Supergirl Movie Cuts Revealed as Behind-the-Scenes Conflict Contributed to Box Office Bomb

DC Studios and director Craig Gillespie were not creatively aligned on the Supergirl film, leading to competing cuts and a box office disappointment, according to a report from The Hollywood Reporter.

Behind the scenes, a significant conflict unfolded between the filmmaker and DC Studios heads James Gunn and Peter Safran. The studio reportedly took charge of post-production to create its own version of the movie, which was then tested against Gillespie's cut in a March screening event described as a "bakeoff." This internal competition was triggered after early test screenings in late 2025 and early 2026 yielded poor results.

What were the test scores like?

When the two competing versions were tested against each other in March, the scores dropped significantly. The studio's cut reportedly inched ahead of Gillespie's by a mere two points, leading to its selection as the final theatrical version.

“'They were not creatively aligned' is the polite way of describing things,” one insider told THR.

What were the main points of conflict?

Music was a key friction point, with Gunn famously known for his curated soundtracks. The final set piece originally featured a cover of Cyndi Lauper's "Girls Just Want to Have Fun," a choice from Gunn that was later abandoned. The climactic fight scene was also reconfigured during post-production. Writer Jeremy Slater was brought in to help, contributing to scenes for nine days of additional photography.

Other sources dispute the characterization of extreme conflict, describing it as a normal amount of "healthy friction" between a filmmaker and a studio. They note the studio respects Gillespie's filmmaking chops. The film, starring Milly Alcock and budgeted between $170 million and $180 million, opened to just $37.1 million in June 2026.

Sources

• The Hollywood Reporter