Supergirl's Box-Office Bomb and the Creative Clash Behind Its Production

Supergirl, starring Milly Alcock and directed by Craig Gillespie, wrapped filming in May 2025. By fall, James Gunn and Peter Safran deemed it “not working,” leading to a December test described as “just okay.” The studio assumed post-production control, added writer Jeremy Slater, and shot nine days of additional footage. Four test screenings kept scores in the 60s, briefly reaching the low-70s. In early 2026 a bake-off pitted Gillespie’s 11-minute-longer cut (more villain Krem) against a studio edit overseen by Gunn’s editor Fred Raskin; the studio version edged out the director’s by two points and opened on June 26, 2026, earning $37.1 million—slightly below Joker: Folie à Deux’s $37.6 million.

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Gunn and Safran took over DC Studios in 2023 to broaden the brand beyond Gunn-directed films. Supergirl, the first DC title not written or directed by Gunn after the 2025 Superman debut, entered post-production concerns in fall 2025, leading to the December test, reshoot, February and March screenings, and the final bake-off.

James Gunn Shelved Original Supergirl Cut After Creative Clash With Director

The production budget was $170-180 million, with roughly $120 million spent on marketing. Industry estimates placed the break-even point at $300-350 million. The film’s worldwide gross reached about $83.3 million, projecting a loss near $100 million. Test scores never exceeded the 60s, with the highest reported at 70.

James Gunn Shelved Original Supergirl Cut After Creative Clash With Director

DC Studios framed the underperformance as one element of a broader, long-term plan. Gunn and Safran said they will keep guiding the slate, which includes upcoming titles Clayface, Man of Tomorrow (July 9 2027) and Batman: Part II (Oct 1 2027). Gunn has praised the film publicly.

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IGN gave the film 6/10, noting Alcock’s performance “gets lost in the spare parts from other movies.” Fans mocked the soundtrack, especially the Jimmy Eat World cover of “The Middle.” Some insiders called the clash “not creatively aligned,” while others saw it as normal friction.

IGN Entertainment

Sources disagree on the test-score ceiling—some say the highest was 60, others a low-70. Jeremy Slater’s exact role in the reshoot is unclear, and Gillespie’s longer cut has not been released, leaving open the prospect of a director’s cut.

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• “They were not creatively aligned’ is the polite way of describing things.” — Insider, DC Studios

James Gunn Shelved Original Supergirl Cut After Creative Clash With Director

• “It happens more than you think, but it’s not normal,” — Unnamed filmmaker

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• “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,” — Peter Safran, New York Times interview

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DC Studios faces Warner Brothers’ pending Paramount acquisition and a Gen Z audience less keen on superhero films. Fan interest in a “Gillespie Cut” mirrors past alternate-cut campaigns, though no official plan exists.

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