Milly Alcock as Supergirl (Image: Warner Bros/DC)

DC Studios co-chair Peter Safran has admitted Supergirl “didn’t meet our box office expectations” after the film failed to make much of an impact at the box office – but he “remains confident”.

The film, fronted by Milly Alcock, opened to $63million (£47.6m) worldwide on a reported $170m (£128.4m) budget.

In a statement to the New York Times, Safran said: “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.”

The film, directed by Craig Gillespie and written by Ana Nogueira, has also struggled with critics. It currently sits at 54 percent on Rotten Tomatoes’ Tomatometer. Reviewing the film, Clarisse Loughrey wrote: “The character’s strong. It’s only a shame her surroundings are so listless.”

Box office pressure builds

Competition in cinemas has been intense, with Disney and Pixar’s Toy Story 5 staying at the top with $70m (£52.9m) in its second weekend, after it opened on June 19.

The muted start also lands in the shadow of 2025’s Superman, which opened to $125m (£94.4m). With Supergirl positioned as another major step in the rebooted DC slate, the opening weekend has quickly shifted attention to how DC Studios frames its momentum going forward.

Milly Alcock on sudden visibility

Supergirl is former House of the Dragon star Milly Alcock’s first mainstream film role, and she has spoken about the whiplash of blockbuster visibility.

In an interview with The Associated Press, she said: “I do this job because it gives me the ability to disappear,” adding: “So then to like suddenly be so visible and so exposed is a very vulnerable experience. I’m just trying to learn how to deal with that relationship.”

Alcock has also said she is “honoured” by queer interpretations of Supergirl.

The DC Universe continues next with Clayface in October, which has a reported budget of $40m (£30.2m).

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