5 Reasons Why Supergirl Has Me Worried About the Future of the DCU

DC’s Supergirl movie is looking like it got hit with a blast of Kryptonite. The film cost over $170 million to make, but opened well below the projected range of $40-$55 million, taking in just $38 million domestically, one of the worst openings for a superhero movie this decade. There’s no real help coming from reviews or word of mouth, either: Supergirl split critics down the middle, while its audience scores have bent toward average, at best. Now, analysts are projecting that Warner Bros. and DC Studios are poised to lose as much as $80+ million on the film.

The underperformance of Supergirl has me worried about the state of the DC Universe franchise and its future at DC Studios. Now, some would say it’s hyperbolic to claim doom for an entire franchise based on just one movie. However, there are no fewer than 5 good reasons why every fan should be worried about the future of the DCU, and Supergirl just so happens to reflect them all.

5. It Still Feels Like Studio Interference

When DC Studios was launched, it was launched with a clear branding mission: distinguishing the new era of DC TV/movie projects from the fraught and divisive era of Zack Snyder and the “DCEU.” DC Studios heads James Gunn and Peter Safran were supposed to be the perfect synthesis of creative and executive minds, and the pair touted their intention to put DC source material and creator-driven visions at the forefront of their content strategy. Fans were supposed to breathe easy that the days of in-fighting and self-sabotage at Warner Bros. were over, and DC Studios would stand on its own, apart from that chaos

Why I’m Worried Now: No matter how much you liked Supergirl (or not), it’s hard to deny that the film carries very familiar signs of studio interference. From the scenes and arcs that were clearly cut down for the truncated runtime to the generic marketing and muted presence of acclaimed director Craig Gillespie (Cruella, I, Tonya)… there were red flags all over Supergirl, long before release day. If the “DC Studios” imprint is just a name, and the same meddling tactics and creative restraints are still firmly in place at Warner Bros., then there’s little reason to think anything is going to be revolutionary or different from the DCEU era. Supergirl feels like it’s retracing the same missteps The Flash did 3 years ago.

4. No Clear Plan (Or Process)

We have come a long way from the official announcement of DC Studios in the fall of 2022 and the first reveal of the proposed slate of DCU projects in early 2023. We haven’t heard the name of the first DCU arc (“Gods and Monsters”) uttered since the slate reveal, and to say the original plan has been revised would be a gross understatement. At this point, it feels like the entire plan has been tossed, with films like The Authority and Swamp Thing either dead or in limbo, and similar stories for the TV slate, including the Amanda Waller and Booster Gold TV series and Wonder Woman prequel series Paradise Lost. Instead, we’re getting odd new replacements like a Clayface movie, a Jimmy Olsen TV series (featuring Gorilla Grodd), and three Superman-Family movies (Superman, Supergirl, Man of Tomorrow) before any other major DCU hero gets their solo film (including Batman). Villains like Bane and Deathstroke are getting a film, so are the Robins, but no word on Wonder Woman, Batman, Flash, or any number of other DC heroes and villains who you would think would be main staples.

Why I’m Worried Now: The “plan” already felt like it was fraying and coming apart, and at this point it doesn’t feel (keyword) like there’s any overarching plan at all. More importantly, even if there is a plan guiding things, it doesn’t feel like Gunn’s initial layout of DC Studios’ production process is still working. We were supposed to have thoroughly vetted scripts partnered with confident creative visions to ensure only the best superhero movies were coming out of the pipeline. Supergirl has neither the script nor the vision promised; it sacrifices some of the most revered modern source material about the character (Tom King’s Woman of Tomorrow), and barely advances the shared universe in any meaningful way. Now it’s hard to believe that DC Studios isn’t running the same old kind of spin playbook to protect the brand; we’re flying blind, while being reassured that the pilots have everything under control. Sure. Maybe?

