'Supergirl's Production Was Allegedly a Rocky Road to Failure

Making a cinematic universe for the characters of DC Comics has been an uphill battle, to say the least. First, executives picked Zack Snyder to lead the way, but did not put their full confidence behind him, eventually firing him from his biggest entry. Then began what felt like a years-long fight for control of the company, with many people trying to serve their own agendas. When James Gunn came out on top, it legitimately felt like there would be smooth sailing ahead. The man had already made a successful DC film after doing incredible work at Marvel. And, for all intents and purposes, things started well.

Superman was the first film out of the gate for Gunn’s run (with Producer Peter Safran), and it certainly did okay, but with only a little over $600 million in box office receipts, it wasn’t the megahit the studio was likely looking for. To be fair, it grossed a little more money than Iron Man, but people… didn’t really know who Iron Man was at the time, so that was far more impressive. Regardless! Gunn and Safran’s DCU was full steam ahead, with Supergirl being the next theatrically released film, and that has gone much worse.

The film about Superman’s cousin received mixed reactions (at best) from critics and fans, and has barely cracked $100 million at the box office after its second weekend. It’s been called the first flop of the summer, but, to be fair, people were saying that before it had a chance to fly, which always seems extra crummy to me. If you start calling a movie a failure because of tracking before it even comes out, it feels like you’re stacking the deck one way. But this is a big studio movie, and there is a certain amount of mess to be expected.

That is certainly the case being made in a new report at THR by Borys Kit. The article paints a picture of an incredibly rocky road to production, with Gunn and crew (including director Craig Gillespie) realzing that the film wasn’t working during post-production, and eventually making two competing cuts of the film. One was arranged by Fred Raskin, who edited the Guardians of the Galaxy movies, and Tatiana S. Riegel, who has edited many of Gillespie’s films.

While the “studio cut” ultimately tested better and was the one used, neither wound up being a hit with test audiences. The different cuts even existing speaks to another point made in the piece, which is that Gunn and Gillespie were not alligned creatively. While one insider claims that the pair were at each other’s throats, another alleges that they had the same kind of relationship directors usually have with studios, which is just funny given that Gunn is now playing the part of the suit.

There isn’t any one clear person at fault in the piece, but it does not do Gunn any favors. However, it also notes how unique a position he is in, being a director and executive, which could be a good and bad thing. While you might expect him to be more forgiving of a creator’s choices, it also sounds like he was trying to replace one of the songs in the film (though, to be fair, the song that ended up being used has been widely mocked).

Much uncertainty surrounds James Gunn’s burgeoning cinematic universe, and this report makes it sound like a potentially rough road ahead.