David Corenswet's Superman hovering outside of a burning building in Superman (2025)
The long-standing argument about whether Zack Snyder or James Gunn is a better Superman movie director has its $3 billion answer thanks to 2025's Superman. Superman's movie catalog is a varied one to say the least, both in terms of the stories Kal-El's various DC films have provided, and in terms of their reception.
However, Man of Steel and Superman are in many ways the hero's two most contrasting releases, which adds some initial context to why Gunn and Snyder's Superman solo movies have been so closely compared with one another in recent history. That said, Superman's box office provides a $3 billion answer to the Gunn vs Snyder debate. The Gunn Vs Snyder Debate Has Been A Superman Conversation Since The DCU Was Announced As the directors of the two latest live-action Superman solo movies, it's no surprise that audiences inevitably began comparing Zack Snyder and James Gunn, and trying to weigh up whose vision regarding Superman would be best. This began long before Superman hit screens, and before our first glimpses of the film, with the initial announcement of the DCU. Of course, this was exacerbated by the circumstances around Snyder ending his run in the DCEU timeline, with the director stepping down from 2017's Justice League after his daughter's death and being replaced by Joss Whedon during post-production. Following this, many fans expressed a wish to see what Snyder's vision for the rest of the franchise would have been like. This would lead to the release of Zack Snyder's Justice League in 2021, which answered a lot of questions about this specific film, but also exacerbated wishes to see more of the creator's DCEU plans. With the DCU reboot coming not long after, Snyder and Gunn's visions for the respective universes were thrown into even closer comparison. That said, since Superman and Man of Steel are contrasting movies focusing on the titular hero - thanks to the DCEU following a grittier approach in its introduction to and depiction of Superman, and the DCU adapting a more traditional classic take on Superman - these comparisons were always inevitable. Interestingly, Superman's box office result suggests an answer to these debates. Superman's Box Office Ties Gunn & Snyder's Directorial Results At $3 Billion Superman's worldwide box office currently sits at $559 million, making it the biggest superhero movie of 2025, and a film that ranks well in the genre's overall results - especially in recent history. While this is notable by itself, it's also notable in terms of what it means for James Gunn's collective box office results as a director. Superman's box office bolsters James Gunn's overall worldwide results as a director to over $3 billion . This means James Gunn and Zack Snyder's collected directorial histories so far both sit at the $3 billion mark, underlining how their creative visions are matched in many senses, including in this regard. Though Gunn currently has a slightly higher overall box office result as a director following Superman's release - which comes in at $3.25 billion, where Snyder's total stands at $3.17 billion - a less than $100 million difference seems small here. Ultimately, it's clear both directors have seen serious success with their film releases, and with the superhero genre specifically. While future Gunn-led DCU installments may change this down the line - given there are further releases on the horizon - this current result helps to show that the two creators have equal creative visions. Even if their Superman movies were in some ways polar opposites, they both have their respective values, and this is reflected in their creator's box office history. Superman's Box Office Reinforces The Answer To An Age-Old Superhero Argument Almost all of the most long-standing arguments about superhero movies - and the comics they draw from - are based around how different many characters have been throughout various creative runs. Both Batman and Superman have been depicted in entirely light-hearted and entirely somber ways, and it makes sense everyone develops their own sense of what tone they prefer. Since movies like Man of Steel or Superman can be seen to draw from specific comic runs - and ones that may contrast with what other fans enjoy most from the hero - it makes sense these depictions won't appeal to everyone. However, much like in the comics, there's no one right way to depict such a historied character. Superman's box office meaning James Gunn and Zack Snyder's directorial results are tied at the $3 billion mark helps to underline this, if just on a financial level. Ultimately, Man of Steel and Superman existing in the same world is a good thing, as it means fans with different visions of Superman can get stories that appeal to them. Though it makes sense for everyone to have their own personal favorite regarding something like Superman movies, the arguments about which iteration is better tend to ignore how strong most of the hero's movies really are. Indeed, the ways Superman mirrors and contrasts the hero's entire film catalog helps prove this point perhaps more than ever. Your Rating close 10 stars 9 stars 8 stars 7 stars 6 stars 5 stars 4 stars 3 stars 2 stars 1 star Rate Now 0/10 Leave a Review Your comment has not been saved Like Follow Followed Superman PG-13 Science Fiction Adventure Action 9/10 424 8.0/10 Release Date July 11, 2025 Runtime 130 minutes Director James Gunn Writers James Gunn Producers Peter Safran Cast See All
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