"Supergirl" and "Robin Hood" kick off a summer of blockbusters

Introduction: the summer's big kickoff

Two worlds collide in theaters

On July 1, 2026, movie theaters experienced an unusual scheduling collision: the simultaneous release of Supergirl, the second cornerstone of the new DC Studios universe, and The Death of Robin Hood, a twilight retelling of the English legend led by Hugh Jackman. Two genres, two tones, one release date — and theaters forced to decide how to split their screens between a Kryptonian heroine and an aging outlaw.

This double release is no scheduling accident: it is the opening act of a summer that will build toward Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey and Spider-Man: Brand New Day, two heavyweights expected at the end of July. Between these milestones, audiences will have to digest an extremely packed slate, where every week brings its own set of competing blockbusters.

Why this moment is worth pausing on

Beyond the simple release calendar, this launch says something about popular cinema in 2026: studios are betting massively on already-known universes, even if it means multiplying simultaneous releases that cannibalize each other at the box office. This is an industry gambling big, week after week, on audience loyalty to major franchises.

I look at this moment with the curiosity of an ordinary moviegoer as much as that of a columnist: does this avalanche of blockbusters truly feed our collective imagination, or does it end up wearing it down through repetition?

I love genre cinema, but I sometimes worry seeing two blockbusters open the same day, as if the industry were betting on quantity rather than intelligently spacing out its major releases.

Supergirl: a new generation carried by Milly Alcock

A new chapter of the DC Universe

Supergirl, directed by Craig Gillespie from a screenplay by Ana Nogueira, is the second feature film of the DC Universe relaunched by James Gunn and Peter Safran, following the success of Superman in 2025. The film stars Milly Alcock as Kara Zor-El, an actress already familiar to mainstream audiences for her role as Rhaenyra Targaryen in House of the Dragon.

The cast also includes Matthias Schoenaerts, Eve Ridley, Jason Momoa as the intergalactic bounty hunter Lobo, as well as David Krumholtz and Emily Beecham, according to official film materials relayed by Allociné.

A delayed but highly anticipated French release

The film's French release, originally scheduled for June 24, was ultimately pushed to July 1, 2026, a few days after its June 26 American release. This scheduling gap, common for major Hollywood productions, nonetheless fueled additional anticipation among French moviegoers eager to see this new incarnation of the character.

Early French reviews remain mixed: Ouest-France describes a film that "struggles to take off with a plot lacking twists," while praising a radiant Milly Alcock in the title role, a sign that the lead performance is landing better than the film's overall writing.

I find it reassuring when a film review dares to say a script is stalling even while the lead actress shines: it avoids conflating individual performance with overall success.

Hugh Jackman's Robin Hood: a twilight outlaw

A dark retelling directed by Michael Sarnoski

The Death of Robin Hood is directed by Michael Sarnoski for independent studio A24, known for its taste for auteur-driven retellings of popular figures. Hugh Jackman plays an aging Robin Hood, far removed from the classic image of the youthful, dashing hero of English medieval legend.

The film, running two hours and two minutes according to SortiràParis, offers a melancholic and introspective tone unlike previous adaptations of the myth, leaning on the weariness of a man who has devoted his life to a cause that never seems to truly conclude.

An independent studio's gamble against the heavyweights

A24's decision to release this film on the same day as a DC Studios blockbuster reflects a deliberate strategy: target a different, more cinephile audience, willing to favor auteur-driven filmmaking over a superhero spectacle calibrated for the broad family market.

This coexistence between an independent studio and a Hollywood major, on the same day in the same theaters, illustrates the diversity still possible in today's film landscape, even in an era dominated by franchises.

I admire the nerve of a studio like A24 releasing a twilight auteur film on the same day as a superhero blockbuster: it's a risky bet, but one that keeps real tonal diversity alive in cinema.

A particularly packed summer calendar

Eleven films not to miss, according to the trade press

According to an RTL article published on June 28, 2026, no fewer than eleven major films are competing for audience attention this summer, including Spider-Man: Brand New Day, The Odyssey, and a new animated adventure tied to the Moana universe. This buildup of releases illustrates the unprecedented density of the 2026 summer calendar.

Facing such an abundant lineup, distributors now have to get increasingly creative to capture the attention of audiences whose time and movie budgets remain limited despite the flood of offerings.

Spider-Man and The Odyssey in sight for late July

Spider-Man: Brand New Day, produced by Sony with Tom Holland and Zendaya, is set to open on July 29 in France and July 31 in the United States, according to information relayed by specialized outlet World of Geek. This new installment shapes up as one of the major film events of the second half of summer.

Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey, a highly anticipated adaptation of Homer's epic poem, rounds out this lineup of blockbusters that will turn July and August 2026 into a cinematic marathon for theaters worldwide.

