A booming summer at the domestic box office just got its first real stumble.
Warner Bros. and DC Studios' Supergirl pulled in an estimated $18 million on Friday from 3,602 theaters, a total that folds in $7.8 million from Wednesday fan screenings and Thursday previews. That was enough for second place among the day's releases, but not nearly enough to challenge the reigning champion. Disney and Pixar's Toy Story 5 held the Friday crown with $21 million from 4,425 screens as it rolled into its sophomore weekend.
Milly Alcock stars as Kara Zor-El in the cosmic adventure, directed by Craig Gillespie, whose credits include I, Tonya and Cruella. Ana Nogueira penned the screenplay. The cast also features Matthias Schoenaerts as villain Krem of the Yellow Hills, Eve Ridley, and Jason Momoa as fan-favorite bounty hunter Lobo. Alcock told Variety that House of the Dragon was more of an ensemble piece and she'd never been No. 1 on a call sheet before, acknowledging the weight of carrying a blockbuster.
By Sunday, the film is expected to land between $38 million and $50 million domestically, depending on the source. As of Saturday morning, per The Wrap, the picture appeared headed toward the lower end of that range. Tracking had initially forecasted a launch north of $55 million just weeks ago. Globally, the weekend total is projected between $80 million and $90 million, according to Deadline.
Those numbers represent a steep drop from the DCU's inaugural chapter. James Gunn's Superman, starring David Corenswet, debuted to $125 million domestically last summer and earned $618.7 million worldwide. That film cost $225 million to produce, while Supergirl carries a smaller $170 million price tag before marketing. Reportedly, the newer film only needs $300 million globally to break even.
Reception has been divided. Supergirl earned a B- CinemaScore, which sounds passable on paper but is actually quite low; every installment of the DC Extended Universe received a B or higher. On Rotten Tomatoes, the audience score sits at 76%, while the critics' rating hovers at 58%. Nearly every review agrees that Alcock delivers a strong turn as Kara, even when the material around her falters.
Still, the broader summer picture looks healthy. Domestic revenues are just 1.8% behind 2019, the last pre-pandemic year, according to Rentrak. Toy Story 5 is the engine behind much of that momentum, having posted the biggest domestic debut of 2026 with $160 million last weekend and a franchise-best $312 million worldwide. By Sunday, it should push its North American haul close to $300 million.
The DC Universe will get another shot at impressing audiences later this year with Clayface in October. After that, Alcock's Kara is confirmed to return in next summer's Man of Tomorrow, reuniting the two Kryptonian cousins on screen. Whether that sequel carries the same budget confidence may depend entirely on how Supergirl holds over the next few weeks.
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