Next Month, Supergirl Will Finally Redeem DC’s Third Lowest-Grossing Box Office Ever
Nearly 42 years after the last film featuring Kara Zor-El, DC’s Supergirl movie is coming next month to redeem the character from box office infamy. The movie is a spinoff from last summer’s Superman, which was written and directed by DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn, and is the latest entry in the new DC Universe film franchise.
The DCU is a quasi-reboot of the DC Extended Universe, with Gunn taking the reins alongside his fellow CEO Peter Safran. They launched the film side of the universe with last summer’s solo movie about a new Man of Steel, played by David Corenswet. Reviews of Superman were largely positive, and it was tremendously popular among moviegoers. Ultimately, the film grossed $618.7 million worldwide, making it a successful reboot.
Before he was Clark Kent, Superman was born Kal-El on a distant planet doomed to destruction. His parents Jor-El and Lara placed him in a rocket ship as an infant, sending him across the cosmos to Earth. What is the name of Superman’s home planet?
✓ Correct! Krypton was a scientifically advanced planet that exploded due to its unstable core. Jor-El, Superman’s father, was the only scientist who foresaw the catastrophe and managed to save his son by launching him toward Earth in a small spacecraft.
✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is Krypton. Thanagar is Hawkman’s homeworld, Apokolips is Darkseid’s domain, and Oa is the headquarters of the Green Lantern Corps. Krypton’s destruction is the defining event of Superman’s origin story.
02
Superman’s greatest love is a fearless, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist who works alongside Clark Kent at the Daily Planet. She’s known for her relentless pursuit of the truth and for being one of the few people who sees both the hero and the man. Who is she?
✓ Correct! Lois Lane has been Superman’s primary love interest since her debut in Action Comics #1 in 1938. A brilliant investigative reporter, she’s as iconic as Superman himself — tough, smart, and unafraid to chase the biggest stories in Metropolis.
✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is Lois Lane. Diana Prince is Wonder Woman, Lana Lang is Clark’s high school sweetheart from Smallville, and Cat Grant is a gossip columnist at the Daily Planet. Lois Lane is Superman’s iconic partner.
03
Despite being nearly invulnerable under Earth’s yellow sun, Superman has one famous weakness — a radioactive mineral from the remnants of his destroyed homeworld. Exposure to it drains his powers and can even kill him. What is this substance called?
✓ Correct! Kryptonite is the irradiated remnants of planet Krypton. Green Kryptonite is the most common and deadly variety, but there are many other types — Red Kryptonite causes unpredictable behavior, Gold Kryptonite can permanently strip his powers, and Blue Kryptonite affects Bizarro.
✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is Kryptonite. Vibranium is from Marvel’s Black Panther universe, Nth Metal is tied to Hawkman, and Red Sun Ore isn’t a real DC substance. Kryptonite is the iconic green-glowing mineral that is Superman’s ultimate weakness.
04
In 1978, a then-unknown actor donned the cape and made the world believe a man could fly. His portrayal of Superman became the gold standard for superhero films and he starred in four Superman movies. Who is this legendary actor?
✓ Correct! Christopher Reeve’s portrayal in Superman: The Movie (1978) is widely regarded as the definitive live-action Superman. His performance perfectly balanced the heroic confidence of Superman with the endearing clumsiness of Clark Kent, setting the template every Superman actor has followed since.
✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is Christopher Reeve. Henry Cavill played Superman in the DCEU starting with Man of Steel (2013), Brandon Routh starred in Superman Returns (2006), and Tom Welling played young Clark in TV’s Smallville. Reeve was the original big-screen Superman.
05
Superman’s greatest enemy isn’t a superpowered alien — he’s a brilliant, ruthless human billionaire who believes Superman is a threat to humanity’s potential. This bald-headed genius has been Superman’s archenemy for over 80 years. Who is he?
✓ Correct! Lex Luthor is the ultimate foil to Superman — where Superman represents hope and selflessness, Luthor represents ambition and ego. Despite having no superpowers, his genius-level intellect and vast resources make him Superman’s most persistent and dangerous adversary.
✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is Lex Luthor. Brainiac is an alien android who collects cities, Darkseid is the god-like ruler of Apokolips, and Doomsday is the monster who famously killed Superman. But Lex Luthor is the definitive archenemy — Superman’s dark mirror.
06
After crash-landing on Earth as a baby, Kal-El was found and adopted by Jonathan and Martha Kent, a kind farming couple. They raised him with strong moral values in a small rural town. Where did Clark Kent grow up?
✓ Correct! Smallville, Kansas is the quintessential American small town where Jonathan and Martha Kent raised Clark with heartland values of honesty, compassion, and humility. It’s the foundation of who Superman is — not the powers from Krypton, but the character instilled by his Kansas parents.
✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is Smallville, Kansas. Gotham is Batman’s city, Metropolis is where Clark moves as an adult to work at the Daily Planet, and Coast City is Green Lantern’s home. Smallville is where the Kents raised Clark on their farm.
