How ‘Superman’ and a string of hits rescued Warner Bros. from a box office slump

After a disastrous start to 2025, Warner Bros. has pulled off one of the most dramatic turnarounds in recent Hollywood memory. Just months ago, the century-old studio was the subject of open industry mockery, suffering a historic losing streak at the box office. Now, it has delivered five consecutive No. 1 movies, capped by the successful debut of Superman, a high-stakes reboot that has revived the studio’s long-troubled DC superhero brand, the New York Times reported.

Superman opened to an estimated $122 million in North America and an additional $95 million overseas, according to analysts. The film, directed by James Gunn, has drawn strong reviews and enthusiastic audience reception, giving Warner Bros. a much-needed win and cementing a stunning five-film streak that also includes A Minecraft Movie, Sinners, Final Destination: Bloodlines, and F1: The Movie.

A studio on the brink finds its footing

Back in March, Warner Bros. was languishing in last place among the major studios in terms of box office market share. Films like Mickey 17 and The Alto Knights had bombed, and CEO David Zaslav was facing mounting criticism for a lack of cinematic success after years of restructuring. Now, with the studio’s U.S. and Canadian box office take soaring to $1.2 billion — up 50% from the same period last year — Zaslav and his executive team are enjoying long-awaited validation.

“This is a hell of a run,” Zaslav said in a phone interview. “We’re organized, and we’re on the attack.”

Credit for the studio’s revival is being spread among several key players: Gunn and Peter Safran, co-heads of DC Studios; Pam Abdy and Mike De Luca, who lead the Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group; and directors like Ryan Coogler (Sinners) and Jared Hess (Minecraft). Even as he praises the team, Zaslav himself holds final greenlight authority for major films, and the turnaround also underscores his larger strategic vision.

Rebooting DC, rewriting perception

The Superman relaunch wasn’t just another superhero flick — it was a reputational pivot for the entire DC brand. Following a decade of inconsistent storytelling, audience confusion, and franchise fatigue, Gunn and Safran were hired to reset the universe with a more coherent, long-term plan. Their Superman, starring David Corenswet and Rachel Brosnahan, aims to serve as the foundation for a new DC Universe (D.C.U.), with future films and shows building on its characters and themes.

Though some conservative commentators derided the film as “Superwoke” — objecting to Gunn’s framing of Superman as an immigrant and the film’s message of “basic human kindness” — the criticism appears to have had little effect on ticket sales. If anything, the controversy may have boosted visibility ahead of release. Superman received an A- CinemaScore and a 93% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, reflecting strong word of mouth.

Looking ahead with cautious optimism

Warner Bros. isn’t celebrating blindly. The film business remains volatile, and the studio — like its peers — still faces the twin pressures of streaming disruption and changing cultural habits. Yet with a refreshed pipeline that includes original titles like Weapons (due in August) and high-profile sequels like Wonka 2, The Conjuring: Last Rites, and Gremlins 3, there is rare momentum.

Moreover, the company’s recent decision to split into two entities — one focusing on streaming and studio operations, the other on legacy cable networks — positions its film division as a more prominent piece of its future earnings. Zaslav will helm the studio side, putting him even closer to the movies he now champions.

The stakes are still high. Superman cost an estimated $350 million to produce and market. And Hollywood insiders continue to speculate whether Warner Bros. might be ripe for acquisition, especially after shedding its cable portfolio. But for now, it has recaptured something essential: cultural relevance and a reliable audience.

“I believe, deeply and wholeheartedly, in motion pictures,” Zaslav said. “It’s the purest, most exhilarating and most powerful storytelling in the world.”