Supergirl’s early box office tests DC’s Batman-free plan

Supergirl opening – Milly Alcock’s “Supergirl” is off to a $38 million opening weekend, landing the rebooted DC universe in a new kind of bet: fewer interconnected sagas, more character-driven energy, and no Batman to anchor the franchise. Director Craig Gillespie and DC Studios

When “Supergirl” opens with an estimated $38 million weekend, the number is more than a scoreboard. It’s a stress test for the rebooted DC movie universe—and for a strategy that’s almost defiantly simple: keep Batman out of the room and trust the cousins instead.

The film stars Australian actress Milly Alcock as Supergirl. in her own solo adventure. following last summer’s “Superman. ” which served as David Corenswet’s Man of Steel debut. Corenswet’s performance helped “Superman” reach a reported $354 million domestic haul. placing it as the third-highest domestic total for all of 2025. “Supergirl,” by contrast, is still early enough in its run that it has plenty of catching up to do.

The gap between those domestic numbers matters because it lands the reboot in the middle of a bigger marketplace question. The Marvel Cinematic Universe may still dominate mainstream superhero awareness. but the new DCU—led by DC Studios co-chairs James Gunn and Peter Safran—has chosen a different lane. Instead of pursuing the same connective-tissue blueprint that defined the MCU from the beginning—big stars and threads that braided toward team-ups and set-piece finales—Gunn’s DCU has leaned into personalities and “vibes.”.

That approach has come with obvious contrasts to DC’s prior on-screen momentum. The earlier DCU began with Zack Snyder’s “Man of Steel. ” which critics described as disappointing and tonally odd. then accelerated toward an Avengers-style team concept with “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.” While “Batfleck” became a headline for a hot minute. the Snyder-verse struggled to stabilize. drawing criticism and splitting audiences over multiple releases.

Gunn is credited with shifting the emotional temperature back toward something steadier. His “The Suicide Squad” stood out as a lone bright spot. and his influence now shows up in how “Superman” and “Supergirl” are being framed: Superheroes who feel more human. with a recognizable edge of humor and heart.

In the new DCU, Supergirl and Superman aren’t treated as distant icons. Milly Alcock and director Craig Gillespie have discussed a “messy” but “sibling” dynamic between the two characters—something that aims to repackage superhero familiarity into something more immediate than myth.

That human scale shows up beyond the cousins. Supergirl is described as a jaded punk-rock youngster with a cool dog and coping through drinking after past trauma. John Cena’s title character on the TV series “Peacemaker” began as a murderous supervillain in “The Suicide Squad” and has since been recast as a complicated but likable antihero working through a litany of issues.

Gunn’s DCU has also signaled it’s willing to swing at different genres inside superhero storytelling. In the comic books, Marvel is often known for grounded, street-level heroes, while DC built its reputation around godlike figures. The reboot appears to flip that expectation by mixing cosmic stakes with grittier impulses and tonal variation. The upcoming “Lanterns,” a “True Detective”-style series, premieres Aug. 16 on HBO Max and follows a pair of space cop Green Lanterns—Hal Jordan. played by Kyle Chandler. and John Stewart. played by Aaron Pierre—investigating a murder in Oklahoma. And in October, the DCU is set to go full scary movie with “Clayface,” based on a B-list Batman villain.

Those are not cautious moves, and they cost money. The question for the box office is whether audiences will reward the diversity while the broader superhero market remains uneven. “Superhero fatigue” is treated here as more of a debate than a verdict. with recent Marvel releases described as lacking the juice they once had. Even the MCU’s “Multiverse Saga” has produced unevenness, including “Deadpool & Wolverine” becoming a joke in its own films.

The calculus for DC. though. is that it doesn’t have to beat Marvel at every point—only to build enough momentum to keep attention locked. The MCU’s next stretch includes “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” with Tom Holland. due in July. and “Avengers: Doomsday” arriving in December. Fans, the piece suggests, may forgive plenty if those upcoming titles land.

For DC, the reboot is moving at its own pace. “Superman” introduced Supergirl and a slate of colorful characters meant to populate future projects. such as Daily Planet reporter Jimmy Olsen (Skyler Gisondo). who is getting his own “DC Crime” spinoff show. But “Supergirl” is described as a stand-alone flick. with no post-credits scene featuring the Justice Gang and no random appearance from the Creature Commandos.

There could be bigger story hints waiting in the next step. The article points to next year’s “Superman” sequel. “Man of Tomorrow. ” as a possible place where seeds could be planted—specifically mentioning Darkseid. described as DC’s answer to Thanos for non-nerds. Gunn. however. appears to understand what’s driving the audience right now: people want to see Supergirl and Superman together as cousins again. and to revisit the heated rivalry between Superman and Lex Luthor. played by Nicholas Hoult.

That rivalry is also where the Batman-free message becomes clearest. The DCU’s confidence has been demonstrated in the bold decision to not rely on Batman as a franchise anchor at this stage—arguably DC’s most famous character in its lore. Even as Robert Pattinson’s Dark Knight is said to be off filming his own universe with “The Batman 2. ” there doesn’t seem to be anyone in the main DCU rushing to “turn on the Bat-signal” to fill the gap.

The pressure, in other words, is on characters that don’t hide behind Gotham’s shadow. By opening with an estimated $38 million. “Supergirl” has bought itself a chance to earn trust on its own terms—through the sibling-like push and pull between Supergirl and Superman. and through a broader DC slate that’s leaning into new partnerships. new tones. and new kinds of risk.

For now, at least, the vibes are “pretty good without him.” The next challenge is whether that goodwill can hold long enough to translate into the kind of run that turns an opening weekend into an on-the-book success.

Supergirl Milly Alcock Superman James Gunn Peter Safran Craig Gillespie DCU Batman-free reboot box office HBO Max Lanterns Hal Jordan John Stewart Clayface Peacemaker Lex Luthor Darkseid