Supergirl's Box Office Struggle: DC Studios Stays Calm Despite Weak Debut

The domestic box office experienced a downturn this past weekend, despite the continued success of films like "Toy Story 5," which nevertheless saw a larger-than-expected second-weekend drop. A significant contributor to this slump was the highly anticipated superhero movie "Supergirl," which drastically fell short of expectations, prompting DC Studios co-CEO Peter Safran to express disappointment over its performance.

"Supergirl," directed by Craig Gillespie and starring Milly Alcock as Kara Zor-El, secured the number two spot at the domestic box office in its opening weekend, but its $38 million haul was considerably less than half of what the DC Universe's first installment, "Superman" (2025), earned in its debut weekend. Globally, "Supergirl" garnered a cumulative $68 million against a reported budget of approximately $180 million. This initial performance placed it below the opening weekends of "The Flash" ($55 million), "The Marvels" ($46 million), and even "Morbius" ($39 million), though it marginally surpassed "Joker: Folie à Deux," "Birds of Prey," and "Dark Phoenix."

The film's reception has been mixed. On the aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, "Supergirl" holds a 56% score, with the critical consensus acknowledging Milly Alcock's compelling portrayal of Kara Zor-El within an "otherwise familiar origin story," suggesting a promising new hero awaiting an adventure matching her vigor. Opening day audiences, according to CinemaScore, awarded the film a poor B- grade, indicating a struggle to connect broadly with viewers.

As the second installment of the new DC Universe, following James Gunn's "Superman" in 2025, "Supergirl"'s box office misfire raises questions about the franchise's trajectory. While Gunn's "Superman" achieved better critical reviews than many films from the preceding, often criticized DC Extended Universe (DCEU), its global gross of around $620 million against a $225 million budget still fell short of "Man of Steel" (2013). At a similar point in their runs, the DCEU had produced more commercially successful films, such as "Batman v Superman" and "Suicide Squad." Despite "Supergirl"'s underwhelming debut, Peter Safran reiterated confidence in the studio's "broader, long-term strategy." The DCU is set to continue with Gunn's "Man of Tomorrow," slated for a 2027 release.

Released on June 26, 2026, with a runtime of 108 minutes, "Supergirl" features Ana Nogueira as writer, and James Gunn, Lars P. Winther, Nigel Gostelow, and Peter Safran as producers. In addition to Milly Alcock, the cast includes Eve Ridley as Ruthye, with Jason Momoa making an appearance as Lobo.