Supergirl just flopped at the box office, and six DCU movies may be at risk. The DCU's second movie, Supergirl, recently opened in theaters and, sadly, the reactions were much more mixed than last year's Superman. Not only did Supergirl land a "Rotten" 54% score from critics on Rotten Tomatoes, but it also failed to pull in audiences, resulting in a disappointing "B-" CinemaScore.
Supergirl's bad word of mouth has carried over to the box office, where it opened in second place behind Toy Story 5's second week with $37.1 million domestically, far below projections that it could cross $50 million. The picture was just as bleak globally, as Supergirl brought in just $62.6 million worldwide in its first weekend. For context, that is around 30% of the $125 million that Superman debuted with domestically, and roughly 29% of its $217 million worldwide opening.
With competition looming from Minions & Monsters in Supergirl's second weekend, Supergirl is on track to be a financial disaster with a $170 million production and $120 million marketing budget. According to Variety, DC Studios stands to lose $100 to $120 million from its latest offering. The studio's co-CEO, Peter Safran, addressed the result in a comment to The New York Times, noting that, despite Supergirl disappointing, they "remain confident" in the larger DCU strategy:
"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."
Regardless, as always happens when a major blockbuster flops and loses money, Supergirl is bound to prompt talk at DC Studios over the DCU's larger plan, and several upcoming movies could be in danger of facing changes or cancellation...
How Supergirl's Flop Could Impact the DCU's Other Upcoming Movies
Deathstroke and Bane
According to recent reports, DC Studios' next priority after Man of Tomorrow is a Deathstroke and Bane team-up movie, which entered development in September 2024 from Captain America: Brave New World scribe Matthew Orton.
There's no denying that Deathstroke has his fans and huge marketability, while Bane is among Batman's most famous villains, but one has to wonder whether that is the right choice for the next DCU movie to move forward after Supergirl's flop.
DC Studios is developing multiple villain-led projects, marking a rather strange decision given Sony's string of failed flicks for Spider-Man foes. It seems likely that the fate of Deathstroke and Bane's crossover won't be decided until after Clayface, perhaps hinging on how the DCU's first villain-focused movie performs.
Wonder Woman
One of the DCU's biggest teething problems has come from its lack of big-name superheroes like Batman and Wonder Woman. Fortunately, scripts are in the works for the two remaining members of the Trinity, with Wonder Woman's reboot currently being penned by Supergirl writer Ana Nogueira.
While Hollywood has found success with female-led superhero movies in Captain Marvel and Wonder Woman, they have struggled to pick up steam at the box office post-COVID, as evidenced by Supergirl and The Marvels.
That's not to say that DC Studios is likely to abandon its Wonder Woman reboot, as the Princess of Themyscira is a crucial part of DC lore who has proven herself to be a box office draw in the past. However, the studio may approach its budget more cautiously and perhaps hand over the reins to another writer, given that one of Supergirl's most criticized components was its script, dialogue, and narrative.
Teen Titans
After greenlighting Ana Nogueira's Supergirl script, the DCU scribe was next handed the reins to a live-action Teen Titans movie. While the Teen Titans project was put on hold so that Nogueira could prioritize Wonder Woman, it still seems to be on the cards at DC Studios, likely for her to refocus on next.
Fans of DC's youthful team have previously been treated to five seasons of Teen Titans (2003-2006), nine seasons and counting of Teen Titans Go! (2013-present), and four seasons of the live-action Titans (2018-2023). There was even one theatrical endeavor with Teen Titans GO! To the Movies, which raked in a stellar $52.4 million on a low $10 million budget.
Teen Titans was already on the back burner at DC Studios, and it's doubtful much will change there, as DC Studios seems to have other priorities for now. However, much like with Wonder Woman, the studio may be cautious about proceeding with Nogueira, especially since the Teen Titans have strong box-office potential if the DCU can capture the attention of fans who grew up with the animated shows.
Clayface
Next up for James Gunn's DCU on the big screen after Supergirl is Clayface, an R-rated body-horror movie centered on the origins of the titular shape-shifting Batman villain, set to hit theaters in time for Halloween on October 23.
Clayface will face a number of hurdles toward box office success: it stars a lesser-known character, it carries an R-rating, the DCU is clearly yet to build a returning audience, and the last Batman villain spin-off, Joker: Folie à Deux, flopped hard.
There's no doubt that Clayface's release will go ahead, and all signs point toward it being a stellar entry in the DCU, but will it recoup its $40 million budget and make up for some of Supergirl's financial damage?
Traditionally, the horror and superhero genres have very different audiences, but Clayface has the potential to land with both, recruiting dreadheads to bolster its box office and follow in the footsteps of Obsession and Backrooms.
Swamp Thing
Unlike many other upcoming DCU movies, Swamp Thing has a proven and highly acclaimed director attached in Ford v. Ferrari filmmaker James Mangold. Of course, Mangold is a busy man, who is currently working on the heist thriller High Side with Timothée Chalamet and also has a Star Wars movie on the back burner.
Swamp Thing's fate may be in question, given that it stars a much lesser-known character and its filmmaker, Mangold, is simply too busy to tackle it anytime soon.
Interestingly, Swamp Thing has been described as a "Gothic horror," making it very different from most of the DCU's upcoming slate. While its chances of moving forward mostly hang on Mangold's shoulders, the DCU's other horror, Clayface, becoming a hit could leave DC Studios eager to move forward with Swamp Thing
The Brave and the Bold
Coming off Supergirl's unexpected flop, DC Studios will hopefully realize that it's time to prioritize the blue brand's biggest heroes, chief of which is Batman. While The Batman: Part 2 is now in production, the DCU still needs its own Dark Knight, who will be introduced in The Brave and the Bold.
The Brave and the Bold is set to reunite The Flash's writer-director duo of Christina Hodson and Andy Muschietti - a decision which James Gunn was forced to defend. With the DCU left in desperate need of a win, one has to wonder whether Gunn will find himself rethinking that decision by passing on the keys to Batman.
The powers that be at Warner Bros. and DC Studios are bound to conclude that there is no such thing as too much Batman, but The Brave and the Bold could come under more scrutiny than ever to protect DC's cash cow.
