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The movie "Supergirl" drew 34,939 moviegoers on its opening day on the 24th, debuting at third place on the daily box office, but it appears insufficient to restore the broken pride of the superhero genre. / Courtesy of Warner Bros. Korea

Hollywood's superheroes continue to lose their grip on the South Korean box office.

According to the Korean Film Council’s integrated computer network on the 25th, "Supergirl" drew 34,939 moviegoers on its opening day yesterday, debuting at third place on the daily box office behind "Toy Story 5" (75,207 admissions) and "The Pupil" (34,941 admissions).

An ambitious release from DC Studios—which, alongside Marvel Studios, is considered one of the two major powerhouses of the superhero genre—"Supergirl" follows "Kara Zor-El" (Milly Alcock), the cousin of Superman (David Corenswet). The film chronicles her journey as she transforms from a functional alcoholic into a true hero like her cousin. Directed by Craig Gillespie, who helmed the 2021 release "Cruella," the film generated high anticipation prior to its release. Unlike previous "Superman" installments, it positioned a cynical, rebellious woman as a protagonist with a strong anti-heroic edge.

However, as indicated by its first-day attendance, the film's commercial outlook is far from bright. While it initially succeeded in capturing attention by introducing a highly individualistic, next-generation hero character, critics have heavily panned the thin narrative and lackluster action supporting its distinctive cast. Consequently, both real-viewer and netizen ratings on Naver have stalled in the 5-point range out of 10. The domestic importer and distributor, Warner Bros. Korea, perhaps anticipating this backlash, held its press screening late on the 23rd—just one day before the official release—raising suspicions that it sought to minimize the early spread of negative word-of-mouth.

The broader issue is that "Supergirl" is not an isolated case in the genre's ongoing slump. Among the four superhero blockbusters that landed in South Korea last year, only "Captain America: Brave New World" drew 1.65 million viewers. Meanwhile, "Thunderbolts*" (920,000), "Superman" (860,000), and "The Fantastic Four: First Steps" (590,000) all failed to cross the 1 million admission milestone. This stands in stark contrast to the historical performance of the genre, which holds six spots within the top 50 all-time box office hits in South Korea, including "Avengers: Endgame" at number six with 13.97 million admissions.

"The downward trajectory of superhero films is a phenomenon that emerged in the U.S. domestic market one to two years ago," noted the CEO of a domestic foreign film import company well-versed in Hollywood dynamics. "With an excessive influx of superhero titles flooding the market, audience fatigue has noticeably intensified." The executive added, "Marvel, which once raked in cash with every single release, has suffered a string of recent box office failures. The future of the superhero genre will ultimately hinge on whether 'Avengers: Doomsday'—which re-enlisted 'Iron Man' Robert Downey Jr., this time as the villain—can secure a commercial victory at the end of this year."

                                                                                                          Cho Sung-joon