Hollywood still doesn’t get it, and the numbers seem to underscore it, with things not looking good for DC Studios as it prepares to release “Supergirl” in theaters next month.
The film’s promotional campaign, trailers, and divisive comments, including eyebrow raising remarks from star Milly Alcock, have set it on a pessimistic-looking course.
Variety interviewed Alcock recently in a piece entitled “Milly Alcock’s Supergirl Interview: Sexism, Superheroes, and More,” noting that “Superhero movies, once the industry’s slam dunks, are no longer sure bets.” Also admitting that “there’s a lot riding” on the film, which hits U.S. theaters on June 26, Variety gave the 26-year-old star the chance to respond to criticism over “simply existing as a woman” in a superhero movie.
Milly Alcock addresses the backlash she received after saying that “simply existing as a woman is something that people comment on. We have become very comfortable having this weird ownership of women’s bodies.”
“I didn’t even say ‘men’ — I said ‘people!’” Alcock says. “And they… pic.twitter.com/2qQshmdg5w
— Variety (@Variety) May 20, 2026
“It definitely made me aware that simply existing as a woman in that space is something that people comment on,” she told the magazine earlier this year. “We have become very comfortable having this weird ownership of women’s bodies. I can’t really stop them. I can only be myself.”
In the latest interview, Alcock defended herself while mocking critics, claiming many of them are Christian dads.
“But I mean, whose opinion do you really care about?” Alcock said. “If you’re pissing the right kind of people off, you’re doing OK.”
“And it’s from a lot of people whose profiles have no photo, who are burner accounts,” she added. “Or someone’s name and then ‘Dad of four, Christian,’ which is hilarious to me.”
#Supergirl lands in theaters and @IMAX June 26. pic.twitter.com/N7BYoszfl0
— Supergirl (@supergirl) March 31, 2026
But the actress’s comments have added to the challenges the film is already facing, as Outkick’s Ian Miller noted in a piece focused on how the ” entertainment industry has worked extremely hard to alienate large numbers of potential customers.”
“Latest estimates from Box Office Theory put the film’s opening weekend between $47 million and $65 million, which would be, to put it mildly, a disaster. Production costs were estimated at around $175 million, with marketing likely to exceed $75 million. Given the traditional 50/50 split between studios and theaters, that’s a break-even point of $500 million at the domestic box office,” Miller wrote.
“Even if it gets near the top of that range, say, $60 million, the likelihood of reaching $500 million worldwide is virtually zero,” he added, noting that the studio is to blame for its own box office failures.
“From Alcock’s remarks, to the underwhelming trailers, to Gunn’s attitude toward fans, nothing about DC is moving in the right direction,” he wrote. “All they have to do to promote a movie is talk about how good they think it is. How great a story it has. Or how exceptional the performances are. Instead, they’ve done nothing but accuse potential customers of unacceptable behavior, made divisive remarks, and made an entire movie’s promotional campaign about their own views and insecurities.”
Writers and editors can be contacted at [email protected] with feedback, tips, or corrections.
Originally from New York, Powers graduated from New York University and eventually made her way to sunny South Florida. Powers also contributes to BizPac Review.
Comment
We have no tolerance for comments containing violence, racism, profanity, vulgarity, doxing, or discourteous behavior. If a comment is spam, instead of replying to it please click the ∨ icon below and to the right of that comment. Thank you for partnering with us to maintain fruitful conversation.