This weekend saw the release of Supergirl, the second instalment in the rebooted DC cinematic universe following last year’s Superman. The film struggled to make an impact on its opening weekend, earning $38 million in the US and $68 million worldwide, one of the lower openings for a major blockbuster this summer season.
With a crowded summer blockbuster slate, Supergirl will likely struggle to reach its break-even point of $300-350 million worldwide. The film holds a Rotten Tomatoes critics score of 56% and an audience score of 76%, indicating a lukewarm reception for Milly Alcock’s portrayal of Kara Zor-El.
Toxic Fandom and Online Discourse
The film has been subject to toxic discourse often accompanying female-led superhero movies. Alcock, who previously starred in House of the Dragon, faced criticism about her appearance, with former Superman actor Dean Cain among the trolls. Alcock told Vanity Fair, “We have become very comfortable having this weird ownership of women’s bodies. I can’t really stop them. I can only be myself.” This triggered backlash from male fans claiming she was alienating an entire demographic. Alcock responded to Variety: “I didn’t even say ‘men’ — I said ‘people’! And they got so angry. I was like, ‘You’re proving my point.’”
Similar backlash occurred with Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman and Brie Larson’s Captain Marvel, yet those films were hits, with Captain Marvel grossing over $1 billion worldwide. Despite the noise, toxic fandom rarely directly affects box office performance.
Superhero Fatigue
Supergirl’s underperformance reflects audience fatigue with the superhero genre, which has dominated for over 25 years. Upcoming Spider-Man: Brand New Day is expected to be a hit, but audiences are hesitant to take risks on less well-known properties or those with confusing TV spin-offs. This factor likely hurt Captain Marvel’s sequel The Marvels in 2023.
Last year’s comic book movies Thunderbolts, The Fantastic Four: First Steps, and Superman all faced challenges. Thunderbolts had a bizarre marketing campaign, The Fantastic Four fell short of expectations, and Superman grossed over $600 million but had a hefty $225 million budget. Supergirl, following Superman quickly, faced an uphill battle as a character more familiar to TV audiences.
Audience Demographics and Quality
According to Deadline, 59% of the opening weekend audience was male, and 65% was over 25, indicating young women — the target demographic — did not show up. The film itself is described as a dull, episodic adventure that recycles elements from past comic-book movies. Despite Alcock’s strong performance, the film is likely to be quickly forgotten amid a stacked summer season.
Alcock will reprise her role in 2027’s Man of Tomorrow, which will test the new DC run’s viability in a climate where superhero movies no longer guarantee success.
