Superman got ghosted by the world, and Donald Trump might be the reason: Why James Gunn thinks ‘The Man of Steel is not everyone’s hero’

James Gunn thinks Superman’s box office blues abroad have more to do with global anti-U.S. vibes than the film itself. While it’s soaring in America, the overseas reception isn’t flying high.

By: Entertainment Desk

New Delhi | Updated: July 25, 2025 10:22 AM IST

3 min read

James Gunn says 'anti America sentiment' is hurting Superman

James Gunn’s DC reboot with David Corenswet may have hit home with American audiences, but globally, the director feels the film’s been caught in the crossfire of anti-U.S. vibes. Despite decent international numbers and the emotional reinvention of Superman working in its favour, the movie’s still underperforming abroad, and that’s clearly bothering Gunn. Domestically, it raked in a solid $253 million, but the overseas buzz just isn’t matching up.

“Superman is not a known commodity in some places. He’s not as big as Batman in some countries, and that affects things,” Gunn told Rolling Stone, responding to why the film isn’t quite landing with global audiences like it did in the U.S.

Also read: Is the new Superman movie ‘too woke’ or just true to its origins?

James Gunn has a theory on why Superman is not performing well globally

Globally, Superman made around $173 million, according to BoxOfficeMojo.com. The numbers have been dropping since, and James Gunn seems to think it’s the ‘anti-American’ wave dragging the film down. “We have a certain amount of anti-American sentiment around the world right now. It isn’t really helping us,” he told Rolling Stone in a recent interview.

Also read: Superman: James Gunn’s idea of an India-coded country is regressive and riddled with stereotypes; the Man of Steel wouldn’t stand for it

The film stars Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane and Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor, and has received glowing reviews from critics. But let’s be honest, without fan-favourite Henry Cavill, some slowdown was inevitable. Still, Gunn gambled with a fresh face in David Corenswet and expected the world to instantly buy in. Didn’t exactly pan out. And his recent statement has the internet asking, did Trump’s global PR mess play a part? Since his return as the 47th president, he’s withdrawn the U.S. from treaties and made trade and tariff moves that were scrutinised globally. Pew Research’s latest says global sentiment towards the U.S. has dropped badly in Trump’s second term, but whether that’s affecting moviegoers is still up for debate.

That said, Gunn is still hopeful. It’s day 12 of Superman in theatres, already up against Fantastic Four, and he’s still keeping the faith. “We’re doing better domestically, but international numbers are starting to rise too. Weekday numbers have been solid. Word of mouth is working,” he said. “There are countries where it’s actually performing well, like Brazil and the U.K.”

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