Warner plans early 'Supergirl' release

Warner Bros. is reportedly preparing an earlier-than-usual digital release for “Supergirl” after the film’s weak start in theaters, according to entertainment outlets that published new reports on July 8 and July 9. Bam Smack Pow said the studio was planning to move the DC title to digital platforms soon after its theatrical launch. (bamsmackpow.com) ScreenRant and ComicBook.com, in separate pieces, described the film as the first major box-office miss of James Gunn and Peter Safran’s DC Universe era. (boxofficemojo.com) “Supergirl” opened in North America on June 26 and has posted a much smaller run than Warner Bros.’ 2025 “Superman.” Box-office trackers The Numbers and Box Office Mojo list the film at about $61.6 million domestic and roughly $105.0 million worldwide as of July 9, against a reported $170 million production budget. (bamsmackpow.com) Warner Bros. has not, based on the reports reviewed, publicly confirmed a digital release date. ### How weak has “Supergirl” been in theaters? Box Office Mojo said “Supergirl” opened to $37.1 million domestically across 3,602 theaters on its first weekend. The Numbers lists the same opening and says the film’s worldwide gross stands at $104.97 million. (bamsmackpow.com) ComicBook.com wrote on July 8 that the film had reached roughly $100.5 million worldwide after two weeks in theaters, after a 74% second-weekend drop in the United States. That outlet called it “2026’s biggest box office disaster so far,” while ScreenRant said the film’s debut made it the DCU’s “first box office bomb.” Those are characterizations by the outlets, not a label used publicly by Warner Bros. (the-numbers.com) ### What is the evidence for an early digital window? Bam Smack Pow reported on July 8 that Warner Bros. was “already planning to bring the movie to digital platforms” after the theatrical shortfall. (boxofficemojo.com) The report did not amount to a studio announcement, but it framed the move as a response to disappointing ticket sales. MSN- and Yahoo-distributed entertainment reports published July 8 and July 9 also said “Supergirl” was being lined up for a late-July home release, while noting that Warner Bros. and DC Studios had not officially confirmed the date. Those reports point to a theatrical window of roughly a month if the timing holds. (comicbook.com) ### Why are people comparing it with “Superman”? ComicBook.com contrasted “Supergirl” with “Superman,” writing that David Corenswet’s 2025 film opened to $125 million and finished with $618 million worldwide. ScreenRant also described “Superman” as a success for the rebooted DC slate. (bamsmackpow.com) DraftKings Network, citing opening-weekend figures on June 28, likewise compared “Supergirl’s” estimated $38.0 million debut with “Superman’s” $125.0 million start. That gap has become a central reference point in the coverage around Warner Bros.’ handling of the newer film. (yahoo.com) ### Did DC Studios say anything after the opening? ScreenRant reported that Peter Safran responded after the opening weekend by saying, “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 quote was described by ScreenRant as having been given to The New York Times. (comicbook.com) Reuters could not independently verify that quotation from a Times page in the material reviewed here. ComicBook.com reported that production on “Supergirl” had also drawn scrutiny, citing reporting about competing cuts and reshoots. Those details have circulated in trade and fan coverage, though they do not amount to a formal explanation from Warner Bros. for the film’s performance. (dknetwork.draftkings.com) ### What happens next for the film? Warner Bros. has not publicly posted a confirmed premium-video-on-demand date in the material reviewed for this report. The next concrete milestone is whether the studio formally announces a home-release schedule in July, as the entertainment reports suggest. (screenrant.com) Box-office trackers still list “Supergirl” as an active theatrical release following its June 26 debut, and any digital release notice would be the next named step for Warner Bros., DC Studios and star Milly Alcock. (the-numbers.com) (bamsmackpow.com) (comicbook.com)