Warner Bros. and DC Studios hoped Supergirl would build box office momentum for James Gunn’s new DC Universe.
It didn’t.
Instead, the film stumbled out of the gate with a $37 million domestic opening weekend, one of the weakest starts for a major comic book movie in recent years.
While there have certainly been superhero movies that opened lower, many of Hollywood’s biggest and most infamous comic book box office disasters actually debuted to significantly larger audiences before collapsing in theaters.
That makes Supergirl‘s opening particularly noteworthy.
To put it into perspective, here are 10 comic book movie bombs that still managed to open better than Supergirl. For each film, we’ve included both its actual domestic opening weekend, its total global box office run, and an inflation-adjusted opening weekend estimate to better compare how many people actually bought tickets.
10. Morbius (2022)
Opening Weekend: $39.0 million
Worldwide Box Office: $167.5 million
Estimated Inflation-Adjusted Opening: ~$42 million
Jared Leto in Morbius – Sony
Sony’s vampire spin-off quickly became an internet meme after audiences rejected the film. Despite its poor reception and disappointing theatrical run, Morbius still managed to edge out Supergirl on opening weekend.
Sony hoped Morbius would become the next pillar of its Spider-Man Universe. Instead, critics panned the film, audiences largely ignored it after opening weekend, and the movie quickly became an internet punchline. The viral “It’s Morbin’ Time” meme even prompted Sony to re-release the film in theaters, where it bombed a second time.
Despite becoming one of the most ridiculed comic book movies of the modern era and finishing with just $167.5 million worldwide, Morbius still managed to open ahead of Supergirl. Its $39 million domestic debut may not have been impressive, but it was enough to edge out DC’s latest superhero film.
9. The Marvels (2023)
Opening Weekend: $46.1 million
Worldwide Box Office: $206.1 million
Estimated Inflation-Adjusted Opening: ~$48 million
(L-R): Iman Vellani as Ms. Marvel/Kamala Khan, Brie Larson as Captain Marvel/Carol Danvers, and Teyonah Parris as Captain Monica Rambeau in Marvel Studios’ THE MARVELS. Photo by Laura Radford. © 2023 MARVEL.
Marvel Studios expected The Marvels to continue the success of Captain Marvel, which had grossed more than $1.1 billion worldwide in 2019. Instead, the sequel suffered from weak audience interest, becoming the first Marvel Cinematic Universe film to open below $50 million domestically. It ultimately finished its theatrical run with just $206.1 million worldwide, making it the lowest-grossing MCU movie ever released and one of Disney’s biggest theatrical disappointments.
Despite earning a reputation as one of the MCU’s most significant box office failures, The Marvels still opened substantially stronger than Supergirl. Its $46.1 million domestic debut topped Supergirl‘s opening by more than 24%, highlighting just how soft the DC film’s initial turnout proved to be.
8. Green Lantern
Opening Weekend: $53.2 million
Worldwide Box Office: $237 million
Estimated Inflation-Adjusted Opening: ~$76 million
Ryan Reynolds as Green Lantern – Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. had enormous hopes for Green Lantern. Produced on a reported budget of around $200 million, the film was intended to launch a new DC franchise built around one of the publisher’s most iconic heroes. Instead, critics criticized its heavy reliance on CGI, audiences largely rejected it, and the planned sequels and shared universe were quietly abandoned. The film’s poor performance also turned it into a long-running punchline, with star Ryan Reynolds repeatedly mocking it in interviews and even in Deadpool.
Despite its reputation as one of the biggest comic book movie flops of the modern era, Green Lantern still drew significantly more moviegoers than Supergirl during its opening weekend. The film debuted to $53.2 million domestically and ultimately grossed $237 million worldwide. Adjusted for inflation, that opening weekend translates to roughly $76 million in 2026 dollars—meaning it sold approximately twice as many opening-weekend tickets as Supergirl managed 15 years later.
