Photo Credit: Warner Bros. Pictures
Supergirl didn’t fly high enough at the box office, but DC Studios isn’t backing down. Peter Safran breaks the silence on the film’s underwhelming debut and what comes next for the DCU.
Peter Safran remains ‘confident’ about DCU strategy amid Supergirl concerns
DC Studios co-CEO Peter Safran has addressed Supergirl’s underwhelming box office debut, according to Deadline. The Craig Gillespie-directed film opened to $68M in global weekend box office against a reported $175M budget. Safran acknowledged the results fell short of the studio’s financial targets.
“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,” Safran told The New York Times. The film earned $38M domestically during its opening frame. That figure only slightly surpassed Joker: Folie a Deux’s $37.6M domestic opening from 2024.
However, Supergirl trailed far behind the Todd Phillips-directed sequel’s $114.8M global opening. The World Cup and a blistering heatwave likely contributed to the softer theatrical turnout. Still, the Superman follow-up achieved a notable milestone in premium format screenings.
Supergirl posted the highest opening weekend for any superhero movie in IMAX history. IMAX and premium large formats accounted for 51% of the gross at $7.4M. The Milly Alcock-led film, therefore, showed strong audience demand in premium venues despite overall numbers.
Meanwhile, DC Studios continues to build out its broader cinematic universe slate. Director James Watkins’ Clayface is set to premiere in theaters on Oct. 23. Additionally, DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn’s Man of Tomorrow will follow with a July 9, 2027, release. The Lanterns series is also expected to debut on HBO later in 2026.
Safran’s comments signal the studio views Supergirl as one chapter in a larger rollout rather than a definitive setback for the DCU’s future plans.
