DCU Already Slowing Down After Promising Start: Supergirl Flop Raises Doubts
Warner Bros. Discovery's second DCU film, “Supergirl,” is a box office disaster projected to lose $100–120 million, with poor critical reception that questions James Gunn's grand plan for the interconnected universe.
After the successful launch of James Gunn’s “Superman,” which ended with a surprise cameo by Kara Zor-El, the studio rushed a standalone “Supergirl” film into production. However, the movie has turned out to be a major disappointment. It is on track to lose between $100–120 million, and critics have been harsh, calling it unoriginal and too reminiscent of Gunn’s previous work, particularly the “Guardians of the Galaxy” films.
The film is loosely based on Tom King and Bilquis Evely’s “Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow” miniseries. It follows Kara (Milly Alcock) on an interstellar journey to save her dog Krypto, poisoned by sex-trafficking pirates. Unlike Superman, Kara is willing to kill her enemies, but with an orphaned girl in tow, she tries to set a good example.
A key issue is that “Supergirl” struggles to make its titular heroine distinct from Superman. Both are indestructible aliens who recharge under yellow sunlight. The film repeatedly strips Kara of her powers to create stakes, but it feels forced. Gunn previously insisted DC Studios would never put a half-assed script into production, yet critics describe “Supergirl” as exactly that.
This failure raises serious questions about the DCU’s future. Gunn’s plan was to build the universe around lesser-known characters, but the underperformance of “Supergirl” suggests the studio may be moving too fast. Reports indicate Warner Bros. Discovery is now prioritizing a Bane/Deathstroke film and other B-tier projects, reminiscent of Sony’s messy Spider-Man spin-off universe. The impending merger with Paramount Skydance further complicates matters. While next year’s “Man of Tomorrow” could steer things in a better direction, the current outlook is that the DCU is already faltering.
