‘Supergirl’ Braces for $100 Million Loss: What DC Studios Should Learn From Its Box Office Bomb
In “Supergirl,” a melodramatic cover of Jimmy Eat World’s “The Middle” scores a climactic battle sequence, with the song’s lyrics meant to offer encouragement to the plucky heroine: “Hey, don’t write yourself off yet…”
Yet the initial box office results for “Supergirl” would suggest that audiences are, in fact, writing off the film — and continuing to reject lesser-known comic book protagonists. The Warner Bros. and DC Studios adaptation, which centers on Superman’s cousin Kara Zor-El, misfired with $37 million in North America and $67 million globally in its opening weekend. After launching below expectations, the big-budget film is shaping up to be a money loser for the studio, as well as a major setback for the newly rebooted DC Universe.
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Warner Bros. and DC spent $170 million to produce and roughly $120 million to market the comic book adventure, which takes place in outer space as Supergirl and an alien girl named Ruthye embark on a quest for vengeance and justice. Those lackluster initial ticket sales are concerning because “Supergirl” hasn’t been widely embraced by the general public, and there’s intense competition during the height of summer movie season, which could hobble the film’s box office staying power. Next weekend sees the release of another family-friendly film, Universal’s animated “Minions & Monsters,” while Disney’s live-action “Moana,” Christopher Nolan’s “The Odyssey” and Sony’s “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” round out the month of July.
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“This was always going to be a tough hurdle for DC and Warner Bros. because Supergirl isn’t a character that has ever created an event-level blockbuster,” says analyst Jeff Bock of Exhibitor Relations. “Audience perception of ‘Supergirl’ was not good. This is just a case of the film wasn’t good enough to become an event.”
Traditionally, a movie on the scale of “Supergirl” would need to earn at least $375 million to break even because theater owners get to keep about half of box office returns. However, a source close to “Supergirl” puts the film’s breakeven number at closer to $300 million.
“Supergirl” is projected to stall at a lifetime gross of $100 million domestically and $200 million to $210 million globally. If the movie reaches those metrics (and that would require a decent hold), “Supergirl” stands to lose $100 million to $120 million in its theatrical run, according to sources with knowledge of the economics of similar films. A source familiar with the financials of “Supergirl” believe the losses will be closer to $80 million to $85 million, assuming that worldwide ticket sales reach at least $200 million. Warner Bros. faces an even larger write-down should “Supergirl” fail to hit $200 million by the time the film leaves the big screen. It’s the second notable flop in 2026 for Warner Bros. following this spring’s “The Bride!” which flatlined with $23 million worldwide against a $90 million budget. The studio had two modest wins with February’s “Wuthering Heights” and April’s “Lee Cronin’s The Mummy,” but so far its track record has failed to match the impressive run in 2025 when films like “Sinners,” “A Minecraft Movie” and “Weapons” topped charts.
Sources close to the production say “Supergirl” has a lower breakeven point than a typical film of this size because the cast and creatives don’t have backend deals. A-listers like Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga (the stars of 2024’s bomb “Joker: Folie à Deux”) can negotiate first-dollar gross, meaning that in addition to their multimillion dollar salaries, they receive a percentage of box office revenue before the studio recoups any costs. That’s not the case with “Supergirl,” which stars “House of the Dragon” breakout Milly Alcock in her film debut. She was paid around $400,000 to play the eponymous character and would have received only a small box office bonus if the film were successful.
“Supergirl” is the follow-up to last summer’s “Superman,” which restarted the Warner Bros-backed DC Universe under the direction of James Gunn and Peter Safran. Buoyed by strong reviews, “Superman,” starring David Corenswet as the Man of Steel, launched to $125 million and eventually earned $618 million globally. Those returns were deemed a hit at a time when the superhero genre has been showing signs of wear and tear.
After the debut of “Superman,” Warner Bros. Discovery’s CEO David Zaslav championed the “bold 10-year plan” of the new DC Universe, saying the “vision is clear, the momentum is real.” Yet that kind of celebration may have been premature; “Supergirl” underscores the real challenges that come with building an interconnected film franchise — especially one that’s attempting to rival Disney’s Marvel Cinematic Universe.
“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.
Before the pandemic, superhero movies of all shapes and sizes were seemingly untouchable at the box office. Audiences would reliably buy a ticket no matter who was on screen. Case in point: Sony’s 2018 “Spider-Man” spinoff “Venom,” which was saddled with comically terrible reviews, was a juggernaut with $856 million worldwide. After dominating in theaters for nearly two decades, comic book adaptations are no longer bulletproof. As moviegoers have become more selective about their costumed heroes, even the MCU has struck out in post-COVID times with films that center on lesser-known heroes, including 2025’s “Thunderbolts” or “Captain America: Brave New World.”
