DC Studios was riding high after last summer’s Superman, which earned positive reviews and grossed $618.7 million at the worldwide box office (becoming the highest-grossing superhero movie of the year). Any forward momentum established by James Gunn’s well-received reboot came to a screeching halt when Supergirl hit theaters in late June. What entered the year as a potentially fun and exciting expansion of the DC Universe turned into one of 2026’s biggest disappointments. Hamstrung by mixed reviews, Supergirl bombed in its opening weekend, bringing in only $37.1 million domestically. Already, there are reports suggesting the film could lose Warner Bros. as much as $120 million by the time the dust settles.
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Whenever something like this happens, everyone likes to take a step back and see what lessons can be gleaned from the development. Of course, Hollywood studios have a long and unfortunate history of learning the wrong lessons (see: Solo: A Star Wars Story, where Lucasfilm’s big takeaway was “no more recastings” when star Alden Ehrenreich was the least of the film’s problems). In the aftermath of Supergirl‘s failure, we’re identifying the key lessons DC and WB should keep in mind moving forward, while also pointing out some of the wrong ones they shouldn’t even consider.
Right Lesson: Put Future Films In a Better Position to Succeed
Even if Supergirl word of mouth was positive, the film was going to have an uphill struggle at the box office. That’s because it was saddled with an unfortunate release date. Being sandwiched between animated juggernauts Toy Story 5 and Minions & Monsters was bad enough, but right around the corner are heavyweights like The Odyssey and Spider-Man: Brand New Day — two of the year’s most anticipated films that general audiences are eagerly looking forward to. Through no fault of its own, Supergirl was seen as the weak link in a seven-week stretch during the always busy summer movie season. There’s only so much money to go around, and with people more interested in Toy Story, The Odyssey, and Spider-Man, Supergirl became the easiest one to skip in theaters and wait for streaming.
After Superman was a hit, WB’s desire to score another DC summer blockbuster was understandable, but moving forward, the studio has to do a better job of putting its films in a better position to succeed. Scheduling Supergirl for March, April, or even some time in the fall (when the marketplace isn’t nearly as crowded) might have given its prospects a boost. Changing the release date wouldn’t have helped the reviews, but if Supergirl was the lone genre picture playing, those on the fence might have been more inclined to check it out. Fortunately, Clayface is coming out at the perfect time (Halloween), so it may not be much longer before DC learns the value of an opportune release date first hand.
Right Lesson: Be More Selective About Which Heroes Headline Movies
Supergirl bombing has brought about a new wave of “is the superhero movie era over?” discourse, and while Spider-Man: Brand New Day is going to be a massive smash, there’s no denying that the genre is in a very different place now than it was during the superhero movie heyday of the 2010s, when the Guardians of the Galaxy became household names and characters like Aquaman and Captain Marvel headlined $1 billion solo films. During this period, superhero movies were all but guaranteed to print money; the latest Marvel film could earn over $500 million in its sleep. But in the post-pandemic landscape, superhero movies no longer have as strong of a hold on the zeitgeist.
Movies about the signature, A-list heroes, like Spider-Man: No Way Home and The Batman, are still successful. Where things have changed are the films revolving around characters in the tier below that. Supergirl has been part of DC Comics since the 1950s, but she isn’t as widely popular as Superman, Batman, or Wonder Woman. The performance of her latest solo film reflects that. Even Marvel is coming up short in this department; Thunderbolts* (which scored positive reviews) made only $382.4 million worldwide. The Marvels was a bomb at $206.1 million. General audiences are not as interested in these secondary characters as they were in the 2010s, which could lead to a landscape where only the safe box office bets (Spider-Man, Batman, Superman, Avengers) headline movies. Superhero movies aren’t dead, but Marvel and DC need to adapt to changing times.
Right Lesson: Trim Down on Production Budgets
Supergirl cost anywhere between $170-186 million to produce, not including marketing and distribution costs. Its break even point is in the neighborhood of $300 million, a figure it’s highly unlikely to hit, barring something unforeseen. One of the reasons why Supergirl is on track to lose so much money is because it had a hefty price tag; it wasn’t as expensive as Superman ($225 million), but it was still a considerable investment. If costs weren’t as high, then Supergirl‘s low opening, while still not ideal, might have been a little more tenable because the break even point wouldn’t be as high. Even if a movie doesn’t turn a large profit, just breaking even is a preferable outcome to losing money.
Of course, this is easier said than done due to the complex nature of producing superhero movies (which require extensive visual effects and production design). The last thing anyone wants is for a decrease in production values. But if even James Cameron is looking for ways to cut down costs on Avatar movies, then DC should probably follow suit. Tightening up the budget for films based on secondary characters feels like a must in this climate (Clayface, costing $40 million, could be a big win here), but it could even benefit the safer box office bets, ensuring a greater profit margin. Only two superhero movies this decade have hit $1 billion, and just nine have passed $600 million. Comic book adaptations aren’t as massive a draw as they used to be, so any little bit studios save can help.
Wrong Lesson: Abandoning Milly Alcock’s Supergirl
As a film, Supergirl has its fair share of issues. Even those with a more positive outlook have pointed out shortcomings like an underwhelming villain, muddled color palette, and generic story. One commonly cited positive, however, is Milly Alcock’s performance as Kara Zor-El. The leading actress is seen by many as a highlight, proving she was an excellent choice for the role. In Supergirl, Alcock does her best to elevate the material, conveying Kara’s inner turmoil and pain to craft a fascinating protagonist with some depth. Similar to how Alden Ehrenreich wasn’t to blame for Solo, Supergirl is not Alcock’s fault.
Though moviegoers rejected Kara’s solo vehicle, DC Studios should not abandon the character moving forward. Odds of Supergirl 2 happening are low, but Kara still has plenty of potential as a supporting player in other movies, which fortunately is the plan. Alcock is reprising her role in next summer’s Man of Tomorrow, and DC Studios co-head Peter Safran has said Kara is “a big part of what we’re doing.” Alcock is a talented performer capable of making the role of Kara her own, and she deserves the chance to further flesh the character out in upcoming projects (which hopefully provide her stronger scripts to work with).
Wrong Lesson: Pulling the Plug on the DCU Road Map
Supergirl‘s box office performance was so bad that Peter Safran issued a statement reaffirming that DC Studios remains confident in its long-term plan for the DCU moving forward. It was the right thing for the executive to say. There’s no denying everyone was hoping for better results with Supergirl, but it would only make matters worse if Gunn and Co. smashed the panic button and scrapped whatever road map they’re currently working on (the DC Extended Universe fell victim to being over-reactionary). Two things can be true. While DC and WB will probably re-evaluate some things in the wake of Supergirl, the film bombing is not a referendum on the entire DC Universe franchise or Gunn’s vision. Even amidst shifting box office trends, the DCU can still work.
It’s important to keep in mind that the three DCU projects released prior to Supergirl were all well-received. Superman rode positive word of mouth to box office success, and Creature Commandos and Peacemaker Season 2 were wins for the TV slate (though the latter’s finale was a bit divisive). On-screen DC adaptations seemed to be on the right track, and there’s reason to be optimistic about what’s on deck. Lanterns promises to be an intriguing sci-fi crime drama, while Clayface, an R-rated body horror movie, could represent a new step forward for comic book adaptations. James Gunn’s Man of Tomorrow is one of the most promising tentpoles of 2027, and new Batman and Wonder Woman movies are in development. If any of these projects falter (particularly Man of Tomorrow), then we can have a different discussion. But there’s also a scenario where a year from now, Supergirl was just an uneven bump on the road.
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