Creating a cinematic universe is no easy task, and DC knows it better than anyone. Back in 2013, the superhero giant attempted to launch a new saga of interconnected films called the DC Extended Universe, with Man of Steel acting as its starting point. Ten years later, that dream came to an official end with the release of Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. Now, the studio is starting anew with a blank canvas and endless horizons ahead.
The new iteration of the DC Universe was officially launched with the Creature Commandos animated series, but it wasn't until the release of Superman (2025) that audiences had a true grasp of what to expect from the studio going forward. The Man of Steel's latest adventure had a moderately successful run at the box office. As such, Warner Bros. hoped the DCU's second movie, Supergirl, would replicate that success or perhaps even surpass it. Unfortunately, things didn't go according to plan.
It is no secret that Supergirl had a very underwhelming opening weekend. While initial projections estimated the movie would gross somewhere between $45 and $50 million domestically, those expectations fell short. Kara Zor-El's first standalone adventure on the big screen opened to $37.1 million domestically and $62.6 million at the global box office. Unfortunately, things haven't improved for the film during its second week in theaters.
Supergirl had the third-worst second-week drop at the box office for DC as a whole
It's expected for most movies to suffer a second-week drop at the box office. After all, audiences are likely to fill movie theaters during the opening weekend, when excitement levels are at an all-time high and spoilers haven't made their way online just yet. Granted, there are exceptions to that rule, such as Curry Barker's Obsession, which grossed more during its second week thanks to positive word-of-mouth marketing. But most of the time, studios have to hope a film doesn't plummet during its second weekend, and yet that's exactly what happened with the latest entry in the DCU.
Supergirl grossed $8.6 million during the Fourth of July holiday weekend, which represents a 76.8% decline in comparison to its first three days in movie theaters. To put that number into perspective, here are the top eight second-week drops for every DC movie ever made:
- Joker: Folie à Deux (2024) - 81.41% drop
- Steel (1997) - 77.97% drop
- Supergirl (2026) - 76.8% drop
- The Flash (2023) - 72.49% drop
- The Suicide Squad (2021) - 71.49% drop
- Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016) - 69.1% drop
- Suicide Squad (2016) - 67.4% drop
- Green Lantern (2011) - 65.5% drop
Supergirl suffered the third-worst second-week drop for a DC film at the box office. While Joker: Folie à Deux and Steel had worse performances, it's worth pointing out that they weren't part of a larger cinematic universe. Audiences can be a bit more inclined to watch a project if it is part of an interconnected narrative, so as not to be left out moving forward. Granted, it's still early days for the DCU, but that is also a very worrisome sign.
According to The Wrap, Supergirl needed to reach the $300 million mark to be considered a success. However, the film is shy of reaching the $100 million mark after its second weekend. With Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey and Spider-Man: Brand New Day on the horizon, it's unlikely that DC's latest film has the chance to surpass its internal goal, even in the long run. Due to this, it has been heavily reported that Warner Bros. will release Supergirl digitally just a little over a month after its release.
The DCU might've found its first flop just two movies in, which always raises questions about the franchise's longevity. On the one hand, DC Studios co-CEO and co-chairman Peter Safran released a statement acknowledging Supergirl's commercial failure and reiterated his commitment to the franchise. On the other hand, the next stop on the road is Clayface, an R-rated project starring a B-list Batman villain. While initial reactions are overwhelmingly positive, there are a lot of questions about how the film will perform at the box office.
Having two commercial failures back to back during its early days would be a big blow for the DCU, which might not see its next big win until next year with the release of the Superman sequel, Man of Tomorrow. It remains to be seen how things will pan out in the long run, but right now it is clear that Supergirl hasn't met internal expectations for Warner Bros.
Supergirl is now in theaters.
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