I sometimes wonder whether audiences really have the time, budget, and energy to keep up with eleven major releases in a single summer, however tempting each one is individually.

The commercial stakes of a simultaneous release

The risk of cannibalization between two competing films

Releasing two blockbusters on the same day carries a real commercial risk: theaters must split their screens, and audiences must choose between two experiences that, while not identical, partly target the same crowd hungry for a big summer spectacle. This direct competition can cut into both films' revenue compared to a more staggered release.

Studios nonetheless seem to be betting on complementarity rather than mutual exclusion: a superhero audience for Supergirl, a more cinephile and adult audience for The Death of Robin Hood, with a possible limited overlap between the two crowds.

What early attendance numbers reveal

The very first attendance figures, still fragmentary at release time, suggest a relatively balanced split between the two films in French theaters, with no overwhelming dominance of one over the other during the opening weekend.

This split, if it holds over time, would validate the studios' differentiation strategy rather than confirm fears of total cannibalization between the two productions.

I think a balanced box office between two such different films would be the best possible news for the diversity of today's popular cinema.

DC's cinematic universe comes roaring back

A methodical rebuilding strategy

After several years of creative stumbling, the DC universe is starting fresh under the direction of James Gunn and Peter Safran, with a coherent plan dubbed "Chapter One: Gods and Monsters." Supergirl is the second building block of that effort, following the successful Superman reboot in 2025.

This methodical, film-by-film approach contrasts with the more scattered strategy of previous years at Warner Bros, where DC productions sometimes lacked narrative consistency with one another.

Milly Alcock, a strategic casting choice

The choice of Milly Alcock to play Supergirl reflects a broader trend in Hollywood: recruiting actresses already noticed in prestige series to carry new film franchises, banking on existing name recognition among a young, connected audience.

This casting strategy, if it works, could firmly establish Alcock as the face of the franchise for years to come, provided the rest of the DC universe delivers on its narrative promises.

I believe the long-term success of this new DC universe will depend less on a single successful film than on consistency maintained over several years, which remains the real test ahead.

A24 and the gamble of mainstream auteur cinema

An increasingly recognizable studio identity

Over recent years, A24 has built a studio identity capable of drawing top-tier actors like Hugh Jackman toward more personal, less formulaic projects than traditional studio productions. The Death of Robin Hood fits squarely within that distinctive editorial logic.

This strategy lets the studio clearly set itself apart from the major players, banking on directorial quality and narrative boldness rather than special effects and budget scale alone.

Michael Sarnoski, a signature already noticed

Michael Sarnoski, already praised for his previous work, brings to this retelling of the Robin Hood myth a visual sensibility and narrative pacing far removed from the usual standards of mainstream adventure films, which partly explains the nuanced but respectful critical reception the film has received.

This auteur signature, embraced right down to the film's chosen title, clearly signals to audiences what to expect: not light entertainment, but a darker meditation on legacy and the end of a myth.

I find it refreshing that a Robin Hood film chooses to embrace melancholy rather than chase the easy entertainment usually expected from the genre.

What this says about 2026 audiences

A still-strong loyalty to major franchises

Despite the flood of releases and potential franchise fatigue, audiences keep showing up for recognizable major franchises, whether superhero universes or older myths reimagined by contemporary filmmakers. This loyalty remains the economic bedrock of the summer blockbuster industry.

Studios, well aware of this dynamic, continue investing massively in already-known intellectual property rather than entirely original concepts, a trend that shows no sign of reversing in 2026.

The growing role of critics in public conversation

Early reviews, whether glowing or more reserved like Ouest-France's take on Supergirl, quickly shape public conversation around these releases, well before general audiences have had a chance to form their own opinion in theaters.

This speed at which critical opinions circulate, amplified by social media, is increasingly and directly influencing audience attendance choices from the very first days of release.

I remain convinced that a nuanced review, neither glowing nor scathing, serves audiences better than a simple thumbs up or thumbs down.

The technical challenges of a superhero production

Ever more demanding special effects

Producing a film like Supergirl mobilizes considerable visual effects teams, tasked with bringing the heroine's Kryptonian powers to life while maintaining visual consistency with the rest of the DC universe newly established by James Gunn and Peter Safran.

This level of technical demand partly explains the enormous budgets tied to this type of production, as well as the sometimes lengthy delays between a project's announcement and its actual theatrical release.

Filming intergalactic scenes with Jason Momoa

Jason Momoa's presence as Lobo required particularly complex action sequences and character design work, the intergalactic bounty hunter being known to comic book readers for his distinctive alien appearance and anti-heroic behavior.

This casting choice, which might seem bold for a supporting role, reflects the studio's determination to polish every element of this fledgling universe, including secondary characters set to return in future films.

