Supergirl Didn’t Fly High at the Box Office — But DC Has Big Plans Ahead

What Happened with Supergirl?

The new Supergirl movie just came out, and honestly? It didn’t do as well as the studio hoped. Think of it like this: imagine you spent a ton of money baking the biggest, fanciest cake for a party, but not that many people showed up to eat it. That’s kind of what happened here.

The movie had a huge budget of $175 million — that’s how much it cost to make. But when it opened in theaters over the weekend, it only made about $68 million worldwide ($38 million in the U.S. and Canada).

Peter Safran, one of the big bosses at DC Studios, was honest about it. He told The New York Times that the movie "didn’t meet our box office expectations." That’s a fancy way of saying: "We hoped more people would come see it."

Why Didn’t More People Go See It?

A few things worked against Supergirl:

• A massive heatwave hit many places, and when it’s super hot outside, people often stay home instead of going to a movie theater.
• The World Cup was happening, and a LOT of people were watching soccer instead of going to the movies.
• Tough competition from other recent movies that also didn’t do great.

How Does It Compare to Other Movies?

Let’s put Supergirl‘s numbers in perspective:

• It made $38 million in the U.S. and Canada.
• That’s just a tiny bit more than Joker: Folie à Deux, which made $37.6 million — and that movie was considered a big disappointment too!
• Compared to Joker: Folie à Deux‘s $114.8 million global opening, Supergirl fell way behind.

Important Point: A movie usually needs to make 2 to 3 times its budget just to break even (that means not losing money). With a $175 million budget, Supergirl needs to earn a LOT more to be considered a success.

But Wait — It’s Not All Bad News!

Here’s the cool part. Even though Supergirl stumbled, the previous DC movie — Superman (2025) — actually did really well!

• It had the highest opening weekend ever for a superhero movie in IMAX theaters.
• 51% of its earnings came from IMAX and other premium big-screen formats, bringing in $7.4 million just from those special theaters.

So DC knows how to make hits. Supergirl just had a rough landing.

What’s Coming Next from DC?

DC Studios isn’t giving up! They have a whole bunch of exciting projects lined up:

1. Clayface — A new movie directed by James Watkins, hitting theaters on October 23, 2026.
2. Man of Tomorrow — Directed by DC co-CEO James Gunn, set for July 9, 2027.
3. Lanterns — A TV series expected to premiere on HBO in 2026.

Peter Safran made it clear: Supergirl is just one piece of a much bigger puzzle. DC is playing the long game, and they’re still confident about the future.

Important Point: One movie doing poorly doesn’t mean the whole plan is broken. Think of it like one player having a bad game — the team can still win the season!

Summary

• Supergirl opened to $68 million globally, which was lower than Warner Bros. hoped for.
• A $175 million budget means the movie needs to earn a lot more to be profitable.
• Bad timing (heatwave + World Cup) likely kept people away from theaters.
• The previous DC movie, Superman (2025), was actually a big success, especially in IMAX.
• DC has more movies and shows coming, including Clayface, Man of Tomorrow, and Lanterns.
• DC’s leadership says this is a long-term strategy and they’re not worried about one slow start.

FAQ

Q: Did Supergirl lose money?
A: It’s too early to say for sure. The movie made $68 million in its opening weekend, but it cost $175 million to make. It needs to keep earning in theaters (and later from streaming and home sales) to eventually turn a profit.

Q: Is DC canceling future movies because of this?
A: Nope! DC Studios has confirmed that Clayface, Man of Tomorrow, and Lanterns are all still happening. They say Supergirl is just one part of a bigger, long-term plan.

Q: Why did Supergirl do worse than expected?
A: A few reasons: a major heatwave kept people home, the World Cup was pulling attention away, and recent DC movies haven’t been huge crowd-pleasers either.

Q: Was Superman (2025) successful?
A: Yes! It set a record for the biggest superhero opening weekend in IMAX history, with over half its earnings coming from premium large-format screens.

Q: When is the next DC movie coming out?
A: The next one is Clayface, directed by James Watkins, scheduled for October 23, 2026.