During a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing focused on Netflix and its deal with Warner Bros. Discovery, Netflix Co-CEO Ted Sarandos revealed that the James Gunn-directed reboot of Superman fell short of expectations. Sarandos addressed questions about the standard 45-day exclusive theatrical release window, confirming it was not fully upheld for this film due to its underperformance.
Questions Raised About 45-Day Exclusive Release Period
Senator Cory Booker pressed Sarandos on whether Netflix would maintain the industry-standard practice of a 45-day exclusive theatrical run before a movie transitions to streaming or video-on-demand. Sarandos replied affirmatively that Netflix supports a fully exclusive theatrical window.
BOOKER: “I want to ask a direct question: Will this be a fully exclusive 45-day theatrical window?”
SARANDOS: “Fully exclusive to theaters, yes.”
However, when asked about enforcing this window strictly, Sarandos acknowledged films that underperform often have their theatrical windows shortened, citing James Gunn’s Superman as an example.
SARANDOS: “It is the industry standard for self-enforcement. However, routinely movies that underperform, the window moves a little bit… 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.”
This admission confirms suspicions within the industry regarding Superman’s weaker-than-expected performance, which led Warner Bros. to release the film on video-on-demand just 35 days after its theatrical debut.
Financial Shortcomings and Impact on the DC Universe Reboot
Sarandos’ statement highlights that the performance of Superman lagged significantly behind expectations compared to other projects like Sinners. This is the first confirmation from a top executive that the movie could not justify a full 45-day theatrical release. The early digital release drew further attention given the film’s reported production budget exceeding $350 million and its intended role as the foundation for James Gunn’s rebooted DC Universe, now scaled back to the so-called Superman Family Saga following the Warner Bros. Discovery sale.
The scheduling of Warner Bros.’ Minecraft sequel just two weeks after Gunn’s upcoming Superman follow-up, Man of Tomorrow, in 2027, also raises questions about the studio’s future confidence in the DC reboot’s timeline and prominence.
Ted Sarandos’ Comments Highlight Concerns Over Superman’s Performance
A viral clip shared by Daniel Dami Biu on social media captures Sarandos’ remarks, further underscoring industry disappointment with Superman’s results.
Superman 2025 underperformed… this is coming from Ted Sarandos himself 🤷♂️ pic.twitter.com/cHiKvji36S
— Daniel Dami Biu (@damiebi10) February 3, 2026
Sarandos’ frank acknowledgment suggests increasing tensions about the direction and potential viability of upcoming DC projects under Gunn’s leadership, emphasizing the challenges faced after such a costly and high-profile release failed to meet expectations.
Superman 2025 underperformed… this is coming from Ted Sarandos himself 🤷♂️ pic.twitter.com/cHiKvji36S
— Daniel Dami Biu (@damiebi10) February 3, 2026
