Part 5/10:
Financial discussions highlight the importance of budget management. For Superman, a $600 million box office threshold is viewed as the minimum to be profitable, with 600 million regarded as a modest but achievable target. Achieving more, such as $700 million, might be unlikely, and falling short risks the film being labeled a failure.
Industry insiders suggest that DC's strategy should pivot towards more modestly budgeted films—around $40 to $100 million—focusing on niche markets and manageable spectacle. This approach aligns with James Gunn's stance that superhero movies are not a genre but a hero-centric storytelling framework—one that can be adapted across sci-fi, horror, Western, or other sub-genres, each with appropriate budget constraints.