Supergirl’s biggest test won’t be its box office results. The movie raises a much larger question that impacts the future of the DC Universe.
After briefly appearing in Superman, Milly Alcock now receives her own adventure as Kara Zor-El in Supergirl. Craig Gillespie directs Supergirl from a script by Ana Nogueira. James Gunn and Peter Safran will produce.
According to Deadline, Supergirl is projected to earn between $50 and $55 million at the domestic box office this weekend. That’s less than half of the $125 million that Superman made during its opening weekend last summer.
To say Supegirl’s opening weekend box office results don’t matter would be a lie. However, there is a much larger issue at play for the character’s role in the DCU.
What Supergirl could reveal about the future of the DCU
Supergirl marks the second movie in Gunn’s revamped DC Universe. With Superman, Gunn proved he could inject his filmmaking style into one of DC’s most important characters and audiences would respond positively. Thanks to favorable reviews and a global haul of $618 million, Superman is now getting a sequel, 2027’s Man of Tomorrow.
Superman was considered a crucial test for Gunn, since it kicked off his DCU. However, Superman was a known commodity. Reintroducing Clark Kent to audiences, though daunting, was not an impossible feat. Most people have heard of Superman.
How many moviegoers know about Kara Zor-El? The diehards have, but the casuals have little to no relationship with Superman’s cousin. That unfamiliarity is likely why Supergirl’s marketing includes over 80 sponsors in promotional partnerships and $100 million-plus in media value.
Gunn may not be directing Supergirl, but it’s by far his most important project in the DCU. Gunn’s goal with the DCU is to build a shared universe in which the characters can interact and be part of a larger, interconnected story. If Supergirl fails, where does Gunn go from here?
The DCU can’t just be Superman and Batman. There needs to be other characters that can stand on their own in the DC sandbox. Supergirl is being positioned as one of those characters, though Gillespie’s movie is not expected to be a box office juggernaut. Although a flop would be disastrous, audience reception to Supergirl is more important than an opening weekend figure.
Supergirl flies into theaters on June 26.
Originally reported by Dan Girolamo for SuperHeroHype.
