James Gunn made the right call in releasing a shorter cut of Supergirl instead of the final cut produced by director Craig Gillespie. The new DCU movie centered around the Girl of Steel has failed to take off with audiences and is projected to be a flop. However, new reports indicate that that Gillespie’s cut would have exacerbated flaws that the theatrical release attempted to address.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, DC Studios had concerns about Supergirl almost immediately after it finished filming in May 2025. Chief among these were the final fight scene and the film’s musical score. This last point was reportedly a particularly sore topic between Gunn and Gillespie, who are both famed for their use of “needle drops” in their movies.
In the end, there were at least four test screenings, from December 2026 to March 2026. These showed two different edits of Supergirl. It is presumed that one was handled by Gillespie’s editing partner, Tatiana S. Riegel, while the other was by Fred Raskin; a frequent collaborator of both James Gunn and Quentin Tarantino.
How the Gillespie Cut changes Supergirl’s story
Beyond the music, the THR report noted only two differences between the two cuts of Supergirl. The first was that Gillespie’s cut was 11 minutes longer. The other was that it featured more scenes of the movie’s villain, Krem of the Yellow Hills. However, more specific details emerged in a Threads post by filmmaker Paul Moore.
Moore claimed to have attended one of the test screenings for the Gillespie cut of Supergirl. He said the longer cut had more scenes of Kara Zor-El “out of commission” and talking with Ruthye. This presumably refers to the sequence where Kara is poisoned by a green sun and hiding in a cave. Another Threads user, yomi_onakireheme, confirmed Moore’s report and the THR reports that the Gillespie cut had more scenes centered around Krem of the Yellow Hills.
These details are further borne out by an X post by journalist Dan Marcus, made shortly after Supergirl’s release. Marcus saw the Gillespie cut in February and reported it opened with the Argo City sequence. It also had a scene in which Krem spoke to Ruthye and discussed his plans to make her his “bride,” after discussing his own history as a victim of child abuse.
What the reported Gillespie Cut changes would have meant for Supergirl
Most of the negative reviews of Supergirl from fans and professional critics featured complaints regarding these same points. They agreed with Paul Moore’s opinion that the final theatrical release made Kara Zor-El seem “ineffective rather than troubled.” They also agree the movie already has too much of Krem, who serves more as a boogieman than a serious threat.
Given that, it is hard to see how the 11 minutes removed from the Gillespie cut of Supergirl could have possibly improved it. Indeed, it seems releasing the Gillespie cut would have only aggravated the film’s largest flaws. And yet, there are now demands on social media for DC to #ReleaseThe GillespieCut. However, these demands largely come from sources that are seemingly more interested in humiliating James Gunn than supporting another director’s vision.
