DC’s ‘Supergirl’ Is a $125 Million Box Office Bomb — and the Reboot Might Go Down With It

Warner Bros. and DC Studios’ “Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow,” starring Milly Alcock, opened to $37.1 million domestically from 3,600 North American theaters over the June 27–29 weekend, falling well short of pre-release projections of $47 million to $50 million [1]. The film earned $62.6 million globally in its debut frame, placing second behind Pixar’s “Toy Story 5,” which added $70 million in its second weekend to hold the No. 1 spot [2]. Warner Bros. spent an estimated $170 million to produce the film and roughly $120 million on marketing — a combined outlay of approximately $290 million — and analysts now project the studio will lose between $100 million and $125 million on the title’s theatrical run [3, 4]. DC Studios co-chief Peter Safran addressed the underperformance in a statement to The New York Times, saying: “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” [5]. The result marks the second significant Warner Bros. tentpole flop of 2026, following “The Bride!,” which earned only $23 million worldwide against a $90 million budget earlier in the year [3].

Why It Sucks:

DC and Superhero Fans

• The reboot’s credibility rests on a single hit. Safran and Gunn’s restarted DC Universe had only one unambiguous success to its name — last summer’s “Superman,” which opened to $125 million and eventually earned $618 million globally — leaving “Supergirl” as the first real test of whether audiences would follow the new continuity beyond one beloved character [3].
• A misfire now threatens the entire slate. With the film projecting a $125 million loss, studio executives may scale back ambition or cut entries from the DCU roadmap, narrowing the connected universe fans were promised when Gunn and Safran took over [4].
• Marketing failed to sell the character. Despite critical praise for Alcock’s performance, the film debuted below even the most conservative tracking estimates, suggesting the campaign never successfully communicated why audiences should invest in this version of Kara Zor-El [1, 3].

Warner Bros. Investors and Studio Analysts

• $290 million spent chasing a shrinking market. Warner Bros. committed a combined production and marketing budget of roughly $290 million to a superhero IP at a moment when audience appetite for the genre had already shown measurable erosion — and the bet failed spectacularly [3, 4].
• The projected write-down hits $125 million. Industry analysts tracking ancillary revenues and the theatrical-to-streaming window estimate losses in the $100–$125 million range, making “Supergirl” the single largest financial failure on Warner Bros.’ 2026 slate [4].
• A pattern of costly misfires is emerging. “Supergirl” follows “The Bride!” as Warner Bros.’ second expensive tentpole failure of 2026, raising serious questions about the studio’s ability to greenlight and market large-scale productions in a post-streaming theatrical environment [3].

Non-Superhero Moviegoers

• “Toy Story 5” beat it — in its second weekend. A Pixar sequel earning $70 million in its sophomore frame while outgrossing a brand-new superhero blockbuster in its opening weekend is the clearest market signal yet that audiences have genuine alternatives — and are actively choosing them [2].
• Superhero fatigue has a number now. An opening below $38 million on a $290 million combined spend is the concrete data point critics of the genre have cited for years; audiences are no longer showing up for costumed heroes purely on the basis of budget and brand recognition [1, 3].
• The movie will exit theaters fast. With “Supergirl” tracking toward a lifetime domestic gross of around $100 million, the film is expected to lose screens quickly — freeing up marquee showtimes for the alternatives that have proven audiences are seeking them out [3, 4].

Sources & Citations:

[1] Variety: ‘Supergirl’ Stumbles in Box Office Debut, ‘Toy Story 5’ Remains No. 1
[2] Deadline: ‘Toy Story 5’ Posts $70M In Second Weekend, ‘Supergirl’ Doesn’t Fly With $38M Opening
[3] Variety: Supergirl Is a Box Office Bomb, What’s Next for DC Studios?
[4] Deadline: ‘Supergirl’ Bombs At Box Office, Will Lose $125 Million
[5] The Hollywood Reporter: Supergirl Opening Box Office Was Below Expectations, Per DC Movie Boss