DC's 4th Lowest Ever Movie Box Office Hero Is Officially Set To Return In 2026

Summary The DCU will reboot with an all-new shared universe, showcasing familiar heroes like Superman and Batman alongside lesser-known characters.

Co-CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran are taking risks by adapting lesser-known heroes like Swamp Thing and The Authority.

The upcoming film "Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow" has the potential to redeem the 1984 movie's box office failure.

The DCU will play host to a hero in 2026 who once starred in DC's 4th-lowest-grossing movie. Now that the DCEU is over, the DCU is poised to reboot the cinematic franchise with an all-new shared universe featuring a slew of familiar DC characters alongside some lesser-known ones that have never or rarely been seen on the big screen. Superman and Batman are among the most famous of DC's heroes on the confirmed DCU release slate so far, both of which have a proven ability to draw crowds.

DC Studios' Co-CEOs, James Gunn and Peter Safran, are seemingly taking a big risk, however, by adapting lesser-known characters like Swamp Thing and The Authority. Gunn has a track record of successfully adapting more obscure comic book characters, which sets the DCU in good stead. Yet it isn't just obscure characters that Gunn will face a challenge with, as one of the lowest-grossing movies ever made by DC starred a more well-known name.

Related All 15 DCEU Movies Ranked By Box Office Earnings After ten years, the DCEU came to an end, and some of its movies did better than others at the box office, with great highs and shocking lows.

Supergirl (1984) Has DC's 4th Lowest Box Office Ever

Close

Lowest-Grossing DC Movies Worldwide Box Office Steel $1.7 million Batman: Mask of the Phantasm $5.6 million Jonah Hex $10.5 million Supergirl $14.2 million Superman IV: The Quest For Peace $15.6 million

Supergirl was released in 1984 as a spinoff of the relatively successful Superman film franchise. It starred Helen Slater in the titular role and was intended to refresh the franchise after Superman III was critically panned and failed to meet financial expectations. Unfortunately, Supergirl was even more severely lambasted and became one of the lowest-grossing DC movies in history. This evidently did not put Producers Alexander and Ilya off, however, as Superman IV: The Quest For Peace followed Supergirl only to become the fifth-biggest flop for the studio.

Due to the critical failures of Superman III and subsequent movies within the franchise, 2006's Superman Returns was created to round out the trilogy with a narrative that took place after Superman II and fared much better critically and financially.

The fact that the fourth-lowest-grossing starred Kara Zor-El, AKA Supergirl, in her cinematic debut may have something to do with why the hero has yet to return to the big screen in a starring role. 2023's The Flash was the most recent instance in which Supergirl flew onto the silver screen, though as a supporting character. Despite this, the positive response to Kara Zor-El's appearance bodes well for the next attempt, which is set to land in 2026.

The DC Hero Returns In 2026 With Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow

The DCU release slate was recently fleshed out with the confirmation that Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow will be released on June 26, 2026. This will make it the second movie to be released in the DCU after 2025's Superman, making Kara Zor-El one of the earliest established DCU characters after her cousin, Kal El. Meanwhile, TV shows including Peacemaker Season 2 will begin to air around the same time, though concrete release dates are to be announced.

Details surrounding Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow are steadily emerging, with one of the most pertinent being the casting of House of the Dragon's Milly Alcock in the titular role. The comic book run of the same name will also influence the live-action story, meaning it should take Supergirl on a cosmic coming-of-age adventure featuring sidekicks and detective work. This alone makes the movie stand out as it promises to deliver an off-the-wall narrative with which James Gunn has become synonymous.

How Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow Can Redeem The 1984 Movie's Box Office Failure

Custom image by Andy Behbakht

Even though details are still relatively scarce, there are many reasons to feel optimistic about the DCU's adaptation of Supergirl. James Gunn has a stellar comic book movie track record so far, with one of the best-rated DCEU movies under his belt in the form of The Suicide Squad. Milly Alcock, meanwhile, has established her acting chops with her role as a young Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen, which sets her in good stead to establish herself in the role of Supergirl as a central figure in the sprawling DCU franchise.

Putting aside the inevitably high quality of the movie, however, it will not be difficult for Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow to exceed the $14 million that Supergirl earned in the worldwide Box Office. While Superhero Fatigue is now a worry, enthusiasm for superhero movies is still exceedingly high, provided they generate enough hype - especially if the record-breaking trailers for Joker: Folie à Deux and Deadpool & Wolverine are any evidence. Besides, the DCU looks poised to deliver some truly fresh takes on a well-established genre, hopefully helping to combat the perceived fatigue that threatens it.