James Gunn‘s own words are now being used against him after Supergirl‘s reviews dropped. Critics and fans revisited his past promises about scripts and storytelling at DC Studios.
Supergirl’s mixed reviews bring backlash for James Gunn
Variety‘s Owen Gleiberman delivered a harsh verdict on Supergirl, calling it “super-horrendous.” He wrote that DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn has “given us a comic-book movie with the worst script I can remember.” The film currently sits at 57% on Rotten Tomatoes after reviews dropped on June 24.
Multiple critics echoed concerns about the film’s story and structure. Alison Willmore of Vulture called it an “aggressively minor movie” that “doesn’t know what to do with” its lead. The Associated Press noted the film “struggles to match Kara’s punk-rock energy with an equally spirited supporting cast and story.”
Gunn had previously addressed the delayed Authority movie on Threads last year. He wrote, “We won’t green light a film until we have a finished script we’re happy with.” The filmmaker emphasized, “It’s always gonna be quality first no matter what.”
His earlier comments about DC’s broader creative vision also resurfaced. During a 2023 interview, Gunn stated, “Storytelling is 100% king.” He explained that each project’s medium depends entirely on what the story requires. Gunn also previously called The Flash “one of the best superhero movies I’ve ever seen” (via Motion Pictures).
Those statements have now fueled backlash from critics across social media platforms. Alonso Duralde of The Film Verdict called Supergirl “a shambolic affair, cursed with underwhelming action and forgettable antagonists.”
Ana Nogueira wrote the screenplay, and Craig Gillespie directed the film. The movie stars Milly Alcock as Kara Zor-El alongside Matthias Schoenaerts, Eve Ridley, and Jason Momoa in key roles. Box office tracking reportedly projects an $80 million to $90 million worldwide opening weekend (via ComicBookMovie).
The film hits theaters on June 26 as the second film entry in Gunn’s new DC Universe.
Originally reported by Anubhav Chaudhry on SuperHeroHype.
