Supergirl And Clayface Raise ‘Red Flags’ For Warner Bros In 2026

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Industry insiders are already expressing concern about two upcoming DC projects from James Gunn, Supergirl and Clayface, as Warner Bros. plans for 2026. These films are being viewed as potential problem areas.

Warner Bros. doesn’t seem very optimistic about the upcoming Supergirl and Clayface movies. Both films were flagged as potential problems by Puck News for 2026, and Supergirl is even described as having a smaller budget.

  • Supergirl (June 26)—Lower-budget DC with Milly Alcock starring.
  • Clayface (September 11)—R-rated DC villain horror movie.

According to Matthew Belloni at Puck News, the studio’s achievements in 2026 won’t be judged by how well its DC movies do in theaters.

Warner Bros.’ success next year won’t depend on whether films like Supergirl or Clayface reach certain box office numbers. Instead, their hope is that directors like Emerald Fennell, Alejandro Iñárritu/Tom Cruise, Maggie Gyllenhaal, and even Denis Villeneuve can create truly standout movies that capture audiences’ attention. That’s the sentiment shared by studio executives Mike and Pam.

Warner Bros Doesn’t View Supergirl Or Clayface As Priority Films

The way Belloni presents it is significant. He doesn’t see Supergirl or Clayface as major projects, but rather as minor, low-cost ventures that won’t significantly impact the studio’s success. Basically, he’s saying these projects aren’t very important.

That’s not how studios talk about movies they believe in.

If Warner Bros. believed Supergirl was a major success and an important part of the future DC Universe, it would be a key focus of their plans for 2026. However, it seems they’re treating the show as unimportant.

Supergirl Already Surrounded By Warning Signs

This doubt mirrors the overall negative response to Supergirl so far. The trailer received a lot of criticism, early screenings weren’t well-received, and interest from international markets, particularly China, has been low. This is also similar to what happened with Gunn’s Superman, which didn’t do as well internationally as hoped.

Okay, so Puck is pretty much saying what a lot of us movie fans have been thinking: Warner Bros. doesn’t seem to have high hopes for this film to be a big success. It feels like they’re not expecting it to make a huge impact, honestly.

Clayface Faces The Same Low-Expectation Problem

Clayface doesn’t fare any better in Puck’s analysis.

As a film fan, I’ve noticed this movie, even though it’s an R-rated take on a DC villain, isn’t being treated like a major blockbuster by Warner Bros. It’s not expected to fail, but they also don’t seem to be counting on it being a huge financial success, which is a little disappointing.

DCU Movies Are Getting A Pass Because Expectations Are Low

One of the most striking parts of Belloni’s piece is how openly DC is being given a pass.

The bar is so low after recent failures that simply not collapsing is treated as success:

DC is being viewed more favorably because expectations for their films were already quite low. Meanwhile, Marvel had a rough year with three movies—Captain America: Brave New World, Thunderbolts, and Fantastic Four: First Steps—all of which earned significantly less at the box office than Superman.

Simply lowering expectations doesn’t solve the main issue: audiences, particularly those outside the US, aren’t connecting with James Gunn’s new DC Universe like they did with Zack Snyder’s previous films. Specifically, the article points to Snyder’s Man of Steel as a film that resonated more strongly with viewers.

While the new Superman movie satisfied fans and sets the stage for more DC films, it didn’t earn as much money worldwide as 2013’s Man of Steel – when adjusted for inflation, Man of Steel made about $930 million compared to this film’s lower total.

Another DCU Year Without Momentum?

When a respected source like Puck News starts suggesting that the upcoming Supergirl and Clayface projects might not be successful so far in advance, it suggests there are issues beyond just negative reactions from fans.

This implies Warner Bros. doubts these movies are good enough to maintain the company’s reputation or succeed financially.

And that’s a bad place for the DCU to be heading into 2026.

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2025-12-31 23:32