James Gunn’s “Supergirl” Fails to Take Superflight at the Weekend Box Office

The numbers are in and, as expected, the live-action Supergirl movie from James Gunn’s take on the DCEU didn’t make a lot of money during the debut weekend. However, what was unexpected was how low it opened.

Directed by Craig Gillespie, written by Ana Nogueira, and starring Milly Alcock as the titular character, the forecast wasn’t bright for Supergirl as the movie neared the June 26, 2026, release date in North America. Analysts kept their predictions moderate (and somewhat “respectable”), and excited fans were bracing for a not-so-impressive-opening-weekend. However, with the final numbers taking shape, I don’t think anyone was expecting the second major installment in James Gunn’s DECU to open with a mere $37 million.

Against a reported production budget of around $170 million, Supergirl has, as of writing this piece, been able to gather only $63 million at the worldwide box office. With how the conversation surrounding the film has continued to develop, it’s safe to say that Supergirl won’t be able to break even for the studio.

That’s a harsh blow for the Gunn-verse right after Superman amassed $618 million globally. With Superman: Man of Tomorrow being filmed for a 2027 debut, let’s see if Supergirl‘s performance will impact Gunn’s plans for the type of universe he’s been wanting to build.

While I can go ahead and list the different opinions being shared online about why Supergirl underperformed, I would rather just share my two cents about the situation. Even if Supergirl was an objectively well-written movie, I still think it wouldn’t have managed to make a lot of money at the box office. Why?

Well, I think that the general audience and most fans have a superhero hierarchy in mind. You do not follow a Superman solo movie with a Supergirl solo adventure, especially when your version of the DCEU hasn’t introduced a connected Batman or Wonder Woman.

Kara would have benefited from having a nice supporting role in a Superman sequel to help audiences become more invested in Gunn’s take on the character, instead of being given a solo project after only having a cameo in a Superman movie starring a new Clark Kent. Unfortunately, I just can’t make myself care about Kara when my mind continues to question what Batman and Wonder Woman are up to. And I feel other people think the same.

But yeah, what’s done is done. Let’s see if Gunn’s able to pivot his DCEU with Man of Tomorrow. Until then, the next test for the Gunn-verse is the live-action Clayface movie planned for an October 23, 2026, theatrical release. Again, who was asking for a Clayface movie? Sigh!

You can read Sean’s review of Supergirl here.

As for the rest of the box office, Toy Story 5 managed to remain in the first spot with an estimated $70.8 million. The global haul currently stands at $589 million. Toy Story 5 managing to cross the coveted $1 billion milestone won’t be a surprise.

Obsession continued to rank in the Top 5 in its 7th week of theatrical play. This weekend saw the indie movie collect an estimated $9.7 million to help push the worldwide numbers to $371 million. Wow!

Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War – The Calamity premiered to an approximate $3 million. I have heard some very exciting things about the events that took place in the episodes-turned-into-movie offering. I can’t wait to see the content for myself when the anime starts airing sometime in July. I’m so hyped for Ichigo and Orihime vs Yhwach.

June 26, 2026 – June 28, 2026 Weekend Box Office

1. Toy Story 5 – $70.8 million
2. Supergirl – $37.1 million
3. Obsession – $9.7 million
4. Jackass: Best and Last – $8.4 million
5. Disclosure Day – 8.2 million
6. Backrooms – $4.3 million
7. Scary Movie – $3.0 million
8. Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War – The Calamity – $3.0 million
9. Masters of the Universe – $2.3 million
10. Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu – $1.7 million

Did you watch Supergirl? What did you think of it?

Let us know.

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(via Box Office Mojo)

Author: Farid-ul-Haq

Farid has a Double Masters in Psychology and Biotechnology as well as an M.Phil in Molecular Genetics. He is the author of numerous books including Missing in Somerville, and The Game Master of Somerville. He gives us insight into comics, books, TV shows, anime/manga, video games, and movies.

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