‘Superman’ and ‘Man of Steel’s Box Office Battle Has No Winners

First released in 2013, the enthusiasm for Zack Snyder‘s DCEU debut film, Man of Steel, remains just as strong in 2025. Even as a new actor dons the cape and a new director takes the helm for the recently released Superman, some fans can’t seem to let go of the fact that the former iteration of the character has been put to rest as James Gunn has begun his new DC Universe. This has done nothing to quiet the original fanbase, and they’ve only grown more vocal as a new group of supporters embraces Gunn’s take on the character, making it one of the summer’s biggest success stories. Sadly, the success of Superman has only sparked further debate on social media, with both sides claiming victories, even though there might not be a clear winner on either side.

It was naive to think that audiences could get a new Superman film without any discourse. Much of this began to emerge when the first trailer for Gunn’s film was released, as fans dissected every frame and criticized it for any hint of mediocrity. One hoped this would subside when the film was released and reviews were solid, but roars of disdain only grew louder. The social media fights grew stronger, and both sides of the Superman fandom began taking shots at each other. It’s wild that a character who stands for unity and hope has inspired a fanbase so bitterly divided, a dynamic that would likely disappoint the Man of Steel himself. As Man of Steel fans and Superman fans draw lines in the sand, there seem to be key factors that both sides are using for their arguments.

The ‘Superman’ vs. ‘Man of Steel’ Box Office Debate

One of the loudest arguments began on Superman‘s opening weekend: the box office debate. When Superman opened to $125 million during its debut, the trades gave it the distinction of having the biggest opening for a Superman film. Not so fast, said fans of Man of Steel. Despite opening to $116.6 million, Man of Steel loyalists pointed out that, adjusted for inflation, the opening is technically higher, thus giving the Snyder film the win.

The adjusted for inflation argument only works if one applies it to every film and not when it suits one’s needs. Also, most box office isn’t reflected in “adjusted for inflation” terms, so while movie ticket prices have inflated since 2013, everyone knows that box office is determined by current currency and not dollar amounts from the past. Every time Superman reaches a new milestone, Man of Steel fans are quick to dismiss it.

For instance, Superman just crossed the $300 million mark at the domestic box office, topping the $291 million earned by Man of Steel to become the highest-grossing solo Superman film domestically. This is another win that Man of Steel fans won’t let the Superman fandom have because, by the end of its run, Man of Steel sold a total of 35 million tickets, a total that Superman is currently running about 10 million tickets behind. That sparks the argument that more people have seen Man of Steel than Superman, even though the latter film’s run isn’t over just yet.

Even calling Superman the highest-grossing solo Superman movie has sparked heated debate. Given the fact that Green Lantern (Nathan Fillion), Mister Terrific (Edi Gathegi), and Hawkgirl (Isabela Merced) are featured and give the film’s hero a major assist, Man of Steel fans have called this out too. To them, Man of Steel was a true solo Superman movie and, if they’re taking into account non-solo Superman films, Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice has it beat with its $166 million opening and $874.3 million worldwide gross.

Factoring in global box office makes the debate even more complicated. Superman will certainly top the $330.3 million finish of Dawn of Justice (unless you throw in that pesky inflation), but since that argument won’t stick, the global finishes of that film, and even Man of Steel, will certainly beat Superman, which currently sits at $522.6 million with international grosses not flying as high as hoped.

‘Superman’ Fans Don’t Play Nice Either

Warner Bros. Pictures

That’s not to say that all Superman fans play nice. The Gunn film received better reviews on Rotten Tomatoes compared to Man of Steel (83% fresh vs. 57% rotten) and has a higher audience score at 91% compared to Man of Steel’s 71%, something that fans of the film were quick to throw in the faces of Man of Steel fans. They’ve even brought in the 74 Metacritic score for Superman while mocking the 55 earned by the Cavill-led adventure.

The discourse can go on and on. Some fans believe that Gunn’s take is far too childish and not as grounded as Man of Steel, while Superman fans think Snyder’s film is too dark and self-serious. Comparing the two movies will likely never end, with both sides pulling arguments that benefit their endgame. It all comes down to personal preference, really, and, go figure, there is a world where you can like both films because of what they each bring to the table.

The problem with the divided discourse is that it can become over the top and downright mean, especially since this has to do with a fictional character with no real-life ties to anyone. When you have one side hurling offensive insults at the other, that’s a move that is over the line. To actively wish that a film fails and doesn’t make the money to be considered a hit is disrespectful to the countless people who worked on the project. In the battle of Man of Steel vs. Superman, there are no winners — just fanboys locked in an endless shouting match. Superman is in theaters now. Man of Steel is streaming on HBO Max.