The Supergirl movie, part of James Gunn's DC universe, is experiencing a disastrous reception both critically and commercially. Despite initial promotional efforts, the film is underperforming domestically and internationally, with projections indicating it may struggle to break $200 million worldwide, potentially making it one of the biggest superhero flops, surpassing even The Marvels.
The entertainment industry has witnessed a significant disappointment with the release of the Supergirl movie, the latest entry in James Gunn's DC universe. This universe, which has had a rocky start, seems to be heading towards a major downfall. From the initial promotional materials, trailers, and interviews, it was apparent that the film was not going to be well-received by audiences.
Supergirl has never been a particularly popular character, and the promotional tour led by Millie Alco only added fuel to the fire. Her comments about upsetting certain groups, ownership over women's bodies, and the character being a hero to queer people who identify with her, alienated many potential viewers. These factors contributed to the anticipation of the movie being a disaster.
The Supergirl movie follows a Superman film that was a box office disappointment despite media attempts to spin it otherwise, and Peacemaker Season 2, which was also a significant failure. There was no positive momentum for the DC universe leading into Supergirl's release.
Initially, projections for Supergirl's opening weekend varied between $45 million to $60 million, eventually settling around $47 to $50 million. However, after the preview night earnings of $7.8 million, which included Wednesday fan screenings, the outlook worsened. This preview figure was even less than what was seen for The Marvels, a film already considered a major female-led superhero flop.
Friday's domestic box office numbers were particularly poor, with estimates between $10.5 million to $11.5 million, adding to the weak preview numbers. This poor reception from both critics and audiences has severely impacted the film's box office trajectory.
Supergirl's opening weekend is now projected to be around $39 to $40 million, which is significantly worse than The Marvels' $46 million domestic opening and also worse than The Flash. This suggests that Supergirl might struggle to reach even $200 million worldwide, a benchmark that The Marvels barely surpassed.
Internationally, the film is performing poorly as well. Early numbers from Asia, including South Korea and Indonesia, were disappointing, leading to a downward revision of the global forecast from $300 million to about $260 million. Further poor openings in Europe and abysmal performances in China and Japan have pushed the global opening estimate down to approximately $70 million.
Warner Brothers held special fan screenings and preview nights, but these efforts have not translated into strong box office numbers. The movie's budget is reportedly $186 million, with an additional $100 to $125 million spent on marketing. To break even, the film would need to gross between $550 million to $600 million worldwide, making any figure around $300 million a hollow victory.
Despite the poor performance, some influencers and social media accounts affiliated with the DC universe have attempted damage control, praising James Gunn and the film. However, many of these positive reviews appear to be motivated by access and perks rather than genuine opinion, with some influencers reversing their stance after backlash from followers.
Similar tactics were used during the Superman movie's release, where the bar for success was set unrealistically low. Warner Brothers' consideration of $300 million as a victory for Supergirl reflects a lowered expectation that does not align with the film's actual financial needs.
The Supergirl movie feels heavily influenced by James Gunn's personal vision, despite being directed by Craig Gillespie. This has led to audience fatigue with Gunn's style. It is speculated that Gunn may only remain involved until the release of "Man of Tomorrow," after which new management might take over to salvage the DC universe.
Supergirl is shaping up to be a monumental embarrassment for the DC universe, potentially performing worse than The Marvels and struggling to break $200 million worldwide. The film's failure was anticipated by many, but the extent of its underperformance has surprised even skeptics. The combination of a less popular character, controversial promotion, poor critical reception, and weak box office numbers paints a bleak picture for the future of the DC cinematic universe under its current leadership.
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