Creative chaos: gunn and safran clash over supergirl's fate, threatening dcu's box office
Months before its disastrous debut, James Gunn’s DC Studios and Peter Safran’s creative vision for Supergirl imploded in a spectacular battle over the film’s direction – a conflict revealed by behind-the-scenes intel from The Hollywood Reporter.
A fractured vision: test screenings reveal deep disagreement
Sources indicate that director Craig Gillespie’s and the studio’s distinct cuts of the film, developed in the immediate aftermath of a lukewarm initial screening in December 2025, showcased a fundamental divergence. Early test scores, hovering stubbornly below 70 out of 100, highlighted the friction – described as ‘not creatively aligned’ – between Gunn and Gillespie. The wrestling match wasn’t just about visual style; it centered on the central character, Milly Alcock’s portrayal of Kara Zor-El, demanding a more substantial solo arc than initially planned.
Studio intervention and a new cut
As the project spiraled, Gunn and Safran’s team stepped in, commissioning their own version of the film, drawing on the expertise of Mortal Kombat 2 and Moon Knight writer Jeremy Slater. Over a grueling period of testing – encompassing four separate screenings in December 2025, February 2026, and March 2026 – the studio’s version ultimately prevailed, securing a mere two-point victory over Gillespie’s iteration. The differences were significant: Gillespie’s cut reportedly ran nearly 11 minutes longer and showcased a heightened focus on antagonist Matthias Schoenaerts’s Krem.
A price paid at the box office
The resulting film, ultimately released in late June, suffered a critical blow at the box office, with reports suggesting potential losses exceeding $100 million. A scathing review from IGN, scoring the film a 6/10, succinctly captured the issue: “Supergirl borrows from the best, but Milly Alcock’s great take on Kara Zor-El gets lost in the spare parts from other movies used to assemble her story.” The initial soundtrack choices—a controversial cover of ‘The Middle’ by Jimmy Eat World—only exacerbated the situation, with a subsequent screening opting for Cyndi Lauper’s ‘Girls Just Want to Have Fun’ as a replacement.
A warning sign for the dcu
This debacle serves as a stark warning for DC Studios. As one anonymous filmmaker observed, “If a studio is going to put money into the test process, it means they feel strongly about certain things.” The situation underscores the inherent challenges of consolidating a new cinematic universe under a single creative helm – even with figures like Gunn and Safran at the helm. The fallout raises serious questions about the stability of the DCU moving forward.