Orange Kryptonite? James Gunn Appears to Be Blaming Trump for Lagging Superman Movie Box Office Overseas – Twitchy

James Gunn’s ‘Superman’ is still soaring in U.S. theaters but is facing some box office Kryptonite overseas. No, not the traditional Green Kryptonite that saps the powers of The Last Son of Krypton. This is a new Orange Kryptonite, which makes foreign moviegoers develop anti-American sentiment and scares them away from the latest DC movie featuring Supes.

Here are more details. (READ)

James Gunn says “anti-American sentiment around the world right now” is not helping #Superman at the global box office.

“We’re definitely performing better domestically than we are internationally, but internationally is also rising and having really good weekday numbers in the same way we are. So obviously the word of mouth is very positive both here and everywhere else. Which is the thing that we needed to do the most,” Gunn told Rolling Stone. “Superman is not a known commodity in some places. He is not a big known superhero in some places like Batman is. That affects things. And it also affects things that we have a certain amount of anti-American sentiment around the world right now. It isn’t really helping us. So I think it’s just a matter of letting something grow. But again, for us, everything’s been a total win. Having the movie come out and be something that has been embraced by people everywhere — this is just the seed of the tree that Peter and I have been watering for the past three years. So to be able to have it start off so positively has been incredibly overwhelming.”

James Gunn says “anti-American sentiment around the world right now” is not helping #Superman at the global box office.

“We’re definitely performing better domestically than we are internationally, but internationally is also rising and having really good weekday numbers in the… pic.twitter.com/vEdfaTdH2b

— Variety (@Variety) July 21, 2025

Superman is not a well known entity? Lmao stfu dude. As well known as Batman.

Anyone who knows Batman, knows Superman

This guy knows nothing

— Nick (@pramisnicolas) July 21, 2025

Recommended

Here come the excuses

I’m done with Gunn

— probable spam (@fatally_yourz) July 21, 2025

Superman is one of the most recognizable fictional characters in the world. No one is buying that he is not a ‘known commodity’ across the globe.

Some posters say that making Superman less American may have backfired on Gunn and Warner Bros.

American? I thought it was Truth, Justice, and the HUMAN way.

You took the American out of it.

— Eight8Eight (@_Eight8Eight) July 21, 2025

Comic book editors and writers at DC did that first not Gunn. pic.twitter.com/B8TCbFUNut

— Koche (@MrKoche) July 21, 2025

He could have added it back, but didn’t. So he has no right to state his movie is not doing well because of Americans.

— Eight8Eight (@_Eight8Eight) July 21, 2025

Gunn could have played up Superman’s past focus on patriotism.

Posters point to Tom Cruise’s wildly successful ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ as a mega-America-focused movie that crowds flocked to everywhere.

This is coming off as pure cope.

Superman had no “pro-American” sentiment in it (which it really should have), so why is Superman not dping as good as they hoped, yet Jurassic World Rebirth is doing gangbusters?

They’re going to come up with every excuse under the yellow sun.

— 𝘿𝘼𝙑𝙀 𝙎𝘼𝙑𝘼𝙂𝙀🐲𝙁𝙄𝘾-𝙏𝘼𝙂𝙄𝙊𝙐𝙎 (@DaveSavage1982) July 21, 2025

It’s a Superman movie, that’s just about the best it’s gonna do. I watched it, it was good. But anti American sentiment….lol

— TemporaryName (@Ball_Boy_Camper) July 21, 2025

He watered down Superman to be less American, then blames the anti-American sentiment overseas for its failing? No. Top Gun 2 did great, and its literally US Navy propaganda. People want to see American heroes stand up for American values, not this “world citizen” BS.

— Gregory Ross (@Greoryth) July 21, 2025

Make movies for Americans and international follows.

— Joel Squire (@JoelTSquire) July 21, 2025

Commenters can read between Gunn’s lines.

Which brings us to Orange Kryptonite. Posters say Gunn is really blaming President Donald Trump for his film’s lagging ticket sales overseas.

It looks like YOU just said it was Trump LOL — I guess it gets clicks though.

— The Popcast Brothers (@PopcastGuys) July 21, 2025

So it’s a failure? He’s admitting it’s a failure, but he’s using Muh Orange Man Bad as an excuse? Sad. Can’t imagine Zack Snyder would ever do that.

— Chris (@chriswithans) July 21, 2025

Perhaps James Gunn should blame James Gunn.

— StoryMan-Jack (@sisk_ii) July 21, 2025

We know that’s never going to happen when Gunn and others can just fall back on ‘Orange Kryptonite bad.’ It doesn’t take a Brainiac to see that.

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