A new report reveals that the budget for Supergirl may not be as high as DC Universe fans expect.
In many ways, superhero franchises like the MCU and DC Universe have inflated the general audience’s concept of a budget. These are projects where $100 million seems outright frugal, and Superman was no exception. With Clayface set to be a lower-budget movie, fans expected this trend to continue with Supergirl, given it’s DC’s tentpole movie in 2026.
However, it seems as though DC Studios co-heads James Gunn and Peter Safran may be tightening their belts. A report from entertainment newsletter Puck confirms that Supergirl‘s budget will be on the lower end of things. An exact number wasn’t given, but given Clayface is reported to have a $40 million budget, it’s possible that the blockbuster is coming in below the $150 million mark. (Though, again, an exact number or even range wasn’t confirmed in the article).
Why Is Supergirl’s Budget So Low?
There are, truthfully, an infinite number of reasons why DC Studios wouldn’t want to ball out on a major blockbuster every year. The leading theory among fans is that James Gunn and Peter Safran are doing everything in their power to avoid an objective flop in their first year with projects not helmed by Gunn himself. Keeping a low budget with names as recognizable as Supergirl and Clayface basically guarantees profitability.
However, there is one elephant in the room: Lanterns. While not delving into the excesses of the Green Lantern Corps, it’ll likely be a decently expensive show. And in a world where “How do streamers make money?” is a bigger and bigger question, it’s possible that the DC Universe is keeping the budget of a project like Supergirl tight to use that excess cash to fund projects that don’t have a clear path to profitability.
Supergirl is set to release on June 26, 2026. Stay tuned for the latest news regarding the future of the DC Universe!
