An era has ended for Superman, as the DC hero appears to have been impacted by the negative debut of Supergirl at the box office. James Gunn’s Superman movie had a lot riding on it. After years of controversial DCEU movies, the new superhero shared universe needed its first film to be a box office hit with positive reviews.
It succeeded on both fronts, with Gunn quickly altering the DCU’s slate of projects to fast-track a Superman sequel, 2027’s Man of Tomorrow. The franchise then chose to continue in the Superman corner of the DCU through Milly Alcock’s first Supergirl solo movie. Sadly, the response to it was not at all what DC expected, both in terms of box office and overall reception.
Sure, Supergirl currently stands at a solid 76% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. However, only a small set of viewers are actually going to theaters to watch the DC movie, with its low 54% critics’ score certainly impacting the film’s performance. Supergirl had a domestic opening weekend of only $37.1 million. Now, that abysmal start appears to be having a negative effect on Superman.
Before he was Clark Kent, Superman was born Kal-El on a distant planet doomed to destruction. His parents Jor-El and Lara placed him in a rocket ship as an infant, sending him across the cosmos to Earth. What is the name of Superman’s home planet?
✓ Correct! Krypton was a scientifically advanced planet that exploded due to its unstable core. Jor-El, Superman’s father, was the only scientist who foresaw the catastrophe and managed to save his son by launching him toward Earth in a small spacecraft.
✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is Krypton. Thanagar is Hawkman’s homeworld, Apokolips is Darkseid’s domain, and Oa is the headquarters of the Green Lantern Corps. Krypton’s destruction is the defining event of Superman’s origin story.
02
Superman’s greatest love is a fearless, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist who works alongside Clark Kent at the Daily Planet. She’s known for her relentless pursuit of the truth and for being one of the few people who sees both the hero and the man. Who is she?
✓ Correct! Lois Lane has been Superman’s primary love interest since her debut in Action Comics #1 in 1938. A brilliant investigative reporter, she’s as iconic as Superman himself — tough, smart, and unafraid to chase the biggest stories in Metropolis.
✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is Lois Lane. Diana Prince is Wonder Woman, Lana Lang is Clark’s high school sweetheart from Smallville, and Cat Grant is a gossip columnist at the Daily Planet. Lois Lane is Superman’s iconic partner.
03
Despite being nearly invulnerable under Earth’s yellow sun, Superman has one famous weakness — a radioactive mineral from the remnants of his destroyed homeworld. Exposure to it drains his powers and can even kill him. What is this substance called?
✓ Correct! Kryptonite is the irradiated remnants of planet Krypton. Green Kryptonite is the most common and deadly variety, but there are many other types — Red Kryptonite causes unpredictable behavior, Gold Kryptonite can permanently strip his powers, and Blue Kryptonite affects Bizarro.
✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is Kryptonite. Vibranium is from Marvel’s Black Panther universe, Nth Metal is tied to Hawkman, and Red Sun Ore isn’t a real DC substance. Kryptonite is the iconic green-glowing mineral that is Superman’s ultimate weakness.
04
In 1978, a then-unknown actor donned the cape and made the world believe a man could fly. His portrayal of Superman became the gold standard for superhero films and he starred in four Superman movies. Who is this legendary actor?
✓ Correct! Christopher Reeve’s portrayal in Superman: The Movie (1978) is widely regarded as the definitive live-action Superman. His performance perfectly balanced the heroic confidence of Superman with the endearing clumsiness of Clark Kent, setting the template every Superman actor has followed since.
✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is Christopher Reeve. Henry Cavill played Superman in the DCEU starting with Man of Steel (2013), Brandon Routh starred in Superman Returns (2006), and Tom Welling played young Clark in TV’s Smallville. Reeve was the original big-screen Superman.
05
Superman’s greatest enemy isn’t a superpowered alien — he’s a brilliant, ruthless human billionaire who believes Superman is a threat to humanity’s potential. This bald-headed genius has been Superman’s archenemy for over 80 years. Who is he?
✓ Correct! Lex Luthor is the ultimate foil to Superman — where Superman represents hope and selflessness, Luthor represents ambition and ego. Despite having no superpowers, his genius-level intellect and vast resources make him Superman’s most persistent and dangerous adversary.
✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is Lex Luthor. Brainiac is an alien android who collects cities, Darkseid is the god-like ruler of Apokolips, and Doomsday is the monster who famously killed Superman. But Lex Luthor is the definitive archenemy — Superman’s dark mirror.
06
After crash-landing on Earth as a baby, Kal-El was found and adopted by Jonathan and Martha Kent, a kind farming couple. They raised him with strong moral values in a small rural town. Where did Clark Kent grow up?
