A new report into Superman has allegedly revealed the salaries of its top stars as well as writer and director James Gunn, and offered a hint at where DC Studios is headed next.
Variety said Gunn earned 20 times more than David Corenswet, the relative newcomer who played Superman / Clark Kent, and Rachel Brosnahan, who played Lois Lane. Corenswet and Brosnahan each earned $750,000, with Gunn taking home $15 million. This is reportedly in addition to Gunn’s seven-figure salary as co-CEO of DC Studios. The more established Nicholas Hoult, however, earned $2 million from playing Lex Luthor.
The relatively modest salaries of its stars was cited by some as helping keep Superman’s production budget down. Variety reported that Superman cost $225 million to make and $125 million to market globally, for an approximate total spend of $350 million.
The question now is, is Superman a success for parent company Warner Bros.? Given the movie only launched last week, it’s too early to say. Domestically, Superman powered to $122 million at the box office during release weekend, which was enough to make it the biggest domestic launch ever for a solo Superman film, not adjusted for inflation.
Superman’s strong North American launch is the biggest superhero movie opening weekend since last summer’s billion dollar blockbuster Deadpool & Wolverine, which hit $211 million domestically. That means Superman launched bigger than Marvel’s Captain America: Brave New World and Thunderbolts* / The New Avengers. It’s also the biggest DC movie in a long time, and the first to hit a $100 million domestic box office launch since Wonder Woman’s $103.3 million in 2017.
However, internationally, Superman launched soft with $95 million, which some analysts are calling a disappointment. As Variety noted, Warner Bros. expected this because Superman is linked to the character’s long-standing motto, “Truth, Justice, and the American Way.”
It’s also worth noting that Superman’s global weekend take of $217 million is actually less than Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel’s when adjusted for inflation. Like Gunn’s Superman, Snyder’s Man of Steel rebooted the DC cinematic universe.
So, what happens next? According to Variety, Warner Bros. is fast-tracking its already announced Wonder Woman movie, and is excited by Matt Reeves’ recently submitted screenplay for The Batman 2, due out in October 2027.
Will we see Superman 2 at some point? Warner Bros. has sequel options on Corenswet and Brosnahan, Variety reported, but a sequel announcement “does not appear to be imminent.”
There are of course other DCU movies confirmed to be in the works. Both Supergirl and Clayface launch in 2026, and Gunn is also working on a Batman movie of his own, although it doesn’t have a release date.
Check out IGN’s Superman review to find out what we think, and then head over to our Superman Ending and Post-Credits Explained to find out what it all means.
Photo by Maya Dehlin Spach/Getty Images.
Wesley is Director, News at IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at [email protected] or confidentially at [email protected].
