Warner Bros. and DC Studios continue to watch Supergirl unravel at the box office as the film has now been dropped by more than 1,000 theaters in North America after just two weeks after its release.
The latest setback comes as the film’s domestic earnings continue to collapse, adding further fuel to concerns that James Gunn’s rebooted DC Universe has stumbled out of the gate in spectacular fashion.
After opening far below already-muted expectations, Supergirl has struggled to maintain any momentum. Now, with exhibitors rapidly replacing the film with stronger performers, its theatrical run appears to be entering its final stages far sooner than anyone at Warner Bros. likely hoped.
More Than 1,000 Theaters Have Already Moved On
Following its second weekend, Supergirl lost over 1,000 theaters across North America, falling from approximately 3,600 locations to just 2,584 heading into its third weekend.
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That kind of drop is an unmistakable signal that theater owners no longer see enough audience demand to justify giving the film premium screen space.
The result was predictable.
During its third weekend, Supergirl earned just $3.5 million domestically, tumbling completely out of the domestic top five and finishing well behind several competing releases, including the low-budget indie horror film Obsession which was entering its ninth weekend.
For a film reportedly carrying a production budget in the neighborhood of $170 million, those numbers are catastrophic.
A Box Office Collapse Few Expected This Quickly
Even before release, expectations had already been lowered.
Early projections suggested an opening weekend around $55 million, itself hardly an impressive figure considering the film’s enormous budget. Instead, Supergirl opened to just $37.1 million, missing even those reduced expectations by nearly $18 million.
Things only deteriorated from there.
A clip from Supergirl – DC
The film suffered an astonishing 77% second-weekend drop, one of the steepest declines ever recorded for a modern DC film.
Rather than stabilizing, the downward trend accelerated.
With only $3.5 million earned during weekend three, Supergirl now sits at roughly $66 million domestically and approximately $115 million worldwide.
Those numbers place it among the weakest-performing theatrical DC releases in decades.
Warner Bros. Appears Ready to Cut Its Losses
Reports have also begun circulating that Warner Bros. plans to move Supergirl to digital platforms far earlier than usual.
While the studio has not officially confirmed a release date, multiple reports indicate the film could arrive on Premium Video on Demand before the end of July—barely a month after its theatrical debut.
Jason Momoa as Lobo in a Supergirl ad – YouTube @dcofficial
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If that happens, it would represent another sign that Warner Bros. has little confidence in the film’s remaining box office potential.
Studios generally shorten theatrical windows only when it becomes clear a movie has exhausted its earning power.
Given how rapidly theaters are dropping Supergirl, that appears to be exactly what has happened.
James Gunn’s DC Universe Faces Serious Questions
When James Gunn and Peter Safran unveiled their plans for a completely rebooted DC Universe, fans were promised a fresh start that would restore confidence in the brand.
Instead, the early returns have raised far more questions than answers.
Supergirl now appears destined to become one of the biggest financial disappointments in DC history.
Krypto the Super Dog in the Supergirl Trailer – YouTube, DC
Even reaching $130 million worldwide, which would bring it near the total of DC flop The Blue Beetle, now looks increasingly difficult.
For comparison, many trade publications once speculated the film could approach $200 million worldwide, a number that itself would have represented a disappointing outcome for a production of this size.
Reality has proven far worse.
With Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey arriving in theaters and additional summer competition continuing to crowd multiplexes, there’s little reason to expect Supergirl to reverse course.
A Rough Beginning for the New DC Era
Whether fans supported or opposed James Gunn’s vision for DC, few expected the franchise to stumble this dramatically so early into its new chapter.
Losing more than 1,000 theaters after only two weeks is not something that happens to healthy theatrical releases.
James Gunn sits for an interview – YouTube, GQ
Combined with collapsing weekend grosses, reports of an accelerated digital release, and worldwide totals that remain shockingly low relative to the film’s budget, the picture becomes increasingly difficult to ignore.
Warner Bros. may soon shift its focus toward future DC projects, but Supergirl now looks poised to be remembered less as the launch of an exciting new era and more as another painful reminder that audiences still aren’t buying what DC is selling.
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