'Media is By Nature a Business Full of Hits And Misses': Warner Bros. Boss Says James Gunn is 'Focused' on Superman Sequel Man of Tomorrow After Supergirl Flop

Superman manager James Gunn is "focused connected Man of Tomorrow" pursuing the nonaccomplishment of Supergirl, Warner Bros. main David Zaslav has said — and present moving up to 18-hour days connected the forthcoming sequel.

Asked astir the DCU's aboriginal pursuing the flop of its 2nd film, Zaslav told investors that Gunn's DC Comics beingness remained connected track, with its Superman sequel adjacent retired of the gate.

"I saw immoderate pictures yesterday that looked amazing," Zaslav said, via Deadline, discussing Man of Tomorrow's production. "Actually, yesterday was James' birthday, and he's retired working. He's moving 16, 18 hours a day. It looks fantastic. We're ace excited astir it."

Regarding the remainder of the DCU, Zaslav struck a affirmative tone, stating that its existent slate "feels precise good" with some Clayface and Lanterns besides acceptable for release. Outside the DCU, Matt Reeves was besides said to beryllium "working precise hard" connected his much-delayed The Batman sequel that is present owed successful 2028.

But what astir Supergirl, which bombed astatine the container bureau and mislaid wealth for Warner Bros.? "A fistful of caller films person underperformed expectations," Zaslav said, without naming names. "Media is by quality a concern afloat of hits and misses," helium added.

While not directed by Gunn, Supergirl was designed to beryllium a cardinal tentpole successful the fledgling DCU pursuing past year's Superman. Indeed, Milly Alcock's instrumentality connected Kara Zor-El was introduced successful Superman and has already been confirmed arsenic returning successful Man of Tomorrow. But her solo outing failed to triumph implicit audiences oregon critics, and ended its theatrical tally with a container bureau of $126 million, good beneath its astir $180 cardinal accumulation budget.

DC Studios co-CEO Peter Safran antecedently commented connected Supergirl's container bureau challenges successful an interrogation with The New York Times: "While Supergirl didn’t conscionable our container bureau expectations, it’s conscionable 1 constituent of a broader, semipermanent strategy astatine DC Studios that we stay assured in."

Alas, that strategy present has to triumph backmost DC fans who whitethorn person been enactment disconnected by Supergirl's absorbing originative decisions successful the movie’s divisive last act. From the off, Supergirl struggled astatine the container bureau adjacent successful its opening weekend, erstwhile it grossed conscionable implicit $68 million. The movie saw a monolithic 74% driblet successful attendance during its 2nd play successful theaters, and present sits good beneath the apical 10 highest-grossing movies of the year.

"Supergirl borrows from the best, but Milly Alcock’s large instrumentality connected Kara Zor-El gets mislaid successful the spare parts from different movies utilized to assemble her story," we wrote successful IGN's Supergirl review, which returned a 6/10. Here's hoping Man of Tomorrow tin crook things around.

Image credit: Joe Maher/Getty Images

Tom Phillips is IGN's News Editor. You tin scope Tom astatine [email protected] oregon find him connected Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social