Supergirl is the next installment in the DCU. The film's financial performance seems to have a lot of eyes on it, as it is also DC Studios' biggest theatrical release in 2026, with Clayface being a smaller horror project. It's fair to say expectations for Kara Zor-El's standalone adventure are quite high. Aside from the circumstances previously mentioned, the hopes for the movie are evidenced by Warner Bros. Discovery and DC Studios' ambitious new marketing strategy.
The first trailer launched recently, offering a glimpse into what Kara will be going through in her space adventure. For the trailer, Warner Bros. partnered with TikTok for a bold promotional push. Per The Hollywood Reporter, TikTok has put Supergirl as the first video users see in the United States and 13 other territories. The countries where the trailer will take center stage on the app are the United Kingdom, Mexico, Spain, Canada, Argentina, Australia, South Korea, Colombia, France, Germany, Italy and Brazil.
According to the trade, "TikTok sees this as a test case that Hollywood studios can utilize to market its movies." The collaboration will also make Warner Bros. the first studio to use a new feature on the app, which will see Supergirl interact with the TikTok logo. To top things off, the app will also dedicate a "Spotlight Page" to the movie, which will serve as a hub where Supergirl-related material created by its users will be displayed.
The project is still six months away, but WBD and DC Studios are already pushing it in a big way, as proven by this partnership and the Times Square billboard dedicated to it upon the trailer launch. They're exciting promotional efforts, but it's difficult to tell whether or not they will pay off financially. Superman received a similarly hefty marketing campaign, and it reached $600 million at the box office.
While a respectable amount (one that reached the high end of the majority of recent superhero projects), it's still below the box office intakes of films like Deadpool & Wolverine, Spider-Man: No Way Home and, on the DC side, Aquaman, from 2018. With Supergirl being a less recognized character when compared to the Man of Steel, it remains to be seen what heights it can reach financially.
Having said that, Supergirl still has a great chance of finding success. Perhaps one of its biggest advantages is its apparent detachment from the superhero archetype. She is a good person, but she lacks the strong moral conviction of characters like Superman or Captain America. During the trailer launch event in New York City (via THR), director Craig Gillespie described Kara as an "anti-hero":
"This is really an anti-hero story. She's got a lot of demons, a lot of baggage coming into this, which is very different from where Superman is in his life."
Speaking to Slash Film, Supergirl star Milly Alcock also described her character's personality, which is in stark contrast to Clark Kent's: "I think that the book shows us a woman who's inherently flawed, she's unapologetic, and she has a certain expectation that she has to behave a certain way because of where she's from and who she is. And I really admired her ability to resist that."
Supergirl flies into theaters on June 26, 2026.
What do you think about this new marketing strategy? Do you think the movie will be successful? Drop your thoughts in the comments!