Flying too close to the sun can lead to underwhelming results, and unfortunately, that's exactly what happened to Supergirl. The second-ever film released as part of the new DC Universe has underperformed at the box office in multiple key metrics, which doesn't bode well for a franchise that's getting off the ground. Kara Zor-El's latest adventure is tracking to conclude its theatrical run with approximately $130 million at the worldwide box office, which is far from the $300 million Warner Bros. needed to consider the project a success.
Things are even more devastating when we look at the film's week-to-week gross. While initial projections estimated Supergirl would have a domestic opening weekend of approximately $50 million, it ultimately grossed just $37.1 million during that timeframe. Things didn't get any better moving forward, as Supergirl had one of the biggest second-weekend drops at the box office for any DC movie ever made. Unfortunately, more underwhelming results have weighed down the film just as it is about to conclude its flight.
Supergirl sets a devastating box office Week 3 record and suffers a huge drop from its first to third weekend
Supergirl grossed a total of $3.7 million during its third weekend in theaters, representing a 56.27% drop from the $8.6 million grossed during its second weekend (which itself was a brutal 76.82% fall from its opening frame) - placing it second in the all-time Week 3 declines for a modern DC movie list behind Joker: Folie à Deux. If you overlook that 2024 DC movie - which wasn't part of either the DCEU or DCU franchises - then Supergirl has officially shattered the record for the worst Week 3 drop in modern DC franchise movie history.
Looking at the bigger picture, these results are all the more alarming. After all, Supergirl suffered an astonishing 89.86% drop at the domestic box office when comparing its first weekend to its third, signaling audiences' lack of interest in the film.
For reference, here are the worst first-to-third weekend domestic drops for any modern DC movies:
- Joker: Folie à Deux (2024) - 94.3% drop
- The Flash (2023) - 90.49% drop
- Supergirl (2026) - 89.86% drop
- The Suicide Squad (2021) - 87.02% drop
- Shazam! Fury of the Gods (2023) - 84.71% drop
- Wonder Woman 1984 (2020) - 82.28% drop
- Birds of Prey (And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) - 79.39% drop
- Blue Beetle (2023) - 71.58% drop
Supergirl needed to have a strong third weekend for two reasons. First and foremost, studios can start pulling low-grossing titles from movie theaters during their third week, and that has been true for the DCU's latest installment. As reported by Forbes, Supergirl was removed from over "1,000 venues heading into its third weekend." Moreover, even if the film were to have a longer run, it is about to face fierce competition that could prove to be its kryptonite.
The Odyssey is tracking to open to $118 million domestically, right during Supergirl's fourth weekend in theaters. To make matters more complicated, Christopher Nolan's latest project currently holds a 99% approval score on Rotten Tomatoes based on early reviews, which means it is sure to get audiences' attention.
While The Odyssey should basically put an end to Supergirl's box office run, Spider-Man: Brand New Day is just around the corner as well. The wall-crawler's upcoming adventure is projected to have one of the biggest openings in the franchise as a whole, possibly earning as much as $250 million domestically during its first three days. Needless to say, there isn't a chance that Supergirl will even break even at the box office in the weeks to follow.
The fact that Warner Bros. has pulled Supergirl from multiple venues basically indicates that the studio has given up on the movie. As if that wasn't enough, it has been reported that the Girl of Steel's latest adventure could be released on digital platforms as soon as July 28—just a little over a month from its initial release. But to remove any sense of doubt about the film's underwhelming performance, DC Studios co-CEO and co-chairman Peter Safran released a statement acknowledging Supergirl's failure.
On the bright side, this won't be the last we'll ever see of Kara Zor-El on the big screen. The iconic hero is confirmed to return in the Superman sequel, Man of Tomorrow, alongside other fan-favorite characters such as Guy Gardner, Blue Beetle, Hawkgirl, and, of course, the Man of Steel himself. So, with a bit of luck, she'll get to steal the spotlight there.
It's still early days for the new DC Universe, but things are off to a mixed start. Now, all eyes are on the Clayface movie and the Lanterns HBO show to reignite interest in this superhero franchise. Otherwise, they might just prove to be the final nails in the coffin.
Supergirl is now playing in theaters.
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