Supergirl Crosses $100M Worldwide, But Second-Weekend Drop Worsens DCU Woes
Supergirl has finally pushed its worldwide total beyond the $100 million mark, but its second weekend in theaters delivered one of the steepest superhero drops on record—an outcome that further complicates the DCU’s already shaky momentum.
For DC Studios’ second outing, the numbers remain grim. Even with a global haul of $100.47 million, Supergirl—starring Milly Alcock in the lead role—pulled in only $9.6 million in domestic markets and $9.4 million internationally during its second weekend.
That performance represents a sharp 74% decline from last weekend’s $37.1 million domestic opening, underlining how difficult it is for the film to sustain interest. The setback lands Supergirl in the same conversation as other comic book adaptations that saw historically weak second-weekend holds, including Joker: Folie à Deux (81%), Morbius (74%), The Marvels (78%), and The Flash (72%). With the holiday weekend now over, the movie’s worldwide figure sits just above $100 million, currently ranking fourth on the global chart behind Minions & Monsters (first), Toy Story 5 (second), and Young Washington (third).
Supergirl was already labeled a box office disappointment at launch. After its June 26 premiere, it opened to a worldwide total of $68 million. The production was reportedly built on a $170 million budget, while marketing was said to add another $120 million—figures that would put the break-even point at roughly $300 million.
Before the early downturn, industry expectations reportedly had the theatrical run landing near $200 million, which would translate to about a $100 million shortfall. However, a second-weekend drop of 74% suggests Warner Bros. and DC will likely need an unusually strong push to even approach those earlier projections. Even with Supergirl positioned as the second chapter in the DCU and a major moment for DC Studios, the size of the decline implies it may be a while before the situation improves.
“While Supergirl didn’t meet our box office expectations,” DC Studios co-CEO Safran said following the film’s underwhelming opening weekend, “it’s just one component of a broader, long-term strategy at DC Studios that we remain confident in.”
What’s next for the DCU in 2026 and beyond
Despite Supergirl’s struggles, DC fans are still watching the rest of the slate closely—especially since Superman kicked off the DCU with momentum that the universe now needs to maintain. The next film on the calendar is Clayface, a body-horror spin-off planned for an October 2026 release. After that, Man of Tomorrow is currently set to arrive in July 2027 as the next Superman sequel. For television, Lanterns is scheduled to premiere in August.
- Clayface is slated for an October 2026 release as a horror-focused offshoot.
- Man of Tomorrow is planned for July 2027 to continue the Superman story.
- Lanterns is scheduled to launch in August for TV viewers.
Alcock is expected to return for Man of Tomorrow. Safran also teased that her character will play a meaningful part in later DCU projects. For additional context, a Supergirl review gave the film a 6/10 score, and behind-the-scenes reporting also points to creative disagreements between James Gunn and director Craig Gillespie that may have influenced the final version.
Michael Cripe is a freelance writer with IGN. He’s best known for work at sites like The Pitch, The Escapist, and OnlySP. Follow him on Bluesky (mikecripe.bsky.social) and Twitter (MikeCripe).
