{"id":447589,"date":"2026-02-04T01:09:10","date_gmt":"2026-02-04T01:09:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/447589\/"},"modified":"2026-02-04T01:09:10","modified_gmt":"2026-02-04T01:09:10","slug":"netflix-ceo-confirms-james-gunns-superman-underperformed","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/447589\/","title":{"rendered":"Netflix CEO Confirms James Gunn’s Superman Underperformed"},"content":{"rendered":"

During a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Netflix and the Warner Bros. Discovery deal<\/a>, Netflix Co-CEO Ted Sarandos dropped a bombshell regarding Superman, the James Gunn-directed reboot of DC\u2019s iconic hero. <\/p>\n

Sarandos confirms the film underperformed while addressing the industry-standard 45-day theatrical release prior to hitting streaming.<\/p>\n

\"'Superman'<\/p>\n

Sarandos Grilled on 45-Day Window<\/p>\n

Original video via YouTube<\/a> (1hr 16mins 17 seconds mark), the moment came as Senator Cory Booker pressed Sarandos on whether Netflix would abide by a full, exclusive 45-day theatrical window for upcoming films, a practice that has become the de facto standard before a movie transitions to streaming or VOD:<\/p>\n

BOOKER: \u201cI want to ask a direct question: Will this be a fully exclusive 45-day theatrical window?\u201d<\/p>\n

SARANDOS: \u201cFully exclusive to theaters, yes.\u201d<\/p>\n

But when asked if this window is strictly enforced, Sarandos gave a telling response, and name-dropped James Gunn\u2019s Superman:<\/p>\n

SARANDOS: \u201cIt is the industry standard for self-enforcement. However, routinely movies that underperform, the window moves a little bit\u2026 and Superman was a little shorter window, and Sinners, a little longer window, but they still could refer to it as a 45-day window.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sarandos\u2019 candid admission confirms what many in the industry already suspected and what we first told you<\/a>: Gunn\u2019s Superman failed to live up to expectations.<\/p>\n

This obviously prompted Warner Bros. to release Superman early and push it to video-on-demand just 35 days after its theatrical release.<\/p>\n

Watch the video:<\/p>\n

Superman 2025 underperformed\u2026 this is coming from Ted Sarandos himself \ud83e\udd37\u200d\u2642\ufe0f pic.twitter.com\/cHiKvji36S<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Daniel Dami Biu (@damiebi10) February 3, 2026<\/a> <\/p>\n

\"James<\/p>\n

Gunn\u2019s Superman Didn\u2019t Meet Expectations<\/p>\n

The fact that Sarandos felt compelled to distinguish Superman as an underperformer in contrast to another project (Sinners) suggests the movie may have missed financial targets by a wide margin. <\/p>\n

While he tried to frame it as common industry practice, his admission is the first public acknowledgment from a top executive that Superman failed to justify a full theatrical run.<\/p>\n

The early VOD release raised eyebrows, especially given the reported $350M+ budget and the fact that it was meant to be the cornerstone of Gunn\u2019s new DC Universe reboot, which has now been downgraded to Gunn\u2019s \u201cSuperman Family Saga\u201d amid the sale of WBD.<\/p>\n

Also, don\u2019t forget that Warner Bros. set the Minecraft sequel release date only two weeks after Gunn\u2019s Superman follow-up, Man of Tomorrow, in 2027. Now, what does that say?<\/p>\n

\t\t\t