“We’ve seen so many superhero movies, but I hesitate to label it as fatigue,” says Shawn Robbins, director of movie analytics at Fandango and founder of Box Office Theory. “It’s a fatigue of seeing the same type of movies. Audiences don’t inherently want superheroes to be part of a universe. They want to see something different.”
The poor start for “Supergirl” doesn’t mean it’s over for DC Studios or superhero adventures in general. Marquee characters, who basked in the spotlight in hits like 2022’s “The Batman” and 2024’s “Deadpool & Wolverine,” remain wildly popular. Sony’s “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” (July 31), a sequel to 2021’s juggernaut “No Way Home,” and Disney’s “Avengers: Doomsday” (Dec. 18), are expected to be two of the year’s highest-grossing releases. And DC should score with next summer’s “Superman: Man of Tomorrow,” a sequel that brings Corenswet’s Clark Kent back to the forefront.
“There will always be superhero movies, but genres ebb and flow over time” Robbins says. “We’re entering an era where superhero movies are going to be more selectively produced.”
And when studios do greenlight movies about comic-book characters who aren’t household names, they’ll need to economize on the production budget and marketing spend. Analysts say a film about Supergirl can’t cost the same amount as the next “Batman” or “Superman,” who are DC’s two biggest A-listers. One reason that 2019’s billion-dollar smash “Joker” was so profitable was because the origin story about the notorious villain was made for just $62 million. Box office watchers are encouraged that DC’s next effort, the body-horror film “Clayface” (Oct. 23), carries a modest $40 million production budget.
“Superhero movies can still be marketable, but studios need to ask themselves, ‘Are casual moviegoers going to our film?’ When you are spending $150 million to $200 million, it needs to feel culturally inevitable,” Bock says. “Otherwise, smaller films with less risk is the way to go.”
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Badenoch blasts 'moaning' female Labour MPs over Burnham jobs 'quota'
Kemi Badenoch has told Labour women to earn a job in Andy Burnham's Cabinet instead of demanding they are handed jobs because of their gender.
The Tory leader lashed out today amid reports that female MPs are demanding the de-facto new prime minister introduce a 50:50 gender split 'quota' in his government.
Amid reports that former foreign secretary David Miliband is being lined up to return to the role, possibly with his brother Ed as Chancellor, one female minister also complained that Burnham could not have 'more Milibands than women' in the top posts.
But in a scathing article in the Times today Mrs Badenoch told them to 'stop moaning' and get chosen on merit instead of retreating into 'more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country'.
'There are many, many reasons why you shouldn't have any Milibands in the cabinet,' she said.
'But complaining that the boys haven't given them the right jobs or that the boys are taking all the jobs, just shows that Labour's women still don't get it.'
The idea of quotas was also attacked by Baroness Jacqui Smith, Labour's Skills Minister.
Asked by Times Radio if Mr Burnham should reserve jobs for women, she said: 'No, I think what Andy Burnham should be doing is building the very best team around him to change this country.'
A letter written by the Women's Parliamentary Labour Party has called on Mr Burnham to ensure a 50:50 split between men and women in government jobs
Amid reports that former foreign secretary David Miliband (above, right, in 2010) is being lined up to return to the role, possibly with his brother Ed as Chancellor, one female minister complained that Burnham could not have 'more Milibands than women' in the top posts
But Mrs Badenoch told them to pipe down and get chosen on merit instead of retreating into 'more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country'
A letter written by the Women's Parliamentary Labour Party and seen by the BBC has called on Mr Burnham to ensure a 50:50 split between men and women in government jobs after he succeeds Sir Keir Starmer.
'We are asking you to demonstrate this change from day one and address the toxicity and misogyny within our own party and government,' it said.
Labour has never had a female leader, while the Conservatives have had three, and Mrs Badenoch urged the government to follow its meritocratic example.
'If you run a meritocracy, then you do not have to worry about jobs for the boys,' she wrote.
'Every woman who is a Conservative MP, every woman who has ever won the leadership, has had to fight to get where she is.
'By contrast, Labour women are demanding guarantees from Burnham. But the truth is he doesn't have to give any guarantees.
'If none of Labour's women are prepared to get their hands dirty and challenge him for the leadership, their demands are toothless.'
