'Supergirl' falters at box office as Toy Story 5 wins again

DIRECT ANSWER: Warner Bros. and DC Studios' Supergirl opened to a weak $38 million domestic debut and $68 million worldwide, finishing second behind Toy Story 5 and falling about 24 percent below prerelease projections of $50 million. The result tests James Gunn and Peter Safran's rebooted DC Universe one year after Superman earned $618 million globally.

The gap between a proven toy-driven blockbuster and a freshly rebooted superhero saga has never looked wider at the summer box office. While families lined up again for Woody and Buzz, Milly Alcock's first solo outing as Kara Zor-El landed with a thud that surprised even executives who had already lowered their expectations. For anyone tracking how Hollywood's most valuable franchises evolve — from toy-aisle staples to billion-dollar theatrical empires — this weekend delivered a stark before-and-after snapshot.

Key Takeaways

• Supergirl collected roughly $38 million domestically and $68 million worldwide in its opening weekend, about 24 percent below analyst projections that were already considered disappointing.
• Toy Story 5 held the No. 1 spot with an estimated $70 million in its second weekend, reaching $297 million domestic and $585 million worldwide.
• DC Studios co-CEO Peter Safran told The New York Times the studio remains confident in its long-term DCU strategy despite the miss.
• The $170 million production received a rotten Rotten Tomatoes rating and a B-minus CinemaScore from opening-night audiences.
• Upcoming DCU projects include Clayface in October and the Superman sequel Man of Tomorrow in July 2027.

Why did 'Supergirl' stumble against 'Toy Story 5'?

In a setback for Warner Bros. and its DC Studios division, Supergirl arrived to weak ticket sales over the June 26 weekend. The Craig Gillespie-directed film, starring Alcock as Superman's cousin on an interplanetary quest, was on pace to take in about $38 million from Thursday through Sunday at theaters in the United States and Canada. It took in an additional $30 million overseas.

That placed it firmly in second place behind Toy Story 5, which collected an estimated $70 million in its second weekend and extended its domestic total to $297 million. The Pixar sequel's global haul reached $585 million — a reminder that toy brands with decades of nostalgia still command the broadest four-quadrant appeal in peak summer season. Supergirl opened from Warner Bros. and DC Studios on Friday and never seriously threatened the animated leader.

Prerelease tracking had already pointed to an opening closer to $50 million, a figure The New York Times noted had already been considered disappointing for a film that cost $170 million to make, plus tens of millions more to market. The final domestic number landed about 24 percent below even those tempered forecasts.

What does the box office miss mean for DC Studios' reboot?

Supergirl marks the second big-screen project from the DC Universe slate that Gunn and Safran unveiled in early 2023, shortly after assuming leadership of DC Studios. Last summer's Superman, starring David Corenswet, scored $618 million globally — an excellent start that USA Today said left audiences likening Corenswet to Christopher Reeve.

Supergirl was meant to prove the new universe could expand beyond its flagship hero. USA Today argued the rebooted DCU appears to be working creatively even if the numbers disagree: Gunn and Safran have prioritized distinct character-driven vibes over the connective-plot machinery that defined Marvel's early success. Supergirl stands largely on its own, with no post-credits scene teasing a larger team-up.

Yet the financial contrast is stark. Alcock's film needs serious help to approach Superman's $354 million domestic haul. The New York Times reported that box office analysts noted female-led superhero movies have been rejected almost uniformly over the past five years, perhaps reflecting a resurgent misogyny among the core fan base, which is largely male.

For readers who remember the previous DC era — when Zack Snyder's Man of Steel and Batman v Superman struggled to find footing and the so-called Snyder-verse split critics and audiences — Gunn's reboot still looks like creative progress even when receipts lag. Our Nostalgia: Then & Now coverage has tracked how each wave reframes the same icons for new audiences. This weekend suggests the latest version still has work to do turning on-screen goodwill into ticket sales beyond its Man of Steel anchor.

Is DC Studios still confident after the opening?

Yes — at least publicly. Speaking to The New York Times by telephone on Sunday, Safran acknowledged the disappointment while framing it as a single chapter in a longer rollout. "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," he said.

The Hollywood Reporter noted that Safran and Gunn remain committed to the slate they laid out in 2023. Clayface arrives in theaters in October, with Tom Rhys Harries in the lead. The Superman sequel Man of Tomorrow, again featuring Corenswet and Alcock, is scheduled for July 2027. The HBO series Lanterns, starring Kyle Chandler and Aaron Pierre as Green Lanterns Hal Jordan and John Stewart, is set to debut in August.

At the Supergirl premiere earlier in June, executive producer Lars P. Winther told The Hollywood Reporter that incoming Paramount Skydance chairman David Ellison has been supportive of the DC Universe slate following Department of Justice approval of Paramount's proposed acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery. "He's been great with us," Winther said.

What should audiences expect from the DCU next?

Despite Supergirl's soft launch, the broader theatrical marketplace remained healthy. Theaters in the United States and Canada were expected to sell about $153.5 million in tickets over the weekend, up 18 percent from the same period last year, according to Rentrak data cited by The New York Times. Hollywood is enjoying its strongest summer box office since the Covid-19 pandemic threatened to permanently alter moviegoing habits, even as individual franchise bets falter.

USA Today argued the new DCU's creative direction may matter more than any single opening weekend. Gunn has infused the Guardians of the Galaxy energy into a universe that no longer rushes toward a Batman-or-bust strategy. Superman is optimistic again; Supergirl is a jaded punk-rock youngster with a cool dog; Peacemaker wrestles with complicated issues on television. It is a deliberately eclectic approach built around stand-alone stories rather than a rushed assembly-line saga.

Whether that philosophy survives another expensive misfire is the question executives will face as Clayface and Man of Tomorrow approach. Supergirl may not have matched the toy-aisle dominance of Pixar's latest sequel, but DC Studios is betting the long game still belongs to characters, not just opening-weekend bragging rights. For now, the reboot has momentum on screen and a warning label at the box office — and both truths arrived in the same weekend.