In an ideal world, Supergirl would have received the same response as Superman, been a modest box office hit (at the very least), and continued DC Studios' momentum. Instead, it's been a rough week for the movie, with so-so reviews and what's looking like a lower-than-expected opening weekend.
While some are already calling for DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn's head, others are a little more level-headed and want to see how things go with Lanterns, Clayface, and Man of Tomorrow first.
However, for anyone looking to point fingers for Supergirl's failings, it seems Gunn is responsible for two particularly divisive elements: Lobo's extended cameo and a final battle song choice recently described as "cringey."
Many reviews were critical of Jason Momoa's Lobo being shoehorned into Supergirl, though we'd be remiss not to mention that some have praised the former Aquaman actor as a highlight.
Lobo wasn't in the Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow comic book, and there aren't any similar characters from that he's replacing; he's a completely new addition to the story. Writer Tom King has previously said he pitched the bounty hunter for a role in his and Bilquis Evely's series, but Lobo being in this movie was a DC Studios decision, according to Ana Nogueira.
"That was also given to me. That was like my assignment: 'We want Lobo in the movie,'" she told Rolling Stone. "So those were like the kind of little toys I was given, and I knew that Woman of Tomorrow was based on True Grit. And so I actually went back to the source, and I went back to True Grit."
"That’s when I was like, oh, that’s how Lobo fits in, because there’s Matt Damon’s character, and he’s the third entry point, the third character, the love-to-hate-to-love kind of guy," she added. "And then that’s how I was styling it, just as a Western, because I knew that’s what inspired [Woman of Tomorrow author] Tom [King]."
Nogueira started working on Supergirl before Superman landed in theaters, and Gunn's DCU plans understandably led to some changes.
"There were two major changes, which were notes from James, and one was that Superman isn’t known in the galaxy. In my first draft, she would go places and people would recognize Superman," the writer explained. "This Superman is new. He’s not out there saving worlds and planets. So he’s not known out there. This is her domain."
"And then the other note was to change from the comic that Kara is there when Krypton is destroyed, versus her being born on [the post-destruction planet fragment] Argo," Nogueira said. "Because the note was that — and I understand this — the Phantom Zone, all that takes over. It ends up taking over a screenplay. 'She got what? She’s stuck where? What occurred?'"
Director Craig Gillespie, meanwhile, revealed who chose one of Supergirl's most divisive needle drops: Jimmy Eat World's "The Middle" with female vocals by Kelty Greye and KidMotel. That plays over the final battle and has been widely ridiculed on social media after leaked clips first circulated earlier this week.
The filmmaker confirmed that Gunn picked the song, adding that "there were probably about 45 songs that went against that scene." Revealing that another cover was considered, the filmmaker pointed out, "That was down to the wire getting that sequence finished, 'cause obviously the visual effects are massive. So it was a long few months of being like, 'It’s gonna be great.'"
Back to Nogueira, and while she wouldn't be drawn on sharing Teen Titans or Wonder Woman details, she did make it clear she's not interested in getting involved with what the interviewer described as "culture-war-type hatred" aimed at Supergirl.
"Oh, God. I try to ignore any culture-war aspect. And I do believe all of these people love these characters a lot, and they mean a lot to them, and have for years, decades maybe. I just wanted to be like, I think this one’s for everyone," she shared. "We’re just gonna tell a good story, and it’s not gonna be an us-versus-them kind of a situation."
"I want everyone to like it. From the whole spread of the DC fan base. We made it for all of them, and I hope they’re all into it."
Supergirl is now playing in theaters.