As is the case with any big franchise, the DC Universe was bound to have big wins and underwhelming failures. However, few could've anticipated that the newfound cinematic universe would go through the whole cycle in two movies alone.
The first DCU chapter, titled Gods and Monsters, began on an optimistic note thanks to the release of Superman, which was met with critical and commercial success. Furthermore, it's clear that the studio feels confident about the character's future, as it has been confirmed that the Man of Steel will return next year with the release of his solo sequel, Man of Tomorrow.
On the other side of the coin, DC Studios wasn't able to find any success with Kal-El's cousin, Kara Zor-El. The Girl of Steel couldn't take flight at the worldwide box office and ended up delivering the DCU its first failure. However, her standalone movie will now get a second life as it gears up to arrive on streaming platforms.
Supergirl will be available for streaming on HBO Max on September 10
Supergirl is set to land on HBO Max on Sep. 10, 2026, less than three months after its theatrical release on Jun. 26, 2026. The latest DCU film was already released on PVOD platforms like Apple TV, Prime Video Store, Fandango At Home, and YouTube on Tuesday, July 28, 2026. Needless to say, this has been one of DC's shortest-lived projects, and things don't get any better when looking at its box-office numbers.
Supergirl had a budget of around $170 to $186 million and an estimated marketing cost of $120 million. This means the film had a break-even point of around $320 million but ended up grossing just $126.3 million at the worldwide box office. With that in mind, the film resulted in at least a $200 million net loss for Warner Bros., which is more catastrophic than the net losses of other failed films like The Flash (2023), Joker: Folie à Deux, and Shazam! Fury of the Gods.
By grossing $126.3 million during its entire theatrical run, Supergirl became DC's most underwhelming release in over 20 years, since Halle Berry's Catwoman hit theaters in 2004. On the bright side, there's a chance that the Girl of Steel will find success on streaming platforms later this month. After all, this very same scenario has happened before with other superhero movies.
Captain America: Brave New World had a very underwhelming box-office run (although the jury is still out on whether it was a straight-up flop or not). However, Sam Wilson's first MCU adventure topped the Nielsen Streaming Charts when it was released on Disney+. The film was watched for 750 million minutes during its streaming debut week, surpassing the likes of The Wild Robot and the live-action Lilo & Stitch.
Maybe a similar fate awaits Supergirl once it is released on HBO Max. After all, Lanterns has been finding incredible levels of success on the same streaming platform. In any case, Supergirl will get the opportunity to fly to unprecedented new heights next year, when she appears alongside her cousin in the DCU's Man of Tomorrow. And who knows? Maybe we will one day see a Supergirl sequel, and if that ever happens, it will likely have a much healthier box office run.
Supergirl will be released on HBO Max on Sep. 10, 2026.
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