“Superman” is a success in the U.S. having amassed $58M this weekend, for a domestic total of $235M. It will very likely hit $350M by the end of its run.
However, internationally, it’s a different story. The film has been struggling to meet expectations, currently at $171M, with theories swirling as to why that is the case. Some believe it had to do with superhero fatigue hitting harder overseas, whereas other believe Superman to not be as popular overseas.
Gunn addressed that in an interview with Rolling Stone, but his reasoning is one I hadn’t thought of before, noting that current “anti-American sentiment” in some regions may also be affecting turnout.
He is not a big known superhero in some places like Batman is. That affects things. And it also affects things that we have a certain amount of anti-American sentiment around the world right now. It isn’t really helping us.
What Gunn’s getting at here is the broader context in which American films—especially ones that traffic in overt symbolism—are landing overseas. The global appetite for American mythmaking has shifted; Post-pandemic, post-Trump, in the age of geopolitical upheaval.
Gunn believes that in many parts of the world, audiences don’t want to see wholesome American stories anymore. In an age where America’s global image is rather complicated, it’s a fair, but is that really why Superman is underperforming overseas?
Or is it something else? Brand fatigue? Superhero burnout? Lack of a major star at the center? A character who, unlike Batman or Spider-Man, hasn’t been consistently nurtured for a global audience over the last 20 years?
Drop your thoughts in the comments.