Both Marvel and DC have had a rough couple of years at the box office, with high-profile failures ranging from The Marvels to The Flash, Eternals, Black Adam and more. However, both franchises still command an immense presence in Hollywood, and there is still enough interest from general audiences and die-hard fans to keep both of them alive. While they are both taking noticeable breaks this year, as Marvel Studios is only releasing Deadpool and Wolverine and DC’s only new film is the Joker sequel, Joker: Folie à Deux, they are both set to return in big ways next year.
While they are both releasing a handful of new films and shows next year, Marvel and DC each have one specific film that they are counting on to be a major hit. Oddly enough, they have also decided to release these two major features within only a few weeks of one another, meaning they will directly compete against one another at the box office. Of course, we are talking about Marvel’s new take on The Fantastic Four and DC’s reboot with James Gunn, Superman: Legacy. Here’s how these two films are gearing up for a major superhero showdown next summer.
Both Films Open Within Weeks of One Another
The first of these films to open will be Superman: Legacy, the first new solo Superman flick since Man of Steel in 2013. Legacy is currently set to open on July 11, 2025. Filming is expected to begin within the next couple of months, with David Corenswet taking on the role of Clark Kent/Superman and Rachel Brosnahan co-starring as Lois Lane. It will not be the only new DC movie in 2025, as The Batman: Part II is set to release in October 2025. The new Superman flick, however, will be the start of a whole new DC film universe, creatively structured and led by James Gunn.
As for Fantastic Four, the film is in a similar, yet somewhat opposite position to Superman: Legacy. It’s not starting a whole new franchise; rather, it is one of a high-profile attempt at correcting the course of the franchise it is building on. Set to release on July 25, 2025, the newest reboot of The Fantastic Four will be the 37th film in the ever-expanding Marvel Cinematic Universe, yet it aims to bring new life to the franchise by finally introducing Marvel’s first family into the franchise. Directed by Matt Shakman (who previously worked on WandaVision for Disney+), the film will star Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards, Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm, Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm.
Typically, Marvel Studios and DC like to give each other some room to breathe between the releases of their major films. Oddly, that’s not the case with these two movies. Superman: Legacy and The Fantastic Four are currently set to open just two weeks from one another. This will be the first time that films from the two studios have opened this close together since November 2017, which saw the release of Thor: Ragnarok on November 3 and Justice League on November 17. There have been a few instances of Marvel and DC opening films three to four weeks apart since then, but – by the time July 2025 comes around – this will be the closest that they’ve released films to one another in eight years.
While that two-week gap between the movies gives Superman enough time to make its initial opening gross, the release of Fantastic Four will really cut into the repeat viewing of the DC flick. Conversely, the opening of The Fantastic Four will also be affected, as Superman will still be in the early weeks of its release, with word-of-mouth about the film still fueling its theatrical run.
These Are Crucial Parts of the MCU and DCU
Marvel and DC really shouldn’t be taking these kinds of gambles with any of their films at this point, as both studios are finding themselves in increasingly choppy waters at the box office. However, that is especially true for Superman: Legacy and The Fantastic Four. These are not just random additional entries in their respective franchises, like how, say, The Marvels or Blue Beetle were. These two particular films are essential parts of these building universes, making their success crucial for each studio.
For Marvel, The Fantastic Four is being treated as one of the MCU’s most essential films in the lead-up to the next Avengers film (formerly titled Avengers: Kang Dynasty). While it may not be a massive crossover movie that ties this era of the MCU together, it is being treated as the introduction to one of the newest major series within the broader Marvel franchise.
It’s clear that Kevin Feige and the folks at Marvel Studios imagine The Fantastic Four as one of their newest series to pick up the mantle from the likes of the Iron Man and Captain America films. With that, it’s likely to be one of the most important films in the franchise since Avengers: Endgame hit theaters back in 2019. The failure of The Fantastic Four (for the third or fourth time, depending on how you look at it) would be a massive blow to the current vision for the MCU’s future.
As for Superman: Legacy, the stakes are even higher. This is not just another Superman movie – though the stakes would still be high even if it was – this is the introduction to the new era of DC under the guidance of James Gunn and Peter Safran. This is the film that is meant to re-establish the world of DC and its characters in the eyes of general audiences, after the last DC cinematic universe slowly crumbled and deteriorated trust in the brand.
This isn’t just a Superman film, either; it’s a broader entry point into the new DCU, with other major characters like Green Lantern, Hawkgirl, Mister Terrific and Supergirl all officially cast and set to appear in the film.
It Isn’t too Late to Shift Release Dates
If both Marvel and DC stick to these respective release dates, they are undoubtedly going to do harm not just to each other’s films but to their own. Currently, the release schedule for the summer of 2025 is not all that packed, so there is plenty of room to shift these dates around for release windows that will benefit both studios and their films. For context, July currently has a new Jurassic World film set for July 2nd, Superman: Legacy is set for July 11th, and The Fantastic Four is set for July 25th.
If DC is looking to move Superman, they could keep it in July by just moving it up a week to July 2nd. There’s a slim chance that the new Jurassic World will actually make that release date, since there isn’t even a director signed on to the project right now. That date would give Superman the popular Fourth of July weekend (a five-day opening weekend) while also giving it more space before The Fantastic Four releases at the end of the month. Alternatively, Superman: Legacy could also move up into the month of June, as the only real competition in the same space is the live-action How to Train Your Dragon film, set for June 13. Superman could open pretty much any other time that month and have a weekend all to itself.
That said, Marvel Studios could just as easily move The Fantastic Four. The early August release window has worked very well for the MCU in the past, most notably with the first Guardians of the Galaxy film, which grossed almost $800 million worldwide. Right now, the August release schedule is completely clear of any major studio releases. If Marvel and Disney were to shift The Fantastic Four back a week or two, they would have the entire late summer essentially to themselves.
Regardless of which studio actually moves its film, we think it is likely that these movies will not actually open as close together as they are currently scheduled to. It would simply be a bad move that would not really give any benefit to either franchise over the other. It’s an unnecessary game of chicken that Marvel and DC are playing with one another. If neither studio blinks, then July 2025 will become the month that will determine the fate of the superhero movie genre for the foreseeable future.
