outcome — especially when you consider both inflation and the shifting movie industry landscape.

The Legacy Factor

Beyond the numbers, there’s an intangible factor: cultural impact. Man of Steel was the first Superman film in years when it debuted, riding a wave of anticipation. Gunn’s Superman enters a very different world, one where superhero fatigue is setting in for some audiences.

Even if Superman 2025 comes close financially, it may be judged by a different yardstick — one that considers whether it reignites excitement for Superman in a crowded entertainment market.