*Courtesy of Jesse Grant / Getty Images for Disney.*

James Gunn’s ‘Superman’ is soaring at the box office, eyeing a massive domestic debut between $115 million and $120 million after topping Friday’s chart with $56.5 million. That total includes $22.5 million from Thursday previews.

The film is not only reigniting the legendary DC Studios franchise but also positioning itself as a strong reboot under Gunn’s vision. Gunn serves as both writer-director and co-head of DC Studios, which he runs alongside Peter Safran.

Internationally, ‘Superman’ is also off to a flying start with more than $100 million expected from 78 overseas markets. As of Friday, it had already taken in $40 million midweek internationally, pushing its early global total to $96.5 million.

If ‘Superman’ cracks $116.6 million, the film will dethrone Zack Snyder’s ‘Man of Steel’ ($116.7 million in 2013) as the biggest domestic opening ever for a solo ‘Superman’ movie — though ‘Man of Steel’ hits $161.4 million when adjusted for inflation. Snyder still holds the DC opening weekend record with ‘Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice,’ which earned $166.6 million over Easter weekend in 2016. Meanwhile, Bryan Singer’s 2006 ‘Superman Returns’ began with a six-day domestic total of $84 million, including $52.5 million over its three-day weekend launch.

Gunn’s ‘Superman’ also becomes just the third Hollywood film in 2025 to open above $100 million, following Warner Bros.' ‘A Minecraft Movie’ ($162.8 million) and Disney’s live-action ‘Lilo & Stitch’ remake ($146 million).

Before taking over DC, Gunn was best known for his success with Marvel’s ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ franchise. His biggest domestic debut to date is ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2,’ which opened with $146.5 million. While ‘Superman’ likely won’t top that, it may beat the $118.2 million debut of ‘Guardians Vol. 3’ to become Gunn’s second-best opener (not adjusted for inflation).

Friday exit polls showed that 68% of ticket buyers were male, and nearly two-thirds were between 18 and 34 years old. While younger fans typically rush to theaters opening weekend, older audiences might wait for less crowded showings, potentially balancing the gender split over time.

Strong word-of-mouth could give ‘Superman’ legs in the weeks ahead. Audiences and critics are responding positively: the film holds an A- CinemaScore — matching ‘Man of Steel,’ while boasting a 93% audience score and an 82% critics’ rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

The cast is led by David Corenswet as Superman, with Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane and Nicholas Hoult playing Lex Luthor. Supporting roles include Skyler Gisondo as Jimmy Olsen, Isabela Merced as Hawkgirl, Beck Bennett as Steve Lombard, Nathan Fillion as Guy Gardner, Anthony Carrigan as Metamorpho, and Edi Gathegi as Mister Terrific.

MORE NEWS