'Supergirl' Stumbles at the Box Office With $38M Opening — What It Means for the DC Universe

DC Studios' second major release stumbles out of the gate — and the numbers tell a tough story.

A Rough Weekend for the Girl of Steel

Just one year after James Gunn and Peter Safran kicked off the new DC Universe with a bang via "Superman" (which earned a solid $618 million worldwide), their follow-up has landed with a thud. "Supergirl," starring Milly Alcock as Kara Zor-El, opened to a disappointing $38 million domestically and $68 million globally this past weekend — far below the $50 million+ that industry analysts had projected.

To put that in perspective, last year's "Superman" starring David Corenswet opened to $125 million domestically. "Supergirl" didn't even clear a third of that. The film was absolutely crushed by Pixar's "Toy Story 5," which dominated for the second consecutive weekend with $70 million, bringing its global total to a massive $585 million.

What Went Wrong?

Directed by Craig Gillespie (known for "I, Tonya" and "Cruella"), "Supergirl" centers on Kara's mission to save her poisoned super-dog Krypto while teaming up with a young girl seeking revenge. David Corenswet makes a brief return as Superman, but the cameo wasn't enough to draw the same crowd.

Several factors likely contributed to the soft opening:

• Mixed reviews: The film landed at just 56% on Rotten Tomatoes, a sharp contrast to "Superman's" warm reception. Audiences gave it a B- CinemaScore — a weak grade for a superhero tentpole.
• Superhero fatigue is real: Even Marvel has struggled with non-marquee characters. Films like "Thunderbolts*" and "The Marvels" showed that audiences are increasingly selective about which superhero movies deserve a theater trip.
• Tough competition: Going head-to-head with "Toy Story 5" in its second weekend was always going to be an uphill battle.
• Test screening cuts: Reports suggest the film was significantly trimmed after test screenings, which may have impacted the final product's coherence.

What This Means for the DC Universe

The poor showing puts pressure on DC Studios' roadmap. The franchise was supposed to be a clean break from the messy DCEU era, which saw a string of box office disappointments including "The Flash" ($55M opening), "Blue Beetle," "Shazam! Fury of the Gods," and "Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom."

Now, "Supergirl" has opened below even "The Flash" — a film widely considered a disaster. It's a troubling signal that the DC brand still has work to do to earn consistent audience trust.

The next test comes in October with "Clayface," a horror-leaning take on the Batman villain starring Tom Rhys Harries. As a lower-budget film, expectations are different — but the pressure is on. After that, "Man of Tomorrow" (the "Superman" sequel) will be the real make-or-break moment for the DC Universe's future.

For now, "Supergirl" stands as a cautionary tale: even with a fresh universe and a rising star like Milly Alcock, the box office doesn't hand out participation trophies. In a summer dominated by "Toy Story 5" and Steven Spielberg's "Disclosure Day," the Girl of Steel will need some serious word-of-mouth legs to salvage this run.