Superman was a smash success in theaters, but it can’t stay there forever. Eventually, it has to be available for digital release so fans can watch their favorite scenes over and over without having to leave home. Usually, the industry standard for a digital release is 45 days after the movie premieres in theaters, in order to maximize the box office potential: If a movie is available from your couch, viewers are less likely to shell out for a movie ticket.
But Superman, James Gunn’s big introduction to his iteration of the DCU, is releasing on digital after a mere 35 days. The reason why, according to James Gunn, is typically Clark Kent: a compassionate favor to a fellow hero.
During an interview for Peacemaker Season 2, James Gunn revealed the true reason for Superman’s shorter theater-exclusive window ultimately came down to keeping the fledgling DCU cohesive. “Well, it’s very complicated, but the truth is, it is because of Peacemaker,” Gunn told ScreenRant. “I originally thought Peacemaker was going to be coming out next month. There was a lot of things that are beyond our control, so that Peacemaker is coming out now, and, at the end of the day, I wanted everyone to be able to see Superman that wanted to, even those people who couldn’t get to a theater before Peacemaker. And that’s really the reason for it.”
Peacemaker’s relationship to the DCU is very complicated, but having seen the first five episodes of Season 2, I can confirm it is a direct follow-up to Superman. Peacemaker may have only had a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it cameo in the movie, but his TV spinoff begins with a Justice Gang cameo and is full of references to “the Luthor incident” and “what happened in Metropolis.” Superman definitely isn’t required viewing for it, but it would help enhance the experience, especially as it dives into its multidimensional plot.
Superman and Peacemaker Season 2 are the two live-action projects that are both completely 100% canon to this new DCU, so it makes sense to have them both be available to watch at home at the same time. It may hurt Superman’s performance at the box office, but there are still showtimes available if you want to catch it on the big screen instead of your TV. At the end of the day, it’s a nice thing to do for Peacemaker, and to quote Superman, maybe that’s the real punk rock.