✓ Correct! Smallville, Kansas is the quintessential American small town where Jonathan and Martha Kent raised Clark with heartland values of honesty, compassion, and humility. It’s the foundation of who Superman is — not the powers from Krypton, but the character instilled by his Kansas parents.
✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is Smallville, Kansas. Gotham is Batman’s city, Metropolis is where Clark moves as an adult to work at the Daily Planet, and Coast City is Green Lantern’s home. Smallville is where the Kents raised Clark on their farm.
07
As Clark Kent, Superman disguises himself as a mild-mannered reporter working at Metropolis’s most famous newspaper, alongside Lois Lane and photographer Jimmy Olsen. Their editor-in-chief Perry White runs the newsroom. What is the name of this newspaper?
✓ Correct! The Daily Planet, with its iconic globe on the rooftop, is one of the most recognizable fictional newspapers in pop culture. Working there gives Clark Kent both a cover identity and a way to stay informed about threats to the city and the world.
✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is the Daily Planet. The Daily Bugle is Spider-Man’s Marvel universe newspaper, the Metropolis Star and Gotham Gazette are lesser DC publications. The Daily Planet — with its spinning globe — is Superman’s journalistic home.
08
This Kryptonian military commander was banished to the Phantom Zone for treason before Krypton’s destruction. He escaped and came to Earth seeking vengeance, famously demanding that others “Kneel before” him. His iconic portrayal by Terence Stamp cemented him in pop culture. Who is this villain?
✓ Correct! General Zod is one of Superman’s most terrifying foes because he has all of Superman’s powers but none of his morality. Terence Stamp’s portrayal in Superman II (1980) made “Kneel before Zod” one of the most quoted villain lines in film history. Michael Shannon later reimagined the role in Man of Steel (2013).
✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is General Zod. Bizarro is a flawed clone of Superman, Parasite drains powers through touch, and Metallo is a cyborg with a Kryptonite heart. General Zod is the Kryptonian military leader whose cry of “Kneel before Zod!” echoes through decades of Superman stories.
Mission Complete Your Kryptonian Record
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Are you the Man of Steel — or still stuck in a phone booth?
David Corenswet’s Superman appears throughout Alcock’s Supergirl movie, with the latter set to show up in next year’s Man of Tomorrow. However, that film is still a year away, making it hard to judge how Supergirl‘s box office bomb could impact it. Instead, that impact is being felt by another DC release, the animated My Adventures with Superman.
My Adventures With Superman Just Took A Hit
My Adventures with Superman season 3 debuted on HBO Max on June 14, with new episodes of DC’s animated series being released weekly on Sundays. After the show returned, Jack Quaid’s Superman project rose to become one of the top streaming performers for HBO Max globally. However, the show recently took a hit. As of Wednesday, July 1, My Adventures with Superman is no longer one of HBO Max’s Top 10 Most-Watched TV Shows worldwide, according to FlixPatrol. Just the day before, the Superman animated series could be seen on the chart, ranking 8th, above Proud and Wild Heart.
On the one hand, there is the fact that My Adventures with Superman‘s new episodes air every Sunday. So, a few days later, the show might not be receiving as many views on HBO Max. However, that does not seem to be the explanation here, as both House of the Dragon and Rick and Morty are multi-season shows that recently returned and are airing new episodes weekly on Sundays, just like My Adventures with Superman. Instead of leaving the streamer’s charts like the Superman series, House of the Dragon is HBO Max’s most-watched worldwide, with Rick and Morty in 2nd.
Supergirl’s Box Office Bomb Status Could Be Impacting The DC Series’ Performance
Based on the difference in streaming success between the three similar shows, it seems like Supergirl becoming a major box office flop might be negatively impacting the ongoing Superman series. The reverse of that is a common practice with new releases, as successful theatrical movies tend to boost interest in related content on streaming, as can be seen from all four Toy Story movies trending on Disney+’s global charts, according to FlixPatrol, as Toy Story 5 finds success in theaters and is projected to earn over $1 billion by the end of its box office run.
As such, Supergirl performing negatively in theaters might be drawing viewers away from My Adventures with Superman. Both are Superman-related DC projects with Supergirl in them — Kara is voiced by Kiana Madeira in the animated series. Given how only three out of the 10 episodes inMy Adventures with Supermanseason 3 have been released so far, the show is likely to fly back onto HBO Max’s charts over the next few weeks. If it does not manage to do so or keeps falling off the charts and climbing back, that could confirm Supergirl‘s negative impact.
