Supergirl Opens to $37.1 Million After Studio Wins Internal Bakeoff Over Director’s Cut

Supergirl grossed $37.1 million in its opening weekend, falling below the $37.6 million earned by Joker: Folie a Deux in 2024. The Hollywood Reporter reported that DC Studios chose its internal cut for release after a March 2026 bakeoff that compared competing versions prepared by director Craig Gillespie and the studio.

The studio's cut scored two points higher than Gillespie's version in testing.

Gillespie's cut ran 11 minutes longer and included more footage of the villain Krem, played by Matthias Schoenaerts. The studio's version prevailed despite Gillespie's stronger marks on song choices, pacing, and the villain. Test scores for Supergirl remained in the 60s on a 100-point scale through most screenings, with one insider reporting a peak of 70.

Scores rose to the low 70s by late winter 2026 before the bakeoff produced lower results. The film received at least four test screenings between December 2025 and March 2026. Principal photography wrapped in May 2025.

By fall 2025, the studio and Gillespie recognized the project was not working. After a December 2025 screening described as merely okay, DC Studios assumed control of post-production and created its own cut. James Gunn brought in writer Jeremy Slater to assist, while original screenwriter Ana Nogueira stayed involved.

The climactic fight sequence was reconfigured, and music choices created friction. The final version features a cover of Jimmy Eat World’s “The Middle,” selected by Gunn. An earlier February 2026 screening used a cover of Cyndi Lauper’s “Girls Just Want to Have Fun,” also chosen by Gunn.

Two editors worked on the film: Tatiana S. Riegel for Gillespie and Fred Raskin for the studio cut. Peter Safran stated to the New York Times that Supergirl did not meet box office expectations but remains one part of a longer-term DC Studios strategy.