Supergirl: DC Studios boss says comics giant needs to win back fans’ trust
DC Studios
The studio behind Supergirl needs to work to win back fans’ trust, according to one of its big bosses.
DC Studios rebooted its cinematic universe with last year’s well-received Superman, which followed a string of underperforming movies based on the comic company’s collection of heroes and villains.
Supergirl, out this week and starring House of Dragon actress Milly Alcock, Jason Momoa and British teenager Eve Ridley, is the second big release set in the rejigged universe.
Peter Safran, who runs DC Studios alongside director James Gunn, told BBC Newsbeat the new direction was an attempt to “get back on track”.
DC Studios
Supergirl follows Kara-Zor-El, played by Alcock, on her 23rd birthday as she goes on a quest to save her dog, Krypto, after he is poisoned.
Along the way she teams up with Ruthye Marye Knoll, played by Ridley, and bounty hunter Lobo, played by Jason Momoa.
The movie, directed by Craig Gillespie, portrays Supergirl as a reluctant superhero who has struggled to adapt to life on Earth after fleeing her home planet of Krypton as a child.
Reviewers have been split on the film, with most praising Alcock’s performance but being less enthusiastic about its action sequences.
The real measure of the film’s success will be how fans react – and producer Safran tells Newsbeat how DC hopes to bring them back on board.
DC Studios
Speaking on the blue carpet at the film’s London premiere, he says the output from the studio, which owns characters including Batman, Wonder Woman and Shazam, has been “uneven”.
While some of its films have been critical and commercial hits, others have flopped or, in the case of Batgirl, been scrapped before they were released.
Fans, too, had complaints about the inconsistent portrayal of characters.
“I want to rebuild the trust of the audience, which I think DC had lost over the years,” says Safran.
He and DC co-chief Gunn have been behind the reboot of the DC Universe, which Safran describes as an attempt to bring all of its heroes “under one creative vision”.
“We have a big responsibility on our shoulders but we’re thrilled with how it’s going so far,” he says.
As well as Supergirl, the studio also plans to release supervillain horror movie Clayface later this year.
Marvel – long seen as DC’s big rival – also has two big releases this year in the form of Spider-Man: Brand New Day and Avengers: Doomsday.
But Safran says competition is healthy.
“That which unites comic book fans is much greater than that which divides us,” he says.
“So we want Marvel to do great. And obviously James had his start at Marvel. And so we’re keeping our fingers crossed that they have a great winter.”
Jesse Figueiras Osorio, 20, and sister Nathalia, 15, turned up at the premiere to catch a glimpse of Supergirl’s stars.
The DC fans agree the universe was in need of a restart.
“The characters weren’t being portrayed the way that I expected them to,” says Jesse.
“James Gunn is doing a really good job of bringing his vision of the characters to life, because he’s also just as big as a fan as everyone else is.”
Jesse also thinks it’s fair to say some fans had lost trust in DC, but she’s hopeful the studio can turn things around.
“The trust was definitely lost,” she says.
“The Batman vs Superman films were pretty good, but I felt like it wasn’t representative of that DC universe.
“This new universe, it’s like you’re starting to feel the characters warm up.
Listen to Newsbeat live at 12:45 and 17:45 weekdays – or listen back here.
