DC Studios Co-CEO James Gunn Explains Why Superman Is Getting a Digital Release So Soon After the Movie Hit Theaters

This week, DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn made the astonishment announcement that Superman would spot its integer merchandise connected Friday, August 15 — conscionable implicit a period aft it launched successful theaters.

In a station connected societal media, Gunn besides indicated the movie would soon extremity its theatrical tally by saying: “Or drawback it portion it's inactive successful theaters!” Superman has been successful theaters for six weekends (including this upcoming weekend), and is approaching $600 cardinal astatine the planetary container office.

So wherefore merchandise Superman digitally truthful soon aft its theatrical release? In an interrogation with ScreenRant, Gunn said the determination was made to guarantee arsenic galore radical arsenic imaginable were capable to ticker Superman up of the merchandise of Peacemaker Season 2 connected HBO Max connected August 21.

“Well, it's precise complicated, but the information is it is due to the fact that of Peacemaker,” Gunn said.

“I primitively thought Peacemaker was going to beryllium coming retired adjacent month. There was a batch of things that are beyond our control, truthful that Peacemaker is coming retired now, and, astatine the extremity of the day, I wanted everyone to beryllium capable to spot Superman that wanted to, adjacent those radical who couldn't get to a theatre earlier Peacemaker. And that's truly the crushed for it.”

There are a fewer things worthy unpacking here. This is the archetypal clip we’re proceeding that Peacemaker Season 2 was primitively intended to travel retired connected HBO Max successful September, not August. So wherefore was it brought forward, seemingly to the detriment of Superman’s theatrical run? And wherefore was this alteration of merchandise day seemingly forced upon Gunn?

Certainly, the links betwixt Superman and Peacemaker Season 2 are strong, particularly considering trailers for the HBO Max bid person shown the ‘Justice Gang’ from Superman are acceptable to marque an appearance. Gunn himself has said the events of Peacemaker Season 2 straight travel those of Superman, and acceptable the DCU up for the future.

”... Superman leads into this amusement and past we person the mounting up of each of the remainder of the DCU successful this play of Peacemaker, it’s incredibly important,” Gunn told THR.

“Lots of impermanent stars coming up, tons of characters that are showing up that we’ve already met successful Superman. I don’t deliberation there’s thing that I’ve ever done that I emotion much than this play of Peacemaker, truthful I’m truthful excited for radical to spot it.”

On Superman, we’re astir apt looking astatine a $600 cardinal haul globally, erstwhile the particulate settles. Is that bully capable for DC Studios and genitor institution Warner Bros.? Warner Bros. said this week that Superman is the highest-grossing Superman movie successful the U.S. with much than $331 cardinal astatine the home container office, and is besides the largest grossing superhero movie year-to-date (The Fantastic Four: First Steps doesn’t look similar it volition travel adjacent to beating Superman.)

For his part, Gunn has said rumors surrounding precisely however overmuch wealth Superman needs to marque successful bid to beryllium considered palmy are wide of the mark. In a illustration of Superman histrion David Corenswet published connected GQ, Gunn downplayed the container bureau unit connected the movie. “This is not the riskiest endeavor successful the world,” Gunn insisted.

Gunn past called the $700 cardinal fig that had been touted online arsenic the minimum Superman needs to marque during its theatrical tally to debar flop presumption arsenic “just implicit and utter nonsense,” but admitted determination is of people immoderate unit connected the movie to present for Warner Bros.

“Is determination thing riding connected it? Yeah, but it’s not arsenic large arsenic radical marque it retired to be,” Gunn said. “They perceive these numbers that the movie’s lone going to beryllium palmy if it makes 700 cardinal oregon thing and it’s conscionable implicit and utter nonsense. It doesn’t request to beryllium arsenic large of a concern arsenic radical are saying.”

Superman has kickstarted Gunn and chap DC Studios CEO Peter Safran’s rebooted DCU, which already has a fig of eye-catching follow-ups successful the works. Next year, the DCU continues connected the large surface with Supergirl starring Milly Alcock, and Clayface starring Tom Rhys Harries. There's a Lanterns TV amusement owed retired successful 20206 arsenic well.

As for Superman's location release, it debuts successful North America connected integer connected August 15, with 4K UHD, Blu-ray, and DVD arriving connected September 23.

Superman Digital, 4K UHD, and Blu-ray incorporate the pursuing peculiar features:

• Krypto Saves the Day!: School Bus Scuffle – (5:32)
• Adventures successful Making Superman Featurette (60:00)
• Icons Forever: Superman’s Enduring Legacy – Featurette (6:05)
• Lex Luthor: The Mind of a Master Villain – Featurette (5:18)
• Kryptunes: The Music of Superman – Featurette (6:31)
• Paws to Pixels: Krypto is Born – Featurette (5:54)
• Breaking News: The Daily Planet Returns – Featurette (5:23)
• The Ultimate Villain – Featurette (5:30)
• The Justice Gang – Featurette (10:37)
• A New Era: DC Takes Off – Featurette (4:53)

The pursuing peculiar features volition beryllium coming soon to Digital:

• Director’s Commentary with James Gunn
• Gag Reel
• Deleted Scenes

Wesley is Director, News astatine IGN. Find him connected Twitter astatine @wyp100. You tin scope Wesley astatine [email protected] oregon confidentially astatine [email protected].