The new Supergirl movie, set in the DC Universe, is now playing in theaters and has become one of the biggest box office disappointments of all time. The film has grossed only $85 million worldwide and is expected to reach $100 million by the end of the week against a reported $186 million budget.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, DC Studios co-head James Gunn and director Craig Gillespie reportedly had creative differences over the direction of Supergirl. The film reportedly struggled during post-production, with test screening scores remaining in the 60s, while one insider claimed the highest score reached 70.
One insider said Gunn and Gillespie “were not creatively aligned,” although others described their disagreements as normal creative discussions between a studio and filmmaker. Production wrapped in May 2025, but by fall 2025, both the studio and Gillespie reportedly knew the film wasn’t working as intended.
Following a mixed test screening in December 2025, DC Studios reportedly took control of the post-production process and created its own cut of the film.
Jeremy Slater was brought in to assist with rewrites and post-production after the studio decided to make changes.
According to reports, the theatrical version of Supergirl was DC Studios’ cut rather than director Craig Gillespie’s. The final theatrical version was edited by James Gunn in collaboration with Fred Raskin, while Gillespie’s cut was edited by Tatiana S. Riegel. Gillespie’s version was reportedly 11 minutes longer and featured more scenes with Krem.
“While Supergirl didn’t meet our box office expectations, it’s just one component of a broader, long-term strategy at DC Studios that we remain confident in,” Peter Safran told The New York Times, marking a rare instance of a studio chief commenting on a box office disappointment during its opening weekend.
Supergirl, DC Studios’ newest feature film to hit the big screen, will be in theaters worldwide this summer from Warner Bros. Pictures, starring Milly Alcock in the dual role of Supergirl/Kara Zor-El. Gillespie directs the film from a screenplay by Ana Nogueira.
Here’s the plot details for Supergirl:
When an unexpected and ruthless adversary strikes too close to home, Kara Zor-El, also known as Supergirl, reluctantly joins forces with an unlikely companion on an epic, interstellar journey of vengeance and justice.
Supergirl – Cast List
- Milly Alcock as Kara Zor-El / Supergirl
- Matthias Schoenaerts as Krem of the Yellow Hills
- Eve Ridley as Ruthye Marye Knoll
- David Krumholtz as Zor-El
- Emily Beecham as Alura In-Ze
- Jason Momoa as Lobo
- Ferdinand Kingsley as Elias Knoll, Ruthye’s father
Supergirl is based on characters created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. The film is executive produced by Nigel Gostelow, Chantal Nong Vo, and Lars P. Winther. Behind the camera, Gillespie is joined by director of photography Rob Hardy, production designer Neil Lamont, editor Tatiana S. Riegel, costume designer Anna B. Sheppard, visual effects supervisor Geoffrey Baumann, and composer Ramin Djawadi.
Source: THR