7. The Flash (2023)
Opening Weekend: $55.0 million
Worldwide Box Office: $271.4 million
Estimated Inflation-Adjusted Opening: ~$57 million
Ezra Miller as The Flash in The Flash – YouTube, DC
Warner Bros. entered The Flash with sky-high expectations. Studio executives and filmmakers (including James Gunn) repeatedly described it as one of the greatest superhero movies ever made, with Steven Spielberg and Tom Cruise praising it after private screenings and Warner Bros. CEO David Zaslav calling it “the best superhero movie” he had ever seen. The studio backed those claims with one of its biggest marketing campaigns in years, hoping The Flash would reset the DC Universe and become a major summer blockbuster.
Instead, the film struggled almost immediately. A combination of lead actor Ezra Miller’s highly publicized legal controversies, years of release delays, audience fatigue with the DCEU, and weak word-of-mouth after opening weekend led to a rapid box office slowdown. Despite costing an estimated $200 million or more to produce before marketing, The Flash finished its theatrical run with just $271.4 million worldwide, with multiple industry estimates placing its losses well into nine figures.
Even with that disappointing performance, The Flash still generated substantially more opening-weekend interest than Supergirl. It debuted to $55 million domestically, nearly 49% higher than Supergirl‘s $37 million opening. Adjusted for inflation, that opening rises to roughly $57 million in 2026 dollars, further illustrating that even one of DC’s most infamous modern box office failures brought significantly more moviegoers into theaters on its first weekend than Supergirl.
6. Black Adam (2022)
Opening Weekend: $67.0 million
Worldwide Box Office: $393.5 million
Estimated Inflation-Adjusted Opening: ~$72 million
The Rock as Black Adam – Warner Bros.
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Dwayne Johnson spent years championing Black Adam, repeatedly promising that “the hierarchy of power in the DC Universe” was about to change. Warner Bros. positioned the film as the beginning of a new era for DC, complete with the long-awaited return of Henry Cavill’s Superman in a post-credits scene that appeared to set up a blockbuster showdown between the two characters. Johnson publicly campaigned for Black Adam to become the centerpiece of the franchise, raising expectations that the film would reshape DC’s cinematic future.
That future never materialized. Despite opening to $67 million domestically and eventually earning $393.5 million worldwide, Black Adam reportedly failed to generate a theatrical profit after accounting for its massive production and marketing costs. Within months, James Gunn and Peter Safran took over DC Studios, Cavill’s return as Superman was scrapped, and Johnson’s plans for the character effectively came to an end.
Even though Black Adam is widely remembered as a financial disappointment and the film that failed to launch Johnson’s vision for the DC Universe, it still dramatically outperformed Supergirl during its opening weekend. Its $67 million domestic debut was more than 81% higher than Supergirl‘s $37 million opening. Adjusted for inflation, that figure rises to roughly $72 million in 2026 dollars, illustrating that even one of DC’s most high-profile box office disappointments drew substantially more moviegoers in its first weekend than Supergirl.
5. Eternals (2021)
Opening Weekend: $71.3 million
Worldwide Box Office: $402.1 million
Estimated Inflation-Adjusted Opening: ~$79 million
(L-R): Kingo (Kumail Nanjiani), Makkari (Lauren Ridloff), Gilgamesh (Don Lee), Thena (Angelina Jolie), Ikaris (Richard Madden), Ajak (Salma Hayek), Sersi (Gemma Chan), Sprite (Lia McHugh), Phastos (Brian Tyree Henry) and Druig (Barry Keoghan) in Marvel Studios’ ETERNALS. Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios. ©Marvel Studios 2021. All Rights Reserved.
Marvel Studios had enormous ambitions for Eternals. Directed by Academy Award winner Chloé Zhao and featuring an ensemble cast that included Angelina Jolie, Salma Hayek, Richard Madden, Gemma Chan, Kit Harington, and Kumail Nanjiani, the film was intended to introduce a new corner of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and lay the groundwork for future stories involving the Celestials and other cosmic characters.
