Netflix CEO Admits Under Oath That James Gunn’s ‘Superman’ Underperformed at the Box Office

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During a Senate hearing about Netflix’s proposed $83 billion acquisition of Warner Bros., Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos testified that the 2025 film Superman, directed by James Gunn, didn’t perform as well as the company had hoped. Sarandos aimed to address concerns about the deal and explain Netflix’s plans for the future.

During a recent US Senate hearing about the Warner Bros./Netflix agreement, Ted Sarandos stated under oath that the movie Superman (scheduled for release in 2025) didn’t do well in theaters, which led to its limited run. He contrasted this with the film Sinners, which performed well and had a longer theatrical release.

As official as it can get, folks. 💫

— •The Last PhotoMax• (@SupesBatsy) February 3, 2026

His use of Superman as an example of a movie that fell short came as a surprise.

The Testimony

The discussion turned to Superman when Senator Corey Booker questioned Netflix’s plans for releasing movies in cinemas. Booker asked Ted Sarandos if new films would play in theaters for a set period—specifically, 45 days—before becoming available elsewhere. Sarandos assured him that films shown in theaters would be shown only in theaters. Booker followed up by asking if the movie studio and theaters would be responsible for making sure this agreement was followed.

As a huge movie fan, I always find it interesting to hear how these things work behind the scenes. Ted Sarandos explained that there’s a typical timeframe for how long a movie plays in theaters before coming to streaming. But he also admitted that it’s pretty common for that timeframe to shift depending on how well the movie does. He gave some examples – apparently, Superman had a shorter run in cinemas, while Sinners stayed in theaters for a bit longer.

Sarandos may have made Superman’s box office struggles explicit.

The Numbers

The movie Sinners surprised everyone with a strong opening weekend, earning $48 million in the US and Canada. It has since become a global hit, bringing in over $368 million worldwide. With a remarkable 16 Academy Award nominations, Ryan Coogler’s vampire horror film has proven to be a huge success with both audiences and critics, allowing it to stay in cinemas much longer than the typical 45 days.

It’s been harder to gauge how well Superman did in theaters. While Warner Bros. CEO David Zaslav was initially pleased with the film’s $125 million opening weekend in the US, James Gunn had previously stated that the movie didn’t need to be a huge financial hit. Ultimately, Superman finished its run in cinemas on October 2, 2025, having earned $615.8 million worldwide in ticket sales.

When Superman became available to rent or buy digitally on August 13, 2025—35 days after its release in theaters—director and DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn explained the timing was connected to the HBO Max show Peacemaker.

He explained the show was being released sooner than planned because of circumstances beyond his control. He wanted to make sure everyone had a chance to watch Superman, even if they couldn’t go to the cinema, before starting on Peacemaker.

Many people questioned whether Gunn’s explanation was completely correct. When Forbes reported in October that Superman had probably lost the studio $42 million after factoring in production and marketing expenses, a different perspective emerged. However, Warner Bros. and Gunn didn’t acknowledge this loss, and instead tried to downplay it.

By pointing to the recent disappointing performance of the movie Superman, Ted Sarandos publicly acknowledged something many in the industry already suspected.

The Future

It’s still being discussed why the movie Superman didn’t do as well as expected in theaters, but it’s now been officially confirmed that it underperformed. Ted Sarandos demonstrated an understanding of how long movies typically stay in theaters, and his commitment to the standard 45-day release window is a positive sign.

Sarandos publicly acknowledging something James Gunn appeared to want kept quiet could lead to conflict. Gunn has suggested his position at DC Studios won’t last forever. With the Netflix agreement with Warner Bros. nearing final approval, it’s unclear what other details will come to light, and how those details might affect future plans.

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2026-02-04 23:57