Superman might be the Man of Yesterday at the box office, but James Gunn’s first movie in the rebooted DC Universe is now a major hit on PVOD. Superman opened in theaters on July 11 and was a major box office hit for the rebooted DCU. While many fans are looking to the future of the DCU, which includes films like Supergirl and Clayface, as well as shows like Lanterns, many Superman fans are endlessly re-watching the movie at home. The film dropped on PVOD in August, and the viewership stats have just been released. Thankfully for James Gunn and the DCU, Superman fever continues to grip the fan base.
According to new statistics shared by @samba_tv, Superman has been a roaring success on PVOD. Following its digital release on August 15, the movie was watched by over 527,000 households across the US alone during its first three days on PVOD. To put that into perspective, Superman is currently the most successful movie on PVOD of 2025. Its 527k viewership from the opening weekend is great when compared to Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning, Thunderbolts*, How to Train Your Dragon, and Ballerina‘s stats.
Tom Cruise’s final Mission: Impossible movie drew in 618,000 viewers on PVOD. However, these stats were recorded over its first six days. Superman came incredibly close to that figure in just half the time. As for the other three movies, they earned fewer viewers over a six-day period. Thunderbolts* was viewed by 449,000 households, How to Train Your Dragon by 423,000 households, and Ballerina by 344,000 households across the US.
What ‘Superman’s Box Office & PVOD Success Means for the DCU
It’s been a very big year for the rebooted DC Universe. Following Creature Commandos‘ soft launch of the franchise in late 2024, Superman acted as the first major flagship for Gunn’s iteration of the DCU, meaning a lot was riding on Superman‘s success. Thankfully, the gamble of rebooting the franchise and losing Henry Cavill for David Corenswet has paid off. Superman was a big hit at the box office upon its release, grossing just over $610 million worldwide during its theatrical run. The film initially struggled internationally, something which Gunn attributed to “anti-US sentiment,” but it found its footing during the latter half of its theatrical run.
Superman has created a strong momentum for the future of the DCU, something which Gunn has already capitalized on. Just two months after Superman‘s premiere, the DCU dropped its third official project, that being Season 2 of Peacemaker. John Cena is back as the fan favorite The Suicide Squad character for the show’s new season. As well as expanding the DCU with new weird and wonderful characters, Peacemaker‘s plot also ties directly into the events of Superman and will likely have major repercussions for the future of the DC Universe. Following Peacemaker, Supergirl is the next DCU project to hit our screens. The movie opens in theaters on June 26, 2026.
