Supergirl’s Early Rotten Tomatoes Score Spells Bad News for the DCU

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Under the leadership of James Gunn and Peter Safran, it’s safe to say the DC Universe franchise has gotten off to a strong start. The first three releases, Creature Commandos Season 1, Superman, and Peacemaker Season 2, all received positive reviews, getting on-screen DC Comics adaptations back on track after the unevenness of the DC Extended Universe era. The success of Superman last summer was arguably the most important development, kicking off the DCU’s film slate on the right foot by generating excitement for what’s to come, including this year’s Supergirl. That movie is finally gearing up for its release this weekend, and reviews are now in. Unfortunately, Supergirl isn’t continuing the DCU’s hot streak.

As of this writing, Supergirl has a score of 61% on Rotten Tomatoes (with 83 reviews counted so far). That figure is right on the line between fresh and rotten territory, easily making it the lowest mark of the DCU so far. At one point, it was a rotten 59% before more reviews came in. To see how Supergirl compares to its fellow DCU releases, check out the table in the space below:

What Are Critics Saying About Supergirl?

Anyone who parsed through the early Supergirl social media reactions probably isn’t surprised to see the full reviews paint a mixed picture. A lot of the sentiments shared in those initial tweets are echoed in the reviews. The biggest highlight of Supergirl is Milly Alcock’s performance as Kara Zor-El, as she makes the character her own by perfectly embodying the Kryptonian’s messy and complex nature. In many ways, Alcock elevates the final product by crafting a standout version of the titular hero — one who redefines what Supergirl can be and paves the way for Alcock to have a bright future in the DCU.

Perhaps the most frustrating aspect of Supergirl, if the reviews are any indication, is that Alcock’s committed performance is at the center of a largely underwhelming film. Many critics consider Supergirl to be a middle-of-the-road comic book adaptation let down by a disappointing villain and a main narrative that falls somewhat flat. Director Craig Gillespie has a history of telling fascinating stories about complicated female protagonists, but Supergirl doesn’t reach its full potential under his watch. In addition to a bland narrative, some critics mentioned that the action sequences are poorly constructed. Of course, there are those who feel Supergirl is an entertaining addition to the DCU canon that takes chances by being different from Superman, but the general consensus is that it’s largely a mixed bag.

It is important to keep in mind that 83 reviews is a small sample size for a major studio summer tentpole. As a point of comparison, Superman has 502 reviews counted on Rotten Tomatoes, so only a fraction of the final total for Supergirl has been submitted so far. This means the Supergirl score could fluctuate over the coming days as more reviews are published. However, the first wave of reviews is typically indicative of where the general consensus will land, so the odds of Supergirl rising to the Certified Fresh threshold (75%) are low. At this point, the best case scenario is for it to stay on the low end of the fresh side, similar to The Mandalorian and Grogu (61%).

It’ll be interesting to see what impact the word of mouth has on Supergirl‘s box office prospects. Tracking for the film was already quite low, with some projections indicating it could open below 2023’s The Flash. Time will tell how Supergirl will fare (several movies have outperformed initial estimates over the past few years), but positive buzz would have gone a long way in giving Supergirl a boost. It finds itself sandwiched between juggernaut Toy Story 5 and next weekend’s Minions & Monsters, so it needs all the help it can get to stand out. Should Supergirl disappoint commercially, it’ll also be interesting to see if that forces DC Studios to change any plans. Alcock is reprising her role in Man of Tomorrow and is set to be a big part of the DCU moving forward, so DC Studios had high hopes for Supergirl.

Supergirl: Milly Alcock Does Her Best, But This Movie Is Dull and Directionless [REVIEW]