By Chris Snellgrove | Published
For many DC fans, the critical and commercial failure of Supergirl it comes as a huge shock. After all, last year Superman was a summer blockbuster, grossing more money at the box office than any other Marvel film (Thunder Lights again Fantastic Four: First Steps). It's directed by geek king James Gunn, the same man who runs DC Studios. He absolutely loved the script Supergirl and increased the film's production schedule. With Gunn's stamp of approval, the spinoff with Superman's cousin seems destined for greatness. But as the opening weekend speculation dropped and the critical reviews rolled in, it soon became clear that the film was a failure.
What we don't know is how much failure. Now, we have the answer, and it's actually worse than you thought. In accordance with Deadlinethe film will currently lose to Warner Bros. a cool $125 million. That would be bad news for any blockbuster or any situation. However, Supergirl bombing is worse because it's not just about losing a bunch of cold, hard cash; it also undermines confidence in Gunn's ability to lead the DCU in its battle with Marvel for the box office. Now, a surprising fact is emerging: the DCU may be entering a long time before we see the new Justice League on screen.
Playing the Guilt Game
Currently, some big fans of the movie are trying to make the movie another flashpoint of the culture war. Fans full of war said SupergirlCritics are misogynists and incels who weren't ready to see a strong woman on the big screen. Well, it seems Supergirl it was condemned more by the power of indifference than by the loathing of women. A low opening weekend (lower than Morbiusyikes!) is an indication of how few people bothered to see the film. And, a bit of Morbin' (er, morbid) irony, Supergirl undermines a large part of the street girl's reputation because of a prominent story about sex trafficking.
But how Deadline we came to the conclusion that Supergirl will the studio lose $125 million? They looked at factors such as production costs (somewhere between $170-$186 million) and the film's opening weekend box office ($68 million). They also took into account how much the budget was for domestic and commercial advertising ($120 million) and how much the film had to make to break even (about $315 million). Throw in the weekly box office drop estimates, and you get a bleak conclusion: Supergirl would lose somewhere around $125 million, making this a public, costly failure for Warner Bros.
The Canary in the Coal Mine
With this kind of box office loss, that's almost impossible Supergirl will headline another future film in the DCU. However, there may be a downstream effect when this affects larger projects in the future. For example, Supergirl should be a major character Superman: The Man of Tomorrow; if audiences hate that movie for its own sake, it could spell bad news for James Gunn. If that Superman the sequel is a hit, then it will pave the way Wonder Woman, The Brave and the Boldand, finally, a The Justice League the movie. If it's a bomb, though, the DCU can die before JL meets the screen.
All DC fans should care SupergirlFailure because this film is the canary in the coal mine of the entire world of cinema. Considering how many people have gone beyond sight Supergirlhow bad will it be for future projects involving even more obscure heroes and villains? DC Studios has already shot a Clayface film, and they are currently working on a Deathstroke and Bane the movie again TV show pairing Jimmy Olsen and Gorilla Grodd. These are major creative changes, and they may be interconnected. But even if they all turn out great, that doesn't matter if no one is watching.
It's worth noting that while critics have been pulling the plug on the DCEU for years, it produced about five flops before Warner Bros. pull the plug. So, it might not be the end of the world now that James Gunn's DCU has produced only one flop. However, hero fatigue is dragging down earnings, and Gunn faces stiff competition from Marvel in the form of Spider-Man: A New Day again Avengers: Doomsday. Supergirl losing $125 million before WB gets new leadership could change Gunn's game, and not in a good way. He won't get five strikes; in fact, you'll be lucky to find more than one!