3. DC Studios Isn’t Creating Bankable Stars

People always credit the Marvel Cinematic Universe characters, films, and the power of the Marvel brand as the driving forces of that franchise’s success. However, that view ignores the fact that Marvel Studios went to extensive lengths to cast actors who could both function in an ensemble like the Avengers and also carry their own respective film or TV franchises. They found stars and built on their shoulders. A stalled talent like Robert Downey Jr. made a generational comeback as Iron Man; the franchise elevated no less than three men named Chris (Evans, Hemsworth, and Pratt) from minor stars to major worldwide icons, launched newcomers like Tom Holland, or took experienced actors like Mark Ruffalo, Scarlett Johansson, Chadwick Boseman, Michael B. Jordan, and so many others to new career heights.

Why I’m Worried Now: 3.5 years later, DC Studios hasn’t really cemented any big stars for its franchise, beyond Superman star David Corenswet. Corenswet’s Superman was a make-or-break character launch that has gone very well; his co-star Rachel Brosnahan was already an Emmy and Golden Globe-winning breakout star thanks to Amazon’s series The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, but she has been a great brand ambassador for the DCU in her role as Lois Lane. Supergirl star Milly Alcock has gotten far less love than her role in House of the Dragon, and Jason Momoa seems to be quickly turning into a case of fans not liking the very casting they begged for. Beyond that, what stars are there to carry the DCU forward?

HBO’s Lanterns star Aaron Pierre (Rebel Ridge, Mufasa: The Lion King) is the only actor in the franchise who seems poised for a major jump to the next level, playing fan-favorite Green Lantern, John Stewart. Edi Gathegi’s Mister Terrific was the breakout star of Superman, but there doesn’t seem to be any motion there right now. Meanwhile, there are rumors that major characters like Batman are being cast in secret, while other rumors say we’ll get surprise crossovers (and castings) in upcoming DCU projects, including the Superman sequel Man of Tomorrow. Several big villain roles need stars to anchor them (Grodd, Bane, Slade Wilson/Deathstroke), so there’s potential that this franchise will be a star-studded affair in just a short time.

But for now? After three years? DC Studios seems like it’s not the star-making factory it should be. How actors may start reacting to that reality is something that should concern the studio.

2. Gunn’s Stamp Is Running Out of Ink

When James Gunn was announced as head of DC Studios, he had just completed one of the most successful film trilogies of the last decade (or more) with Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy, including the comeback story of getting fired, then rehired, to complete the hit third film, Vol. 3. He was viewed as the creator who was also grounded and always in direct touch with the fandom (via social media), being a fanboy himself. Despite the criticism he’d gained after working on a DC film (The Suicide Squad), Gunn was viewed as someone fans could trust to ‘do it right.’

Why I’m Worried Now: Gunn has very publicly overhyped two of DC’s biggest recent box office flops (The Flash and Supergirl). Supergirl is getting particular backlash over a choice Gunn made for the film, which many viewers disliked. There is a scattered collection of projects on the release slate; the fall-off on projects and franchise story arc that was initially promised; and rumors (true or not) of Gunn’s influence bumping against projects like Matt Reeves’ The Batman sequel. Taken altogether, these are not great optics. Now, Supergirl is looking like a massive loss for the studio. Gunn could easily bounce back with Man of Tomorrow, but even that would invite the debate over his skills as a filmmaker vs. being a studio head. It feels like the people’s champion is losing some of the love, and that going forward, his stamp of approval on these DCU projects won’t be as strong.

1. That Merger Tho..

Paramount-Skydance and Warner Bros. Discovery are in the midst of a merger. Once it’s completed, the merged studio will instantly become one of the biggest and most powerful forces in TV and movies. DC Studios is part of that deal, and reports are already in that Paramount-Skydance head David Ellison has already met with Gunn and Safran about the future of the DCU.

Why I’m Worried Now: Anyone in business knows that during mergers, it is vital to keep the boat as steady on the water as possible. It makes for smoother transitions and tends to earn leeway from the new bosses. Supergirl just rocked the boat in a major way. Now I’m worried that Paramount may have some ‘helpful revisions’ to how things are being done at DC Studios. That’s almost always a powder keg that can lead to blow-ups like major stars and senior execs all heading for the door. Hopefully, the next slate of DC Studios projects will right the boat.

Supergirl is in theaters (but are you going to see it?) Discuss the film with us on the ComicBook Forum!

5 Superhero Movie Box Office Bombs That Had Bigger Opening Weekends Than Supergirl