DC Studios co-CEO Peter Safran has admitted that Supergirl failed to meet the studio's box office expectations. The future of DC Studios has been under intense scrutiny ever since its new cinematic universe began taking shape. Every release is now viewed as a test of whether the ambitious reboot can win back audiences and establish a lasting franchise. With expectations riding high on each new installment, even a single film's performance can quickly become a focal point for fans and industry observers alike.

That is why the performance of Supergirl has become a major talking point. While the film's theatrical run has sparked debate across the industry, DC Studios co-CEO Peter Safran has now shared his thoughts, offering a measured response that sheds light on the studio's bigger plans.

Peter Safran addressed Supergirl's commercial performance in an interview with The New York Times, acknowledging that the film fell short of internal expectations while insisting it does not alter the studio's broader roadmap.

"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," Safran said.

His comments to The New York Times reflect a notable shift from the optimism he expressed before the film's release, when the studio was openly celebrating the project's creative direction and Milly Alcock's portrayal of Kara Zor-El.

"It was a culmination of so much hard work. And then to see somebody who so perfectly embodied the character — when Milly walked out, we all felt it," Safran said while speaking to Variety earlier and praised Milly Alcock's casting. 

He also revealed that DC Studios' executive vice president of production "full-on ugly cried" the first time Alcock appeared in the Supergirl costume, underscoring the confidence the studio had in the project from the beginning. The anecdote highlighted just how emotionally invested the creative team was in bringing the iconic heroine to the big screen, making the film's box office outcome all the more disappointing, as Gunn admitted himself to NYT.

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But while the box office has disappointed, audience reactions have painted a more complicated picture.

Despite its theatrical struggles, Supergirl has earned a noticeably stronger response from moviegoers than from professional critics. With more than 500 verified ratings, the film debuted with a 75% Popcornmeter score on Rotten Tomatoes, well ahead of its 59% critics' score. Many viewers praised Milly Alcock's performance as Kara Zor-El while arguing that critics were overly harsh on the screenplay, pacing, and visual effects. Others felt the audience score showed that fans and reviewers simply had very different experiences with the film.

Even so, not everyone viewed the audience score as a clear victory. Some fans described 75% as respectable but still below expectations for a major DC release, noting that the film's long-term legacy will ultimately depend on its worldwide box office performance. Directed by Craig Gillespie, Supergirl serves as the second official chapter in James Gunn's new DC Universe and adapts Tom King's acclaimed Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, making its performance especially significant for the franchise's future.

Although Supergirl has struggled commercially, Peter Safran's latest comments suggest DC Studios remains committed to its long-term strategy rather than reacting to a single setback. Whether that confidence is rewarded will become clearer as future DCU projects reach theaters.

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What do you think? Is Supergirl an underrated addition to the new DC Universe, or does its box office performance raise concerns about DC Studios' future? Let us know in the comments.