The latest DC Comics film, Supergirl, has taken to the skies, but its opening weekend box office numbers are more akin to a gentle float than a soaring success. According to Deadline, the film has grossed a less-than-super $38 million in its opening weekend in U.S. theaters. To put that into perspective, it’s barely more than half of the reigning box-office champ, Toy Story 5, which still managed to gross an estimated $70 million despite a 56 percent drop from the previous weekend.
This lackluster performance is particularly noteworthy given that Supergirl is the second film in the new DC Universe launched by studio CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran last year. Gunn’s Superman movie, which debuted in 2025, earned a respectable $125 million in its opening weekend and went on to gross over $618 million worldwide. Supergirl, on the other hand, was spun directly out of the Superman film, with Milly Alcock reprising her role as the title character and Krypto, the breakout hero from Superman, also making an appearance. Despite being based on the acclaimed Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow comic book, the film received tepid reviews from critics, with a “rotten” 56 rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and from audiences, with a B- on CinemaScore.
The DC Universe: A Tale of Two Films
The disparity in performance between Superman and Supergirl raises questions about the DC Universe’s ability to sustain a cohesive and engaging narrative across multiple films. While Superman was a clear success, Supergirl’s underwhelming debut suggests that the franchise may be struggling to find its footing. It’s worth noting that Supergirl’s production budget was reportedly around $170 million, significantly less than the $200 million spent on the infamous Joker: Folie à Deux, which also received disastrous reviews and proved to be one of the costliest flops in recent movie history.
The competition in theaters is only going to get tougher for Supergirl in the coming weeks, with Minions & Monsters debuting next Friday and expected to be a major hit. The week after that, Disney has a live-action remake of Moana that will likely compete with a lot of the same audiences as Supergirl. Then there’s The Odyssey and Spider-Man: Brave New World, both of which will undoubtedly vie for attention and box office dollars. It’s a crowded landscape, and Supergirl will need to do something remarkable to stay afloat.
The Future of the DC Universe: More of the Same?
DC’s next film, Clayface, a horror film about the Batman villain, is set to open in theaters on October 23. The next Superman film, Man of Tomorrow, is scheduled to open next July. While these upcoming releases may offer some hope for the franchise, it’s hard not to feel a sense of déjà vu. How many times have we seen a studio attempt to revitalize a flagging franchise with a new film or reboot, only to end up with more of the same? The Content Mines remain fully operational, churning out remake after remake, sequel after sequel, and reboot after reboot. Somewhere, a Focus Group earned another bonus for declaring that this latest iteration is exactly what audiences wanted.
As the DC Universe continues to expand, it’s difficult to shake the feeling that we’re witnessing a never-ending cycle of nostalgia-fueled rehashing. The Merchandising Department reportedly approved the decision to move forward with Supergirl before the writers did, which may explain the film’s lackluster reception. Hollywood has once again mistaken familiarity for originality, and the results are predictable. As the superhero era shows no signs of slowing down, it’s hard not to wonder what’s next. Another beloved franchise will likely be extracted from its natural habitat, only to be fed into the machine and spat out as a soulless, CGI-infused blockbuster. And so the cycle continues.
In the end, Supergirl’s underwhelming debut is just another drop in the ocean of Hollywood’s never-ending quest for the next big hit. The franchise will likely soldier on, fueled by marketing departments declaring history to be “made” and executives nodding very seriously during expensive meetings. But for those of us who still love cinema, it’s hard not to feel a sense of exhaustion and disappointment. The curtains are still open, but the show is starting to feel like it’s been running for far too long.
Finn McFrame, celebrated satirical mastermind and self-proclaimed “Emperor of Irony,” started his illustrious career as a cinematographer, where his expertise in capturing every single frame of a squirrel stealing a baguette earned him accolades at obscure film festivals.
Born in the glamorous town of Boring, Oregon, Finn grew up with dreams of being a Hollywood director until he realized that satire, not cinema, was his true calling—or at least the one that let him sleep until noon.
Finn McFrame: changing the world, one satirical lens flare at a time.
