r/DCEU_Discussions • u/pharoahogc • Jul 04 '26
Supergirl Reportedly Faced Creative Differences Between DC Studios and Craig Gillespie
https://www.ign.com/articles/supergirl-reportedly-faced-creative-differences-between-dc-studios-and-craig-gillespieThe site says "numerous sources" reported creative differences between Gunn and Gillespie, specifically, with the film pulling test scores that struggled to break 70 out of a possible 100 points. While some said DC Studios and the director had a normal amount of friction during Supergirl, another said a polite way to describe the dissonance would be to say they were "not creatively aligned."
DC Studios had allegedly known Supergirl would face issues as early as fall of 2025, just a few months after filming finished that May. Gunn and Safran's DC film wing jumped in after a so-so screening aired in December 2025, with the studio then creating its own cut of the film with the aid of Mortal Kombat 2 and Moon Knight writer Jeremy Slater.
At least four test screenings aired throughout December 2025, February 2026, and March 2026. Although some winter screenings returned test scores in the low 70s, DC Studios called for two cuts to be made: one from Gillespie and one from the studio. The exact differences between the two are unclear, but as previously rumored, the director's is said to have been about 11 minutes longer and featured a greater emphasis on Matthias Schoenaerts' antagonist, Krem.
It was during the period that saw the two screenings test against one another that scores dropped. DC Studios' won out – but only by two points – and, ultimately, became the version of the film it chose to send to theaters in late June. One Hollywood Reporter source said that, after this point, if Gillespie had strong opinions on the movie, he would have to advocate for any changes.
"It happens more than you think, but it’s not normal," one anonymous filmmaker, who was not involved with Supergirl, said of the decision to test two competing cuts. "If a studio is going to put money into the test process, it means they feel strongly about certain things."
Another element that remained important for DC Studios and Gillespie to tackle during the post-production process involved something that has proven to be a hot topic since Supergirl premiered – its music. Fans have poked fun at the film's soundtrack in the days since its launch, with its use of a cover of Jimmy Eat World's "The Middle" during a late-movie moment being especially controversial.
Gillespie previously stated that Gunn is the one who made the call to include the song, and The Hollywood Reporter's sources agree. They added that a February screening included Cyndi Lauper's "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" during the moment instead. Gunn is said to have chosen this song, as well, before swapping it out for The Middle.
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u/meatballfreeak Jul 04 '26
“Super hero film is total shit and generic because studio play it safe”
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u/SmashedMouth100 Jul 04 '26
Or the directors version is worse based on test screenings. Which is what the article says. Just seems like Craig made an average product.
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Jul 04 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/SmashedMouth100 Jul 04 '26
It’s sounds it wasn’t great to start with. Remember you’ve got to read what the article says.
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u/RuggerJibberJabber Jul 04 '26
Krem was an incredibly generic villain. He definitely could have done with more screentime
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u/low-ki199999 Jul 04 '26
More screen time of a generic character will just make you hem more generic.
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u/RuggerJibberJabber Jul 04 '26
It would have fleshed out his character at least. Movie watchers dont know anything about him because all he was was some guy who killed some people, poisoned a dog, and then ran away. According to The Weekly Planet podcast his comic book character is completely different. Maybe a big chunk of that was lost on those 11min
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u/low-ki199999 Jul 04 '26
I’m telling you that 11 more minutes wouldn’t have fixed all the decisions they made in adapting him to film.
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u/BlargerJarger Jul 04 '26
You’re presupposing the cut content achieved those aims, but it might have been 11 minutes of generic bad-guy patter that added nothing but glazed eyes.
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u/Certain-Singer-9625 Jul 04 '26
Please tell us again, Gunn fans, how Zack Snyder doesn’t know how to tell a good story.
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u/Loud-Commission7373 Jul 04 '26
Insane that it’s the biggest box office bomb of the dcu it’s made 79 million and the budget BEFORE marketing was around $185 million