Overview

• New tallies confirm 2025 as the weakest superhero year since 2011, with no title reaching $700 million worldwide and only Superman clearing $600 million.
• James Gunn’s Superman leads the field at about $604 million globally with just 42% from international markets, a share far below past genre tentpoles.
• Other major entries underwhelmed commercially despite solid reviews for some: The Fantastic Four: First Steps sits near $490 million, Captain America: Brave New World at $415 million, and Thunderbolts at $382 million.
• JoBlo reports financial outcomes are strained, estimating roughly $100 million losses for Captain America: Brave New World and Thunderbolts, near break-even for Fantastic Four, and a slim profit for Superman.
• Coverage attributes the slump to oversaturation, franchise complexity, streaming-era habits, and tighter access to China, as non-superhero hits such as F1 and Mission: Impossible draw audiences and projections suggest the MCU may miss the year’s global top ten.