Batman’s iconic $2.4 billion movie trilogy retrospectively provesSupermannever needed to make a mindboggling box office for theDCU.Superman’s 2025 release has already seen the movie net the biggest box office results of the year for the superhero genre, but the journey has only just begun forthe DCU timeline.
WhileSuperman’s box office resultsare the genre’s highest in 2025, the movie being far off the highest superhero movie box office results of all time has raised questions regarding what this means for the DCU itself. However, one of Batman’s strongest movie series suggestsSupermanhas set the DCU on a solid path.
The Dark Knight Trilogy Proves A Debut Superhero Movie’s Box Office Doesn’t Need To Be Huge To Build A Strong Franchise
Even over a decade after its conclusion, the Dark Knight trilogy is still one of the most important superhero movie series of all time. This is first and foremost in terms of its critical reception - with it winning the hearts of hardcore superhero fans and those otherwise uninterested in the genre alike - but its box office is also still colossal.
Over the course of three films, the Dark Knight trilogy amassed $2.4 billion in terms of its worldwide box office (as perThe Numbers).The Dark Knightwas also one of the very first superhero movies to net itself over a billion, which was a monumental benchmark and a big sign of what was to come for the genre.
However, it’s worth noting that the first film in the trilogy was a considerable way off this box office result. In fact,Batman Begins' own worldwide box office comes in at a far lower number, having made $356 million. That said, it’s clear this lower result built to far bigger things.
WhileBatman Beginswasn’t as ground-breakingly successful as its sequels financially, it did see positive critical reception, and built interest and trust in the franchise that would ultimately play key roles inThe Dark Knight’s own major successes. This is interesting to consider on many levels, but is most relevant right now in terms of the discussions around the DCU.
2025’sSupermanhas already earned considerably more thanBatman Beginsthanks to its now $578 million box office (as reported byThe Numbers), but conversations around these numbers have questioned if it needed to make more to be truly promising for the DCU. However,Batman Begins' own results show franchises don’t need $1 billion from out of the gate.
Superman’s Review Scores Mattered More Than Its Box Office (Just Like Batman Begins)
Ultimately, the first film in an expanded interconnected franchise is always going to be a film with a lot of pressures. It’s also a release without any of the benefits a film set later in a franchise can have by building more directly on what came before.
This is clear withBatman Begins, which has to spend some considerable time and energy establishing the world audiences are set to experience over the course of the trilogy - something that made it perhaps a little less appealing to broad audiences initially, especially when the Batman movies before it had fallen flat.
As such,what arguably mattered more withBatman Beginswas that it showed the universe and the stories within it were engaging. This would pay dividends via word of mouth, and meant things like DVD sales would also result in bolstered box office results for future releases from those who later gave the film a shot.
WithSupermancoming after the end of the DCEU and a series of films falling flat in the franchise’s final years - and with the superhero genre being more of a state of flux financially - it’s arguably in the same position. With this in mind, it stands to reason what’s also most important here is the critical reception to the film.
Interestingly,Superman’s Rotten Tomatoes scores currently sit close toBatman Begins' scores, withSuperman’s 83% Tomatometer and 91% Popcornmeter being solid results by themselves, and also when compared toBegins' own 84% and 94% scores. As it stands, this suggests the DCU can follow the trajectory of the Batman movie series, so long as its follow-ups maintain these scores.
The Dark Knight Trilogy’s Results Suggest Superman Is On The Right Track
While it’s not guaranteed thatSuperman’s positive critical reception will result in the next DCU movies making billions, it certainly seems as though its success will pay dividends figuratively and literally very soon.Supergirlis the next movie in the DCU timeline, and continues on in a sense from the 2025 movie, following Supergirl’s cameo inSuperman’s ending.
WithSupergirlclearly being the 2025 film’s successor of sorts - and being set to show a grander side to the DCU in some ways, given the comic story it adapts explores the wide reaches of space - it’s easy to see how it seems the DCU could follow the Dark Knight trilogy’s trajectory.
Even failing that,James Gunn has revealed he’s already working on a story that serves as a sequel of sorts toSuperman- even if he’s also stated it’s notSuperman 2. This project could work to capitalize onSuperman’s success more thanSupergirl, thoughSuperman’s direct sequel is sure to benefit best if and when it emerges.
Looking back, the Dark Knight trilogy’s box office empire is a testament to its quality - but it’s also a testament to how some of the best franchises build momentum over time. Currently, it looks like the DCU is set to mirror it in this regard, though the future afterSupermanis very much still open.
