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According to Gunn, Trump’s to blame. Really.
“Superman is not a known commodity in some places. He is not a big known superhero in some places like Batman is. That affects things,” Gunn said, according to Variety.
“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.”
Sure, blame “anti-American sentiment”—but conveniently ignore the fact that Captain America: Brave New World, a film literally branded with “America” in the title, pulled in more money internationally than domestically. Its box office breakdown? $200.5 million domestic, $214.6 million overseas.
Contrast that with Superman: $264.6 million in the U.S. and just $173.1 million abroad.
So what gives? Is the world suddenly more fond of America’s shield-wielding super soldier than the Man of Steel? Or is something else at play?
Let’s rewind to 1978. America wasn’t exactly riding high in global favor. The Vietnam War had ended in disgrace, the Carter administration was struggling, and the Iran hostage crisis loomed. Yet the original Superman, starring Christopher Reeve, brought in $134.4 million domestically and $166 million internationally—nearly identical proportions to today’s release, without today’s marketing firepower.
But we’re expected to believe that 2025’s “anti-American sentiment” is the problem?
The truth is simpler: the Superman brand has lost its luster abroad. While Christopher Nolan turned Batman into a global box office machine, most of DC’s other offerings have flopped. The franchise has been plagued with controversy, poor scripts, and divisive casting—culminating in a fandom civil war over the so-called “Snyder Cut.”
Meanwhile, Marvel has continued to pump out crowd-pleasers with tight continuity and character arcs that make sense. International audiences know what they’re getting—and they trust it. Superman? Not so much.
Then there’s the marketing dilemma. David Corenswet, while talented, is far from a household name internationally. His resume includes mainly Netflix titles that didn’t move the needle overseas. And Rachel Brosnahan’s Marvelous Mrs. Maisel? Critically beloved, sure. But good luck translating Amy Sherman-Palladino’s machine-gun banter for non-English-speaking audiences. Even AI subtitles would short-circuit.
If international viewers aren’t connecting with Superman, maybe it’s because the film wasn’t made to connect. Or maybe, just maybe, it was overhyped by a studio desperate to resurrect a character they’ve mismanaged for years.
And yet, instead of owning the failure, they reach for the easiest scapegoat: Donald Trump.
It’s a lazy narrative, especially when Jurassic World: Rebirth—another big, loud, unmistakably American franchise—has dominated overseas. With nearly $374 million in foreign sales, audiences worldwide don’t seem to have a problem with America when dinosaurs are involved.
Gunn may believe he’s planting “the seed of the tree” with this reboot, but if that tree’s already rotten at the roots, no amount of blaming Trump is going to help it grow.
Maybe it’s time Hollywood stopped pointing fingers and started looking in the mirror. Or better yet, the box office receipts.