Instead, Eternals became one of the MCU’s most divisive releases. It earned the distinction of becoming the first Marvel Cinematic Universe film to receive a “Rotten” score on Rotten Tomatoes, while audiences were similarly split on its slower pacing and mythology-heavy storytelling. Although it ultimately grossed $402.1 million worldwide, the film failed to generate the enthusiasm Marvel had hoped for, and years later there is still no official Eternals sequel on the release schedule despite numerous dangling plot threads.
Even with its mixed reception and disappointing legacy, Eternals still dramatically outperformed Supergirl during its opening weekend. The film debuted to $71.3 million domestically, nearly 93% higher than Supergirl‘s $37 million opening. Adjusted for inflation, that opening rises to roughly $79 million in 2026 dollars, showing that even one of Marvel’s most polarizing theatrical releases attracted nearly twice as many opening-weekend moviegoers as Supergirl.
4. Thunderbolts (2025)
Opening Weekend: $76.0 million
Worldwide Box Office: Approximately $382 million
Estimated Inflation-Adjusted Opening: ~$76 million
The Thunderbolts uniting in Marvel’s Thunderbolts – YouTube, Marvel Entertainment
Marvel Studios hoped Thunderbolts would breathe new life into the MCU by bringing together a team of antiheroes and morally gray characters from across previous Marvel films and Disney+ series. Featuring Florence Pugh, Sebastian Stan, David Harbour, Wyatt Russell, Hannah John-Kamen, Olga Kurylenko, and Julia Louis-Dreyfus, the film received stronger reviews than several recent Marvel releases. However, positive reviews failed to translate into the kind of audience turnout the studio needed for such an expensive production.
While Thunderbolts opened to $76 million domestically, its theatrical momentum faded quickly in the weeks that followed. The film ultimately finished with approximately $382 million worldwide, well below the level typically needed for a superhero film carrying a blockbuster budget and global marketing campaign to become profitable. Industry analysts widely viewed the movie as another sign that Marvel’s once-unstoppable theatrical dominance had weakened.
Despite ultimately joining the growing list of comic book movie disappointments, Thunderbolts still dramatically outperformed Supergirl during its opening weekend. Its $76 million domestic debut was more than 105% higher than Supergirl‘s $37 million opening. Because both films were released in 2025 and 2026, inflation has little impact on the comparison, with Thunderbolts‘ opening remaining roughly $76 million in 2026 dollars—more than double the opening-weekend audience that Supergirl attracted.
3. Captain America: Brave New World (2025)
Opening Weekend: $88.8 million
Worldwide Box Office: Approximately $415 million
Estimated Inflation-Adjusted Opening: ~$89 million
Captain America/Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) in Marvel Studios’ CAPTAIN AMERICA: BRAVE NEW WORLD, exclusively on Disney+. Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios. © 2024 MARVEL.
Marvel Studios positioned Captain America: Brave New World as the beginning of a new era for one of the MCU’s flagship heroes, with Anthony Mackie making his first theatrical appearance as Sam Wilson’s Captain America after taking up the shield in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. However, the production was plagued by reports of extensive reshoots, creative changes, and concerns about the film’s story long before it reached theaters. While it posted a $88.8 million domestic opening weekend, audience enthusiasm faded quickly as mixed reviews and word-of-mouth took their toll.
The film ultimately finished with approximately $415 million worldwide, a disappointing result for a movie carrying a rumored post-reshoot production budget of over $300 million before marketing costs. Rather than becoming the triumphant launch of a new Captain America era, Brave New World joined the growing list of recent Marvel films that failed to match the box office dominance the studio once enjoyed.
Even so, Captain America: Brave New World attracted far more moviegoers than Supergirl during its opening weekend. Its $88.8 million domestic debut was approximately 140% higher than Supergirl‘s $37 million launch. Because the two films were released only a year apart, inflation has virtually no effect on the comparison, with Brave New World‘s opening remaining roughly $89 million in 2026 dollars—well over double the opening-weekend audience that turned out for Supergirl.
2. Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023)
Opening Weekend: $106.1 million
Worldwide Box Office: $476.1 million
Estimated Inflation-Adjusted Opening: ~$110 million
Evangeline Lily as the Wasp and Paul Rudd as Ant-Man in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania – Disney, Marvel
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Marvel Studios intended Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania to do far more than simply continue the Ant-Man franchise. The film was designed to launch the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Multiverse Saga in earnest by introducing Kang the Conqueror as the franchise’s next overarching villain following Thanos. Marvel heavily marketed Jonathan Majors’ Kang as the MCU’s next great threat, making Quantumania one of the studio’s most important releases in years.
While the film opened to $106.1 million domestically, audience enthusiasm evaporated almost immediately. Quantumania suffered one of the steepest second-weekend drops in MCU history, ultimately finishing with $476.1 million worldwide—a disappointing result for a film carrying a reported production budget approaching $200 million before marketing costs. The situation only worsened after Jonathan Majors was convicted of assault and subsequently fired by Marvel, forcing the studio to abandon its Kang-centric plans and completely rethink the direction of the Multiverse Saga.
Even though Quantumania is now widely viewed as one of Marvel’s biggest modern theatrical disappointments, it still generated dramatically more opening-weekend interest than Supergirl. Its $106.1 million domestic debut was nearly 187% higher than Supergirl‘s $37 million opening. Adjusted for inflation, that launch is worth roughly $110 million in 2026 dollars, meaning nearly three times as many moviegoers showed up for Quantumania‘s opening weekend as they did for Supergirl.
1. The Fantastic Four: First Steps (2025)
Opening Weekend: $117.6 million
Worldwide Box Office: Approximately $521 million
Estimated Inflation-Adjusted Opening: ~$118 million
The cast of Fantastic Four: First Steps – YouTube, Marvel Entertainment
Marvel Studios believed The Fantastic Four: First Steps would mark a triumphant beginning for Marvel’s First Family in the MCU. The studio assembled a high-profile cast led by Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach, gave the film one of the biggest marketing campaigns of the year, and positioned it as a cornerstone of the MCU’s future. Those efforts paid off initially, with the film opening to $117.6 million domestically, the largest debut on this list.
Unfortunately for Disney, that early momentum proved difficult to sustain. The Fantastic Four: First Steps suffered a sharp second-weekend decline and has remained on a trajectory well below the level generally associated with profitability for a tentpole carrying a blockbuster production budget and global marketing campaign. While Disney may ultimately point to streaming, home entertainment, and merchandise revenue when evaluating the project, its theatrical performance alone has led many analysts to question whether the film can justify its enormous investment.
Even so, The Fantastic Four: First Steps generated far more opening-weekend interest than Supergirl. Its $117.6 million domestic debut was more than three times larger than Supergirl‘s $37 million opening. Because the two films were released only a year apart, inflation has almost no effect on the comparison, with The Fantastic Four: First Steps still equating to roughly $118 million in 2026 dollars—showing just how much stronger initial audience interest was, even for a film now widely viewed as one of 2025’s biggest theatrical disappointments
Supergirl Finds Itself in Uncomfortable Company
Opening weekend isn’t everything. Plenty of films have overcome soft starts through strong word of mouth, while others have collapsed after enormous debuts.
But opening weekend does measure one critical thing: initial audience interest.
Supergirl using Heat Vision in the Supergirl trailer – YouTube, DC
That’s what makes Supergirl‘s $37 million domestic debut so notable. Many of the comic book films now remembered as cautionary tales—Morbius, The Marvels, Green Lantern, The Flash, Black Adam, Eternals, Thunderbolts, Captain America: Brave New World, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, and The Fantastic Four: First Steps—all opened to larger crowds before ultimately disappointing at the box office.
Viewed through the lens of inflation, the gap is even wider. Older films like Green Lantern sold dramatically more tickets than their raw dollar totals suggest, while more recent releases still comfortably outpaced Supergirl. For Warner Bros. and DC Studios, that’s a troubling sign, because opening weekend is when audience curiosity is typically at its highest.
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