Every Superhero Flop That Earned More Than Supergirl’s Pathetic $126M Box Office Run

Supergirl has ended its theatrical run with a $126 million worldwide box office haul (via Box Office Mojo). The figure places it in some really unfortunate company. After last year’s Superman, there were a lot of hopes for the Milly Alcock-starrer movie. But it seems the cracks are already showing in the edifice of the DCU, only two live-action movies in. But while the Craig Gillespie-directed Supergirl is not bad (it scored 7/10 in FandomWire’s review), it cannot blame superhero fatigue, for Spider-Man: Brand New Day, as I write this, has already crossed the $1 billion mark faster than any movie except one in a few days after its release.

So, here we are with a list of movies that similarly bombed at the box office and yet managed to scrape together a sum larger than Supergirl’s measly haul. There was a time when superhero movies were considered nearly sure-shot successes. But now, the audiences are more careful about their time and money, and this explains Supergirl’s disaster. All the following global box office figures are per Box Office Mojo and as of August 6, 2026. They have been rounded off and are not adjusted for inflation. The order is lowest to highest returns.

14 Blue Beetle: $130.8 Million

Blue Beetle grossed only a few million dollars more than Supergirl. That’s why it is at the bottom of this list. Ángel Manuel Soto’s movie featured Xolo Maridueña as Jaime Reyes, a college graduate who gains superpowers thanks to an alien Scarab that clamps onto his back and gives him superpowers and a powerful exoskeleton. It was actually a pretty charming superhero movie, but it had the misfortune of releasing at the tail-end of the dying cinematic universe (and yet it outperformed Supergirl). It scored an impressive 78% on the Tomatometer (as of August 6, 2026). The good news is, Maridueña will reprise the role in Man of Tomorrow (via Variety).

13 Shazam! Fury of the Gods: $134.1 Million

The original Shazam! Was lightning in a bottle (pun intended) as it deliberately broke away from the mainstream DCEU tone: dark and gloomy. It was fun and funny, which are the only two things you need in a movie like this. It was also simple. Fury of the Gods was none of those things. It was too messy and poorly written. The reviews were bad too (49% on the Tomatometer, (as of August 6, 2026). All that was enough for audiences to learn that another Billy Batson adventure was not a must-see event.

12 Morbius: $167.5 Million

If I were to rack my brains, it is possible I could come up with another comic-book movie that earned internet infamy quite like Morbius. But I don’t think so. Jared Leto’s vampire antihero movie (not strictly a superhero flick) became the subject of endless memes and social media jokes, and none of them were flattering. It is said that Sony rereleased the movie after confusing meme culture for genuine audience demand. And Morbius flopped again (via Forbes). Perhaps the only movie in history to do so. Despite all that, it outdid Supergirl.

11 Fantastic Four: $167.9 Million

Before the MCU rebooted the property in 2025, there was another ill-fated Fantastic Four reboot when Fox still owned the property. Directed by Josh Trank, the movie was troubled long before it reached theaters. The result was a bleak and dull take on some of Marvel Comics’ most iconic characters. The result was a humongous box office disappointment. The movie also holds a 9% Tomatometer score (as of August 6, 2026), which alone says a lot.

10 The Suicide Squad: $168.7 Million

The 2021 movie was James Gunn’s first DC movie and remains one of DC’s best-reviewed movies (90% on Tomatometer, as of August 6, 2026). But it released when most of us were afraid to step out due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Worse, it was one of those Warner Bros movies that were released simultaneously in theaters and on HBO Max. It predictably bombed heavily at the box office. And yet, it remains a cult favorite, and outgrossed Supergirl.

9 Wonder Woman 1984: $169.6 Million

Wonder Woman 1984 was also a victim of DCEU’s protracted demise and the COVID-19 pandemic. The first Wonder Woman was one of the best DCEU projects. The second? One of the worst. The villains were uninteresting, Steve Trevor’s return did not make sense (besides bringing back Chris Pine somehow), and the script had an unpolished, first-draft feel. But even then, Wonder Woman 1984 manages to outgross Supergirl.

8 The Marvels: $206.1 Million

The Marvels holds the dubious honor of having the lowest global box office haul among all the MCU movies. Despite bringing together the three Marvels (Captain Marvel, Ms. Marvel, and Monica Rambeau) and having the Marvel Studios and Disney marketing machinery behind it, it bombed. It was not well-received and was a marker of declining interest in the MCU and superhero genre as a whole.

7 Green Lantern: $237.2 Million

Now, this one doesn’t surprise me. The Ryan Reynolds-led Green Lantern was to be a franchise-starter. But it became a cautionary tale and synonymous with wasted potential. Reynolds himself has joked about the movie, and Deadpool 2 had a post-credits scene featuring the Merc with a Mouth unceremoniously killing a smiling Reynolds signing the Green Lantern contract (via YouTube). One of the movies we wish we could forget.

6 Dark Phoenix: $252.4 Million

Fox’s long-running X-Men franchise, which we might say ushered in the modern superhero movie era, died not with a bang but with a whimper. It ended with one of its weakest movies, Dark Phoenix. It tried to adapt one of Marvel’s most beloved storylines in comic books, but the result was a muddle. Also, by the time it released, Disney’s Fox acquisition was common news. Couple that with poor reviews, it did not feel worthwhile to see the send-off to a dying franchise. It remains the worst X-Men movie ever.

5 The Flash: $271.3 Million

The Flash was heavily promoted by Warner Bros. I presume a lot of money was on the line. The expectations surrounding Andrés Muschietti’s movie did not translate into ticket sales, though. Even Michael Keaton returning as Batman, multiple versions of the Scarlet Speedster, time-travel shenanigans, and Supergirl could not stop The Flash from bombing. Sasha Calle’s take on Supergirl remains memorable, though.

4 Black Adam: $393.5 Million

Dwayne Johnson-led Black Adam was marketed heavily as bringing a radical change to the hierarchy of power in the DC Universe. And it did bring a change, just not the one Warner Bros. had envisioned. It did gross $393.5 million worldwide, but it had enormous production and marketing costs and the movie fell well short of profitability. Johnson’s vision of the DCEU was abandoned in favor of James Gunn.

3 Eternals: $402.1 Million

Eternals was always going to be a gamble. It featured several well-known stars, including Angelina Jolie, and was directed by Oscar-winning Chloé Zhao. But it promised an entirely new team of cosmic heroes who operated on a level above even the Avengers (at least in comics). It did cross the $400 million mark worldwide, but the expectations had been much higher for an MCU team-up movie. The reason was mixed reviews and a less-than-enthusiastic response from the audience.

2 Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania: $476.1 Million

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania introduced Kang the Conqueror, who was going to be the next Big Bad of the MCU like Thanos. The movie was tasked with launching Phase 5. But unlike the first movie, which was light on its feet, this one was too messy and was almost entirely set in the CGI-heavy Quantum Realm. Its worldwide total was not disastrous, actually, but for a franchise like the MCU, it was a flop.

1 Justice League: $661.3 Million

Despite $661.3 million in box office receipts, Justice League has to be one of the biggest disasters in movie history. How else one describe a movie featuring not only the DC trinity but the core Justice League (save Green Lantern, Martian Manhunter, and Supergirl)? Like many DCEU movies, there were allegations of studio interference; director Zack Snyder was replaced, there were reshoots, and poor-quality CGI (that Henry Cavill moustache removal job became a meme). The failure paved the way for the Snyder Cut movement.

Do you think Supergirl is the biggest superhero box office disappointment ever? Let us know your pick in the comments below.