Superhero films ignite rivalry among Marvel and DC comic fans

Comic fans are embracing the latest showdown between Marvel and DC as their superhero films "Fantastic Four" and "Superman" compete for box office dominance, reigniting a rivalry spanning over eight decades.

Whether it's the thrill of seeing the comic book superhero The Thing shout "It's clobbering time!" before throwing a punch or watching Superman and his faithful pup Krypto save the day, fans are heading to movie theatres to support their favourite films.

"Well, clearly I'm a Marvel fan," Danielle Stroski, who was dressed as the shapeshifter character named Mystique from Marvel's X-Men comics, at the San Diego Comic-Con.

"But I have a little white dog at home, so I love me some 'Superman' as well. And I know the little white dog is stealing the show for 'Superman,' so it's going to be close. But I got to go Marvel," she added.

The 42-year-old from California predicted "Fantastic Four" would outperform "Superman" at the box office.

DC fan Lito Loza, dressed as Superboy, voiced his support for "Superman." "I've already seen 'Superman' three times, and I'm very, very happy with what James Gunn did with it. It makes me feel hopeful," he said, referring to the director.

The filmmakers, meanwhile, encourage fans to support both movies.

"I'm a huge Superman fan. I'm a huge James Gunn fan. I'm thrilled that both of us are coming out this month," director Matt Shakman of "Fantastic Four: First Steps" told Reuters at the London premiere.

"I think we share a lot of similar optimism in our tone and our feeling in the worlds that we're building. And there's room for 'Superman,' there's room for 'Fantastic Four.' I'm thrilled. Go see both," he added.

"Superman" director Gunn, who directed the Marvel movie "Guardians of the Galaxy", said in an interview in Los Angeles that he grew up reading both Marvel and DC comic books, appreciating their distinct tones.

In theaters on July 11, "Superman" introduced David Corenswet as the Man of Steel. The movie grossed around $173 million globally and $264 million domestically, according to Box Office Mojo.

Warner Bros has heavily invested in "Superman," aiming to launch a new era at DC Studios under Gunn, named co-CEO, alongside producer Peter Safran. Upcoming projects include a Supergirl film slated for June 2026, a film based on the character Swamp Thing as well as TV shows for HBO Max.

Disney said "Fantastic Four," which stars Pedro Pascal, opened with $24.4 million in ticket sales in the United States and Canada on Thursday night while Daniel Loria, senior vice president at Boxoffice predicts that "Fantastic Four: First Steps" will open domestically at $115 million to $135 million.

While sales are currently around $115 million to $125 million, he said there was an increase in ticket purchases over the last week that will likely bring sales to the $115 million to $135 million range.