10 Biggest Superhero Movie Opening Weekends Of All Time

9. Man of Steel

Release date: June 14, 2013

Opening weekend total: $116.6 million

Is Man of Steel a good movie? And if so, is it really a good Superman movie?

(For what it’s worth, yours truly feels the answers are yes and no, in that order.)

Regardless of your personal feelings about the first outing for a new version of Superman under the direction of Zack Snyder and with Henry Cavill in the lead role, it marked a new high water mark for the world’s most famous superhero at the box office, easily giving him his best opening weekend in history. Of course the Christopher Reeve movies were released in the late 70s and early 80s, so it’s not an apples to apples comparison with them, but it’s still impressive nonetheless.

It may have helped that unlike Superman Returns, Man of Steel was a definite reboot, retelling the origin of Superman for a new generation of fans. The movie certainly re-established the character as a box office draw, ensuring that Warner Bros. didn’t have to rely solely on Batman to make hits. We’ll see if that philosophy can continue on during the rest of this decade.

Next: 8. Iron Man 2