07
As Clark Kent, Superman disguises himself as a mild-mannered reporter working at Metropolis’s most famous newspaper, alongside Lois Lane and photographer Jimmy Olsen. Their editor-in-chief Perry White runs the newsroom. What is the name of this newspaper?
✓ Correct! The Daily Planet, with its iconic globe on the rooftop, is one of the most recognizable fictional newspapers in pop culture. Working there gives Clark Kent both a cover identity and a way to stay informed about threats to the city and the world.
✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is the Daily Planet. The Daily Bugle is Spider-Man’s Marvel universe newspaper, the Metropolis Star and Gotham Gazette are lesser DC publications. The Daily Planet — with its spinning globe — is Superman’s journalistic home.
08
This Kryptonian military commander was banished to the Phantom Zone for treason before Krypton’s destruction. He escaped and came to Earth seeking vengeance, famously demanding that others “Kneel before” him. His iconic portrayal by Terence Stamp cemented him in pop culture. Who is this villain?
✓ Correct! General Zod is one of Superman’s most terrifying foes because he has all of Superman’s powers but none of his morality. Terence Stamp’s portrayal in Superman II (1980) made “Kneel before Zod” one of the most quoted villain lines in film history. Michael Shannon later reimagined the role in Man of Steel (2013).
✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is General Zod. Bizarro is a flawed clone of Superman, Parasite drains powers through touch, and Metallo is a cyborg with a Kryptonite heart. General Zod is the Kryptonian military leader whose cry of “Kneel before Zod!” echoes through decades of Superman stories.
Mission Complete Your Kryptonian Record
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Are you the Man of Steel — or still stuck in a phone booth?
Before the Superman sequel, Man of Tomorrow, hits theaters next summer, Clark Kent’s cousin Kara is flying into the spotlight. After a brief, drunken appearance in Superman, Supergirl headlines her own DC movie for the first time since 1984. Like the new film starring Milly Alcock, the previous Supergirl movie was a spinoff from the then-current Superman film franchise, with Helen Slater playing Kara to Christopher Reeve’s Clark.
However, the 1984 Supergirl movie was a box office bomb, earning only $14.3 million against a budget of $35 million. This made the movie the lowest-grossing DC film at the time, and while worse-performing movies have been released since, 42 years later, it remains the third worst performing adaptation of a DC character. Thankfully, Craig Gillespie’s Supergirl is coming in June to save the day.
Supergirl (1984) Is One Of DC’s Lowest Grossing Movies Ever
Helen Slater posing with her hands on her hips as Supergirl in 1984’s Supergirl
The original Supergirl movie was released at a time when box office grosses for superhero films weren’t what they are now. But even by the standards of the time, Supergirl was a flop. It earned only a fraction of the box office gross as the preceding Superman movie, and half as much as Superman IV, which is widely regarded as the worst entry in Reeve’s series.
In the 42 years since Supergirl hit theaters, only two live-action DC movies have performed worse: Jonah Hex and Steel. While DC movies have gone through rough patches over the years — the mid-2000s and early 2010s, as well as 2023 — few films have rivaled the low box office of Supergirl.
DC’s Lowest Grossing Live-Action Movies
Shazam! Fury of the Gods
$134,138,006
March 17, 2023
V For Vendetta
$132,511,035
March 17, 2006
Blue Beetle
$130,788,072
August 18, 2023
Catwoman
$82,402,379
July 23, 2004
Superman III
$80,250,623
June 17, 1983
Superman IV: The Quest for Peace
$30,281,020
July 24, 1987
The Losers
$29,397,654
April 23, 2010
Supergirl
$14,296,438
November 21, 1984
Jonah Hex
$10,903,312
June 18, 2010
Steel
$1,801,972
August 15, 1997
Part of the reason for Supergirl’s lack of success were reviews, which were not favorable for Slater’s solo superhero outing. Janet Maslin of The New York Times said the movie was “more or less up to the series’ standards.” However, “it’s also exceedingly familiar,” and “quickly loses its novelty.” The Superman spinoff wasn’t enough to draw in audiences, but hopefully that won’t be the case for the new Supergirl movie.
DC’s New Supergirl Movie Will Finally Redeem The Superhero
Milly Alcock walking inside a aircraft as Kara in Supergirlvia MovieStillsDB
Next month, Gillespie’s Supergirl will hit theaters, and it’s all but guaranteed to earn more than the 1984 film. Although long-range tracking for Supergirl’s release isn’t available yet, there’s a great deal of excitement surrounding the new DC Universe, which could translate into box office earnings. Additionally, if the buzz and reviews of Supergirl are positive, it’ll have a much easier time breaking even.
It’s too early still to know whether the Supergirl movie will be a hit, but the odds of it performing better than the previous film are extremely good — especially since it won’t be particularly hard to out-earn the 1984 release. What exactly to expect from Gillespie’s new movie, and whether its box office run will be similar to last summer’s Superman, remains to be seen. But with the release date less than a month away, Supergirl will soon hit theaters and redeem the character from her box office notoriety.
