"It happens more than you think, but it's not normal," one anonymous filmmaker said of the decision to pit two competing cuts of the same film against each other in test screenings. That quote pretty much sums up the turbulent post-production ride that Supergirl had before hitting theaters on June 26.
James Gunn and Peter Safran's DC Studios reportedly clashed with director Craig Gillespie throughout post-production, with the friction becoming serious enough that the studio commissioned its own cut of the film alongside Gillespie's. The two versions were then tested against each other in screenings, a move that industry insiders describe as unusual even by Hollywood standards.
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How the cracks started showing
Problems surfaced almost immediately after filming wrapped in May 2025. By fall of that year, DC Studios reportedly already had concerns about the film's direction. A December 2025 screening confirmed those worries, pulling test scores that struggled to break 70 out of 100. That's when the studio stepped in more aggressively, bringing in writer Jeremy Slater (Mortal Kombat 2, Moon Knight) to help shape a studio-driven cut.
At least four test screenings ran across December 2025, February 2026, and March 2026. The winter screenings nudged into the low 70s, but the situation escalated rather than stabilized. DC Studios and Gillespie each had their own version in play, with sources describing the relationship as "not creatively aligned" at its most diplomatic.
Two cuts, one clear loser
The key here is how close the final decision actually was. DC Studios' cut beat Gillespie's version by just two points in testing. The director's cut ran approximately 11 minutes longer and placed more emphasis on Matthias Schoenaerts' villain Krem, a character that the theatrical version handles more briefly. After DC Studios' cut won out, Gillespie's ability to influence the final product was reportedly limited to advocating for specific changes rather than driving the film's direction.
The exact creative disagreements between Gunn and Gillespie remain unclear, but the decision to fund two separate cuts and test them head-to-head signals that this went well beyond typical director-studio friction.
The soundtrack debate that followed the film out of post-production
Post-production tension extended into the film's music choices, which became a talking point almost immediately after release. A slow-motion fight sequence set to a cover of Jimmy Eat World's "The Middle" drew widespread mockery online. Gillespie has publicly credited Gunn with choosing the song, and sources corroborate that account.
An earlier version of the same scene used a cover of Cyndi Lauper's "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" during a February 2026 screening. Gunn reportedly chose that track too before swapping it out for the version of "The Middle" that made the final cut. Whether that swap improved or hurt the scene is something audiences have already weighed in on pretty loudly.
A rough landing for Kara Zor-El
The film opened with $68 million at the box office, a disappointing debut for a major DCU release, and early projections suggest Warner Bros. could lose more than $100 million during its theatrical run. For a studio trying to build momentum behind a rebooted DC universe, that's a significant setback.
Milly Alcock's performance has earned some praise, but the film around her has struggled to connect. If you're interested in the character from a gaming angle, the Fortnite Supergirl skin guide covers how to get Kara Zor-El's look in the battle royale. For players who enjoy the superhero team management side of things, the Dispatch superhero team management guide is worth a look.
Next on the DCU slate is Clayface, set for October 23, 2026, followed by Gunn's Superman sequel Man of Tomorrow in July 2027. How DC Studios handles those productions, and whether the lessons from Supergirl's troubled post-production inform how they approach director relationships going forward, will be worth watching closely. For more gaming and entertainment coverage, our guides hub has you covered across genres and platforms.
