From left to right: Superman, Tanjiro, and Reed Richards
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Rob Sperduto
Published 4 minutes ago
Rob Sperduto is a Contributor for Screen Rant, covering Classiv TV. He's covered film, TV, and video games for 5 years, combining sharp editorial judgment with a storyteller’s eye. Known for his insightful analysis and clear voice, Rob helps audiences understand not just what’s trending, but why it matters. He is always looking for the next great story across all media. Rob is also a content strategist, and his work can be seen across The Direct, Attack of the Fanboy, We Got This Covered, and Pro Game Guides.
Sign in to your ScreenRant account Summary Generate a summary of this story follow Follow followed Followed Like Like Thread Log in Here is a fact-based summary of the story contents: Try something different: Show me the facts Explain it like I’m 5 Give me a lighthearted recapDemon Slayer: Infinity Castle crossed $730 million at the global box office last week, making it the fifth-highest-grossing film of 2025. That puts it ahead of Superman which earned over $660 million worldwide, and The Fantastic Four: First Steps, which sits around $520-$521 million. Factored after marketing costs and additional expenses, it's not even close, and the gap isn't an accident.
The anime adaptation has been breaking records in nearly every territory it touches, and it's doing it on a $20 million budget. Meanwhile, Marvel and DC are still trying to figure out why their biggest IPs can't generate the same kind of heat, and the answer continues to stare them in the face: audiences have moved on to stories that feel fresh, and Marvel, especially, hasn't kept up.
Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle Is The Highest-Grossing Comic Book Movie Of 2025
Akaza as seen in Demon Slayer Infinity Castle
Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle opened in China with $52.4 million, pushing its global total to $730 million and securing its spot as the fifth-highest-grossing movie of 2025. For context, that's higher than every superhero film released this year.
Superman opened strong with $125 million domestically and has earned respectable numbers worldwide, but it's still trailing significantly behind. The Fantastic Four: First Steps pulled in $118 million in its domestic debut and landed around $218 million globally in its opening weekend, but neither film has matched the sustained momentum Demon Slayer has maintained since July.
The film's success is so strong that, 25 years later, Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle has surpassed Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon as the highest-grossing international film ever released in North America. Compared to Demon Slayer's $20 million budget, Superman and Fantastic Four cost exponentially more to produce, market, and distribute, yet Demon Slayer is outperforming both with a fraction of the resources.
Infinity Castle's success is replicated across many countries, as the movie's opening weekend outperformed notable titles, which is not a fluke, nor is it regional. The audience is global, and they're showing up for a story that isn't another reboot or another universe-building exercise.
What Marvel And DC Can Learn From Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle's Box Office
Kamado Tanjiro as seen in Demon Slayer Infinity Castle movie
Anime and manga have been outselling Marvel and DC comics in America for years. In 2022, manga accounted for almost 45% of all comic book sales, and in 2021, manga brought in $1.47 billion out of the total $2.075 billion in comic sales. Clearly, the audience has been telling the Big Two what they want for a long time now, and they're no longer as interested in another Superman reboot or another clunky MCU multiverse entry.
Younger demographics are connecting with manga and anime because the stories feel distinct. Demon Slayer, Chainsaw Man, and Jujutsu Kaisen aren't franchises built on brand recognition; they're original stories with defined endings, and audiences are responding to that structure in a way they're not responding to the endless cycle of reboots and multiverses that Marvel and DC keep churning out.
Hollywood titans like Disney have been seeing a decline in audience preference, particularly among Gen Z, as recent releases have delivered disappointing returns, but the problem isn't superhero fatigue. The problem is that Marvel and DC are trying to sell the same characters they've been selling for decades, with disappointing storytelling, and the market is bored with the formula.
Demon Slayer's box office dominance is a win for anime, but also a warning. Marvel and DC can keep relying on Superman, Batman, Spider-Man, and the Avengers, or they can take a hard look at why stories like Demon Slayer are resonating with the audience they're losing.
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9.3/10
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle
10 stars 9 stars 8 stars 7 stars 6 stars 5 stars 4 stars 3 stars 2 stars 1 star Like Follow Followed G Animation Action Fantasy Thriller Release Date July 18, 2025 Runtime 155 Minutes Director Haruo Sotozaki, Hikaru Kondo Writers Koyoharu Gotouge, Hikaru Kondo
6 Images
Demon-Slayer-Infinity-Castle-Kaigaku
Shinobu and Tanjiro atop the Butterfly Mansion in Demon Slayer season 1Credit to Ufotable
Doma removing his black crown off his headCredit to Ufotable
Demon-Slayer-Infinity-Castle-Tanjiro
Demon-Slayer-Infinity-Castle-Doma
Shinobu Kocho charging at Doma using her Nichirin SwordCredit to UfotableClose
Cast
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Natsuki Hanae
Tanjiro Kamado (voice)
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Akari Kito
Nezuko Kamado (voice)
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Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle
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