'In fact, it's quite revealing that the women's parliamentary Labour Party has written to Burnham asking him to commit himself to at least 50 per cent female ministers.
'This has nothing to do with meritocracy. It is yet more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country.'
Venezuela Fury and Noah Price subsidising their life by livestreaming
Venezuela Fury and her husband Noah Price look to be making their own way in the world by raking it in from their lucrative social media accounts.
The influencer daughter of Tyson and Paris Fury, 16, has become an internet sensation after tying the knot with her husband Noah, 19, earlier this year.
Since getting married and moving in together the couple have been earning thousands of pounds a month, livestreaming their life as newlyweds in their static caravan in the East Riding of Yorkshire.
And fans can't get enough of their regular life updates on TikTok and Kick, which have proved to be very profitable for the pair.
They look to be supporting themselves after Noah denied that he was given £5million by Venezuela's family as a wedding gift.
Despite his wife's huge family wealth, an estimated combined £160 million, Noah recently told his Kick followers that he 'pays for everything' for the couple.
Making light of the claims about Venezuela's millionaire financial status, Noah said: 'I actually pay for everything unfortunately. You'd expect the millionaire to pay for it wouldn't you.'
Venezuela Fury and Noah Price are earning thousands livestreaming their caravan life - after her new groom insisted he pays all the bills and denied he had £5m handout from her dad
The influencer daughter of Tyson and Paris Fury , 16, has become an internet sensation after tying the knot with her husband Noah, 19, earlier this year
Venezuela then asked their fans: 'Do you think I am a millionaire?'
Noah joked: 'She isn't a secret millionaire guys', before she broke into song and sang: 'But I live like a millionaire!'
But it seems according to estimated calculations from their social media work, Noah and Venezuela can more than afford to support themselves.
Noah has been livestreaming on platforms such as Kick and TikTok, where viewers can send paid gifts or donations.
He was previously encouraging viewers to send gifts on his honeymoon during livestreams, suggesting this is one revenue stream.
Both Noah and Venezuela have built substantial followings on Instagram and TikTok. They can potentially earn money through sponsored posts, brand collaborations, affiliate links and creator payouts.
Kick allows its creators to take home 95 per cent of the £4.99 subscription cost that fans pay.
Streamers keep 100 per cent of direct tips and donations, minus minor standard payment processing fees.
It is unclear how many subscribers Noah currently has because this information is hidden, but he does have 7,200 followers which is publicly viewable.
An industry insider has suggested Noah is making around £400 per video on TikTok, while Venezuela is likely to make £2,000 due to her following count of 1.3 million.
An industry insider has suggested Noah is making around £400 per video on TikTok, while Venezuela is likely to make £2,000 due to her following count of 1.3 million
In one video on their honeymoon, Noah asked his followers if they'd give them some more gifts now that they were married.
In a TikTok live viewed by 20,000 he said: 'Keep liking our videos people, keep sending gifts.'
After saying thank you to several of his followers he joked they should stick around on the livestream and 'watch Venezuela punch me in the mouth'.
The other half of the honeymooning couple said: 'I am, honestly!'
Noah previously confirmed that the pair don't share their finances after they were asked whether they have a shared bank account.
'She earns her money, I earn mine,' said Noah, as Venezuela joked: 'Yeah, what you gonna do about it.'
Noah went on to debunk the rumour that Tyson gave him £5million when he tied the knot with his daughter as he insisted: 'No Tyson did not give me £5million'.
Meanwhile Venezuela is being eyed up by executives for a fly on the wall TV series.
Noah went on to debunk the rumour that Tyson gave him £5million when he tied the knot with his daughter as he insisted: 'No Tyson did not give me £5million'
Boasting 1.3 million TikTok followers, Venezuela is already entertaining fans with her honest musings and candid moments, from cooking to kitting out her and Noah's static caravan home.
And following the success of the Netflix series At Home With The Furys, it is no wonder bosses are wanting to draw on the Fury popularity.
A TV insider said: 'The couple are not A-list celebrities but everyone has become obsessed with their love story.
'People are genuinely intrigued by them. Whether it’s the fact they have married so young, Venezuela’s famous family or their gypsy lifestyle, they have the ‘X factor'.
'Several TV executives think a proper fly-on-the-wall series following their lives as newlyweds in the gypsy community would be fascinating,' they told The Sun.
It is thought Netflix would be likely to produce the series due to their already established relationship with the Furys.
Venezuela's representatives told The Daily Mail: 'We have many offers on the table regarding Venezuela which we are discussing.'
