Is DC Intentionally Sabotaging Supergirl?

By Chris Snellgrove
| Published 26 seconds ago

When Superman (2025) came out, it was a critical and commercial smash, able to leap fan cynicism in a single bound. It became the summer’s biggest hit, and it even outperformed two highly-hyped Marvel movies: The Thunderbolts and The Fantastic Four. This was proof that director and DCU Studios co-president James Gunn was the right man to reboot this cinematic universe and that its success might one day rival that of the MCU.

While there has been some beloved DCU content on the small screen (especially Peacemaker, Season 2), we won’t be getting more of this universe on the big screen until Supergirl comes out next month. Not only will this be Milly Alcock’s first full-length movie as the titular heroine, but it will be Jason Momoa’s introduction to the DCU as fan-favorite character, Lobo. The movie has been building buzz, but not as much as you might think, and there’s a reason for that. Simply put, DC Studios has been doing such an awful job of promoting this film through lackluster trailers and previews that they are effectively sabotaging its success.

Up, Up, And Away (From Good Marketing)

Supergirl made her surprise DCU debut by crashing into the Fortress of Solitude at the end of Superman. We find out that she’s the real owner of Krypto and that she likes to get hammered when she’s partying. Her Kryptonian biology keeps her from getting drunk on Earth, so she likes to tie one on by visiting planets with a red sun (it negates her superpowers). She flies off at the end of the movie, and this quirky introduction to an even quirkier character left audiences wondering what she’d be doing next.

The first trailer for Supergirl gave us glimpses of what to expect in the movie, but the presentation was something of a mixed bag. One of the first things we see is Krypto peeing on a Superman article, an action which Supergirl seemingly approves of. We then see her catching an intergalactic Uber to parts unknown. In fact, “unknown” is the real keyword here: the trailer gives no real hints as to the story of the film and pads its short runtime with generic explosions and a mysterious light shooting into the sky (a superhero staple). We even get generic thugs and quippy dialogue like “This does not look like it’s gonna end well … for you guys!” 

Are These Trailers Deliberately Bad?

It’s not the worst trailer in the world, but it’s certainly not the best. It gives no clue as to the main plot or who any of the new characters are. You don’t really walk away from this trailer with a solid idea of anything other than “Supergirl fights a bunch of bland bad guys.” Plus, the quip (which is repeated in the final trailer) seems weirdly out of place in the DCU. This is a cinematic universe trying to really establish its own identity, so why are we making the tagline something out of the “well, that just happened” school of Marvel writing?

The final Supergirl trailer is an improvement, if barely. We finally learn about the plot, which is a tug-the-heartstrings race to save a dying Krypto. Speaking of shamelessly manipulating the audience, the trailer begins with a video call from established hero Superman, where he worries about his cousin ever really finding herself. This is part of a major problem with these trailers: they oscillate between showing Supergirl as a carefree party gal and a lost soul tormented by the destruction of her planet. Maybe she’s supposed to be both, but the character dichotomy of the trailers makes the title character seem downright schizophrenic.

DC’s Latest Poster Boy 

The brief action scene with Momoa’s Lobo is a real highlight, but this trailer arguably doesn’t really flesh out who Supergirl is, making it tough to engage with the character on an emotional level (something DC desperately wants us to do). That problem is compounded by the character posters for the film, each of which features characters like Lobo and Supergirl striking a pose in front of the film’s logo. Unfortunately, the poses and expressions are pretty bad, making these professional actors look like cosplayers wearing their gear for the first time. Moreover, countless fans have joked about how these look painfully like posters for the low-budget CW Arrowverse shows.

To James Gunn and the rest of DC Studios, I can only ask, what the heck are you doing? Supergirl has all the ingredients of a smash hit. It’s the follow-up to last summer’s biggest movie, it features a beloved DCEU actor recast as an even more beloved comics character, and the whole plot centers on a sexy lady who loves her adorable dog. This movie would normally be on track for major box office success, but DC’s awful marketing has likely lasered away huge sections of prospective fans. Is it deliberate sabotage or just really bad marketing?

Either way, these bad early glimpses of the film may prove to be Kryptonite for Supergirl, and Gunn may learn that there’s one thing worse than bad word of mouth: having nobody to spread the word in the first place.