DCU Future Confirmed Following ‘Supergirl’s Box Office Struggle

About a year after the new DC Universe kicked off in theaters with Superman, the franchise continued the Super-family’s saga with the release of Supergirl on Jun. 26. Milly Alcock delivered her first full performance as Kara Zor-El after appearing in a cameo at the end of Superman, joining stars like Eve Ridley (Ruthye Marye Knoll), Matthias Schoenaerts (Krem of the Yellow Hills), and Jason Momoa (Lobo) in an intergalactic road trip away from Earth. The film’s plot was an adaptation of Tom King’s Woman of Tomorrow run from DC Comics, showing Kara and Ruthye both seeking revenge against Krem for his crimes against their families.

While the early reviews for Supergirl were fairly mixed, predictions suggested the movie would struggle at the box office, especially against stiff competition like Disney and Pixar’s Toy Story 5. Over its opening weekend, the DCU’s second movie grossed only $38 million domestically and $68 million globally, which does not count favorably against its reported $175 million budget. However, even considering these financial issues, it appears that DC Studios has its plans set in stone moving forward.

Speaking with The New York Times, DC Studios co-CEO Peter Safran explained that DC Studios has no plans of going anywhere after Supergirl‘s opening weekend struggles at the box office. Admitting that the new movie “didn’t meet [their] box office expectations,” it is only a small part of “a broader, long-term strategy at DC Studios” that the team still has confidence in:

“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.”

Although Supergirl certainly has its issues, Milly Alcock has received near-universal praise for her portrayal of the titular leading heroine. Combine that with standout performances from Eve Ridley and Jason Momoa (who shone mightily in limited screentime), and there seems to be plenty that will work in Supergirl’s favor. From here, the Kryptonian hero appears to have a bright future ahead of her.

Alcock is already confirmed to play a big role in 2027’s Man of Tomorrow, DC Studios’ next movie, which she is already filming during Supergirl‘s worldwide release. While her specific place in the movie is unclear, she will make her way back to Earth to help her cousin, Clark Kent (David Corenswet), as he gets set to team up with Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult) to take on an even more threatening villain, Brainiac (Lars Eidinger). Combine that with confirmed appearances by Isabela Merced (Hawkgirl) and Aaron Pierre (John Stewart/Green Lantern), and the stage could be set for DC Studios to bring its biggest story yet to theaters.

Supergirl is now playing in theaters.