James Gunn and Craig Gillespie Reportedly Clashed Over ‘Supergirl’ Creative Direction
Reports about the making of Supergirl suggest the movie went through a difficult post-production process, with creative disagreements between DC Studios and director Craig Gillespie reportedly leading to multiple versions of the film being tested before its theatrical release.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the biggest disagreements were between DC Studios co-head James Gunn and Gillespie. The publication cited multiple anonymous sources who claimed the filmmaker and the studio were “not creatively aligned” during the editing process. While some insiders described the situation as a normal amount of studio involvement, others suggested the differences were more significant than usual.
The report says concerns about the movie started long before it reached theaters. Although filming wrapped in May 2025, sources claim DC Studios became worried after an early test screening later that year. By December, James Gunn and Peter Safran had reportedly become more involved, with the studio putting together its own version of the film alongside Gillespie’s original cut.
The Hollywood Reporter states that writer Jeremy Slater, known for his work on Moon Knight and Mortal Kombat 2, helped DC Studios assemble its preferred version of the movie. Over the following months, audiences reportedly viewed both cuts during a series of test screenings held between December 2025 and March 2026.
The two versions were said to have noticeable differences. According to the report, Gillespie’s cut ran around 11 minutes longer and spent more time developing Matthias Schoenaerts’ villain, Krem. The studio’s version was reportedly shorter and made several changes before becoming the version released in theaters.
Sources said that the studio cut ultimately performed slightly better during testing, beating Gillespie’s version by just two points. After those screenings, the report claims the final editing decisions largely shifted toward DC Studios, with Gillespie needing to argue for any additional changes he wanted to make. One anonymous filmmaker, who was not involved with the production, told the publication that testing two competing versions is uncommon.
“It happens more than you think, but it’s not normal. If a studio is going to put money into the test process, it means they feel strongly about certain things.”
Music also reportedly became a major topic during post-production. Since Supergirl’s release, some fans have criticized the soundtrack, particularly the use of Jimmy Eat World’s cover of “The Middle” during one of the film’s later scenes.
Report claims that earlier test screenings used a different song. According to its sources, Cyndi Lauper’s “Girls Just Want to Have Fun” originally played during that sequence before James Gunn ultimately decided to replace it with “The Middle.” Gillespie had previously confirmed in interviews that Gunn personally made the final decision regarding that musical choice.
Supergirl premiered in late June with Milly Alcock making her first solo appearance as Kara Zor-El in the new DC Universe. The film arrived with high expectations after the success of Superman, but its opening week has been met with mixed reactions from critics and audiences.
Reports have also suggested that the movie may struggle financially, although Warner Bros. and DC Studios have not publicly commented on the claims regarding its reported losses or the alleged behind-the-scenes creative disagreements.
For now, neither James Gunn, Craig Gillespie, nor DC Studios has officially addressed The Hollywood Reporter’s report. As a result, the details remain based on anonymous sources, but they offer a rare look at how much the film may have changed before audiences finally saw the finished version in theaters.
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