Superheroes, Labubus steal spotlight

Express Tribune

30-07-2025

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 theaters to support their favorite 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 offerings.
"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 film 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 theatres 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.
Labubus abound
It is not only superheroes who have been nestling in the spotlight of late. San Diego Comic-Con proved to be the latest location where the ugly-cute dolls named Labubu have been trending, with fans carrying the plushies globally popularised by celebrities Rihanna, Lizzo, Dua Lipa, and Lisa from the K-pop group Blackpink.
The wide-eyed and grinning doll was created in 2015 by Hong Kong artist and illustrator Kasing Lung. In 2019, Lung allowed them to be sold by Pop Mart, a Chinese toy company that sells collectible figurines, often in "blind boxes".
"Blind boxes" are sealed boxes containing a surprise item that is usually part of a themed collection.
Naomi Galban, from San Diego, waited in line on Sunday at the Pop Mart booth in the San Diego Convention Center for a chance to get her first Labubu.
"Every time I go to a Pop Mart store, they're sold out," the 24-year-old told Reuters. She hoped to buy one for her little sister.
Emily Brough, Pop Mart's Head of IP Licensing, spoke to Reuters on Thursday about Labubu fans at Comic-Con.
"We love to see how fans are personalising it for themselves," Brough said next to the Pop Mart booth.
While Brough noted that there were many people with a Labubu strapped to their bags and backpacks at Comic-Con, the doll's popularity did not happen overnight. Labubus had a huge boost in 2019 after Pop Mart began selling them, and in 2024, when Blackpink's Lisa, who is Thai, created a buying frenzy in Thailand after she promoted Labubu on social media.
Pop Mart saw sales skyrocket in North America that same year, with revenue in the US in the first quarter of 2025 already surpassing the full-year US revenue from 2024, Pop Mart said.
When he created Labubu, Lung gave the character, who is female, a backstory inspired by Nordic mythology.
He called her and his other fictional creatures "The Monsters."
Diana Goycortua, 25, first discovered Labubu through social media, and before she knew it, it felt like a "game" to try and collect the dolls.
"It's a little bit of gambling with what you're getting," the Labubu fan from San Diego said on Sunday while waiting at the Pop Mart booth, concluding that her love for the character made it worth trying blind boxes.
Goycortua already has three Labubus, and was hoping to score her a fourth one at Comic-Con. Reuters