After a great start, DC’s new cinematic universe is really starting to slow down

Although hopes were high for SupergirlThe movie turned out to be a bit of a flop. It was the critics Instead on the projectand her Lackluster box office The performance puts him on track for a WBD loss Somewhere between $100-120 million. Movies flop all the time, and Supergirl Maybe the lack of resonance with audiences wouldn’t be such a big deal if we knew DC Studios had more exciting things coming down the pike. but Supergirl It seems like it could be an early sign that Gunn’s grand plan for the DCU is falling apart before it really gets started.

Loosely based on the works of Tom King and Bilquis Evely Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow Comedy series, new Supergirl The film follows Superman’s cousin Kara (Millie Alcock) as she embarks on an interstellar journey that culminates with her dog being poisoned by a crew of sex-trafficking pirates. Unlike Superman (David Corenswet), Supergirl has no problem killing her enemies — especially when they try to stop her from saving Krypto. But with an orphan girl (Eve Ridley) accompanying her on the adventure, Kara tries to set a good example (read: not to kill).

Nevertheless Supergirl Everything about this film comes from director Craig Gillespie and writer Ana Nogueira Focus on animals in distress To the Drops of the Needle – makes it very similar to some of Gunn’s previous work. Supergirl’s drunken brawls in alien bars and her scenes roaming space in a junkie spaceship look like they could have been ripped from any Marvel movie Guardians of the Galaxy Features. You can hear Nogueira channeling Gunn’s prickly sense of humor as the film introduces new faces like troubled bounty hunter Lobo (a distracting Jason Momoa in a caricature-accurate costume). Momoa’s presence is a constant reminder of How the DCEU collapsedbut Lobo isn’t what’s really holding you back Supergirl under.

Refreshing as it was to see Superman Covering up Clark Kent’s recurring tragic backstory, Supergirl It spends much of its runtime rehashing the details of Krypton’s destruction. The flashbacks are meant to help us understand the grief she was living with, and to see why her sense of morality was so different from her cousin’s. But instead of unpacking Kara’s emotions in any meaningful way, the film highlights her drug use while sending her on a by-the-numbers adventure that doesn’t usually exist when it comes to intrigue or visual spectacle.

One of SupergirlThe most glaring issues are the way it struggles to find organic ways to make its titular heroine feel distinct from Superman. Aside from her relative brutality and temperamental outlook, she is just another indestructible alien who periodically needs to recharge her powers by basking in the yellow sun’s rays. The film tries to give itself some stakes by constantly putting Kara in situations where she is left without her abilities. But in the second scene where Kara gets beaten up by a group of men, you get the sense that DC Studios never came up with a plan to make this story stand out.

This is somewhat surprising considering the road Gunn had previously insisted that DC Studios would “never put a half-credited script into production” simply because the project has already been announced. Half an ass is the perfect description for SupergirlThe entire atmosphere of the game, and it being the studio’s second major feature does not bode well for the future of the DCU. Supergirl It needed to be proven that Gunn had a solid plan to build a new universe on the backs of some of DC’s lesser-known characters. Although we’ve already seen some of how this works on HBO Peacemaker series, it was unclear whether the studio could bring it to the big screen. The whole point of rebooting WBD’s superhero movies was to put DC Studios in a better position to compete with Marvel – which is About to reset its master. But while Marvel has a few reliable aces like X-Men and new Spider-Man film Up its sleeve, DC is basically starting from scratch.

some Supergirl‘s problems may not be as easily apparent if there is more time before them SupermanHis theatrical beginnings. The two films being so close to each other emphasize the general similarities between their characters, and makes it seem as if DC might be a little too comfortable putting out recurring projects. This calls into question Gunn’s decision to prioritize A series about the Green Lanterns and A Clayface film Before introducing new versions of more famous heroes like Batman and Wonder Woman. WBD is still planning to put out Sequel to Matt Reeves Batman This won’t technically be part of the DCU, but all of Gotham might have audiences ready to see the new Bane/Deathstroke movie that The studio is said to be prioritizing in the wake of SupergirlPoor performance.

All of these B-tier projects and alternate realities give the emerging digital console a whiff of the same chaos that plagues Sony’s world Spider-Man Since its beginning. And when it comes into play WBD’s impending merger with Paramount Skydanceit seems very likely that the DCU may not come together the way Gunn originally intended. Although it is possible that it will be next year Man of tomorrow could point things in a stronger direction, what seems more likely now is DC putting out another great movie that looks somewhat similar to what we’ve seen before. This wouldn’t be the first time WB has found itself in hot water over a comic-related crisis, but it may be the last chance the studio has to get this right.