DC's ownership officially changed hands recently, and Supergirl has not found much favor with the new regime after its poor box office showing. The blockbuster, which arrived on June 26, is the second theatrical release in James Gunn's budding DC Universe, a space tale meant to expand the franchise by introducing a host of alien characters from the comics. The movie adapts Tom King and Bilquis Evely's acclaimed Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow comic, which sounded immensely promising given how celebrated that run is. Instead, Supergirl ended up as one of the worst box office performers in DC history, and the new ownership has acknowledged it.
Skydance completed its $81 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery on October 6, and it wasted no time outlining its leadership team. The company posted bios for its top executives on its new website, and DC Studios co-CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran each received one. Gunn's profile celebrates him as the creative force behind the DCU's "2025 blockbuster" Superman and the "HBO Max smash" Lanterns. The other projects he has steered under DC Studios, including Creature Commandos and Peacemaker, all made the cut as well. Notably, Supergirl did not, an omission that seems far from random.
The character is a massive part of Gunn's Superman-forward storytelling in the DCU. He introduced Kara Zor-El himself in the franchise's first theatrical release before giving her a solo movie the following year. That project is arguably more connected to Gunn than Lanterns is, yet the series got a mention, and the movie was skipped. This seems like a case of Skydance distancing itself from Supergirl over its box office woes. If the film had performed like the other projects on the page, it would surely have been included. Even Man of Tomorrow, which does not release until July 2027, and Clayface, which arrives in under two weeks, were listed among Gunn's prized assets.
Skydance's desire to put distance between itself and Supergirl is not hard to understand. Directed by Craig Gillespie from a script by Ana Nogueira, the movie earned just $7.8 million in previews before stumbling to a $37.1 million domestic opening across 3,600 theaters. Its global debut managed only $62.6 million, a brutal result for a film with a reported $170 million budget, with some estimates putting it as high as $186 million.
Supergirl's domestic opening numbers are below some of DC's most notorious flops, including The Flash, which opened to $55 million, and Green Lantern, which managed only $53 million. It even came in under Joker: Folie à Deux, one of the most infamous comic book bombs in recent memory, which started its run with $37.6 million.
Supergirl eventually ended its theatrical run with $72.4 million domestically and $54 million internationally for a worldwide total of $126.4 million, making it one of the lowest-grossing theatrical releases in DC's history. Reports estimated the film needed somewhere north of $300 million globally just to break even, cementing it as a colossal failure.
What Supergirl's Omission Means for the DCU Under New Ownership
Skydance distancing itself from Supergirl is a striking indication that David Ellison, the company's chairman, does not want the brand associated with failure. Gunn and Safran have earned Skydance's trust despite the stumble, but they cannot afford another flop of this magnitude under the new leadership. DC Studios currently has two movies left on its slate, Clayface and Man of Tomorrow, and both look promising. Clayface has a reported budget of just $40 million and comes from veteran director James Watkins and screenwriter Mike Flanagan, arriving at a time when audiences are turning out for horror films. The movie should turn a profit with ease and keep the new owners on board with Gunn and Safran's vision.
Man of Tomorrow, meanwhile, is a sequel to the DCU's most successful project, Superman, and introduces a host of fan-favorite superheroes, including John Stewart, whose Lanterns debut has already won over a good chunk of the DC fanbase. The blockbuster looks like a guaranteed hit. Beyond it, though, is where things get interesting. With Gunn now expected to deliver consistent winners, it will be worth watching whether he prioritizes DC's heavy hitters like Wonder Woman and Batman.
Wonder Woman is reportedly a priority in the writing stage, with Nogueira penning the script. A Bane and Deathstroke movie has also been moved up the studio's priority list in the wake of Supergirl's flop. That film could easily end up introducing the DCU's Batman, with The Brave and the Bold looking further away than ever.
Skydance acknowledging Supergirl as a flop signals a desire for movies that make money. That makes sense, considering the company spent an unprecedented sum on this acquisition. The mandate could push Gunn to lean on the bigger characters that print money rather than the lesser-known ones spotlighted in the DCU so far.
Geraldo Amartey is a writer at The Direct. He joined the team in 2025, bringing with him four years of experience covering entertainment news, pop culture, and fan-favorite franchises for sites like YEN, Briefly and Tuko.
