Supergirl isn't soaring as high as it could.
2026's Supergirl, which stars Milly Alcock in the title role opposite an ensemble cast that includes Eve Ridley, Emily Beecham, Matthias Schoenaerts, David Krumholtz, and Jason Momoa as Lobo, is the second theatrical installment in the newly rebranded DC Universe after 2025's Superman. That movie, which saw David Corenswet taking over as Superman from Henry Cavill (who played the role in the DC Extended Universe from 2013 through 2022), ultimately grossed $618.7 million worldwide against a reported budget of $225 million, becoming the tenth highest-grossing movie (and the highest-grossing superhero movie) of that year worldwide.
Per TheWrap, as of Saturday morning, Supergirl is expected to hit the lower end of its projected range for its opening weekend at the domestic box office with a 3-day total between $38 and $40 million. This total, which sees the new movie debuting at No. 2 behind the sophomore frame of Toy Story 5, is less than a third of what Superman made during its own opening weekend. The David Corenswet picture took in $125 million during its first three days at the domestic box office.
This isn't necessarily an unexpected result. Supergirl is a relatively untested theatrical presence. While Superman has been the title character (or part of the title group) in eight blockbuster movies since 1978, Supergirl has only had one previous movie. That would be 1984's Supergirl, which was a $14.3 million flop. The new movie has already more than outgrossed its entire run, and is nearing its total inflation-adjusted box office haul of $45.5 million at the domestic box office alone.
Additionally, there is considerably less pressure on Supergirl to succeed at the level of Superman. It cost much less than the 2025 movie, with a reported budget of no more than $186 million. Reportedly, it only needs to earn $300 million worldwide in order to break even in theaters. There is still no guarantee that it will reach this benchmark, though, especially considering the fact that Supergirl reviews have been underwhelming, earning it a Rotten Tomatoes score of 57% that sees it slipping just over the edge into Rotten territory.
If it has the same trajectory as Superman relative to its opening weekend, it may not ultimately be able to clear $200 million worldwide. However, the most recent movies to gross almost exactly $300 million worldwide are 2023's Migration and 2019's Knives Out, which debuted with $12.4 million and $26.8 million respectively, so the kind of growth that Supergirl needs is hardly impossible.
Ultimately, especially with merchandising and its eventual physical media, VOD, and streaming releases, Supergirl could at least break even, even if it doesn't become a runaway hit. However, if the upcoming DCU movies, including 2026's Clayface, 2027's Man of Tomorrow, and the Batman movie The Brave and the Bold, perform similarly or even worse, the burgeoning film franchise may never be able to fully get off the ground.