I notice that polishing supporting roles, like Lobo here, is often a sign of a studio thinking about its franchise for the long haul rather than one film at a time.

The economic impact on movie theaters

A breath of fresh air for a still-fragile sector

The theatrical exhibition sector, still marked by post-pandemic difficulties and competition from streaming platforms, sees in this avalanche of summer releases a chance to reconnect with stronger attendance, essential to the economic survival of both independent theaters and major chains.

Every blockbuster that fills seats directly contributes to the financial viability of the entire film ecosystem, from distributors down to local exhibitors who depend on these seasonal attendance peaks.

The role of premieres and special events

Premieres organized around these releases, with actors or directors in attendance, also help turn the simple act of watching a film into an event, transforming the theatrical release into a broader social and media experience than the film itself.

This event-driven dimension, increasingly cultivated by studios, is aimed squarely at countering the appeal of watching at home by making the theater experience feel irreplaceable to audiences.

I believe movie theaters will only survive in the long run if they keep offering a collective experience that even the coziest living room can never fully replace.

The next steps in the summer calendar

A packed July all the way through

After this double launch on July 1, the film calendar shows no signs of slowing: every week of July brings its share of new releases, big and small, until the highly anticipated arrival of Spider-Man: Brand New Day and The Odyssey at the very end of the month.

This extreme density of the calendar forces moviegoers to make choices, week after week, between the films they want to see in theaters and those they will push off to a later streaming release.

Moana and other family franchises lying in wait

According to RTL, a new adventure tied to the Moana universe also rounds out this packed summer calendar, confirming that families too will have an abundant choice of films suited to younger audiences during school break.

This diversity of offerings, spanning adult superhero fare, twilight myth retellings, and family animation, reflects the industry's determination to cover every possible audience segment during the year's most lucrative season.

I think this diversity of genres packed into a single season, despite the competition between films, remains good news for audiences with very varied tastes.

What the success or failure of these films will reveal

An indicator for the future of superhero franchises

Supergirl's commercial fate in the weeks following its release will serve as an important indicator for the rest of the DC Studios plan, already announced by James Gunn and Peter Safran as a project spanning several years and multiple interconnected films.

Commercial failure could force a revision of the planned schedule, while success would confirm the viability of this more methodical approach compared to previous attempts to rebuild the DC cinematic universe.

A signal for independent studios like A24

Similarly, the performance of The Death of Robin Hood against such direct competition will indicate whether audiences are ready to favor auteur retellings of popular myths over more conventional, family-oriented adaptations.

This result could influence future decisions by A24 and other independent studios about their willingness to keep financing ambitious projects carried by top-tier Hollywood stars like Hugh Jackman.

I believe the real test of this summer will not just be ticket sales, but whether these two films can stay in audiences' memory long after the summer season ends.

My personal take on this double launch

Two complementary visions of popular cinema

As a curious columnist rather than an expert of the seventh art, I see in this double launch an almost perfect illustration of the two directions popular cinema can take today: the blockbuster calibrated to reach the widest possible audience, and the auteur gesture that prefers the intensity of a singular vision over the scale of spectacle.

Neither approach is inherently superior to the other: they simply answer different expectations, and their coexistence, even a conflicting one at the box office, strikes me as a sign of good health for the film industry as a whole.

An invitation to curiosity rather than hasty judgment

Personally, I prefer to reserve final judgment on these two films until I have seen them myself, rather than relying solely on the still-fragmentary early reviews published at release time.

This critical caution seems all the more necessary in a context where early hype or early rejection on social media can distort collective perception of a film long before audiences have had time to form their own opinion in theaters.

I always prefer cautious curiosity over hasty judgment, especially with an art form as subjective as cinema, where two viewers can legitimately experience the same work in completely opposite ways.

The battle of posters and trailers

A marketing war fought months in advance

The promotional campaigns for Supergirl and The Death of Robin Hood began several months before their respective releases, with trailers distributed massively across social media and at major events like Comic-Con. This visibility war aims to capture audience attention well before the films actually hit theaters.

Studios are betting on contrasting posters: bright and colorful for Supergirl, dark and earthy for Robin Hood, a deliberate visual differentiation that lets audiences instantly distinguish the two offerings at a glance.

The growing influence of content creators

Beyond traditional campaigns, both studios also enlisted content creators and film influencers to generate organic conversation around their respective films, a strategy that has become essential for reaching a younger audience increasingly immune to traditional advertising.

This battle for attention, waged on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube, shows just how much a film's success is now decided as much before its release as during its first weeks in theaters.

I find it fascinating, and a little unsettling, to see how much a film's commercial fate is now decided on social media months before anyone has been able to see it in theaters.

Conclusion: a summer that promises to be memorable

A dense but rich lineup

Between Supergirl, The Death of Robin Hood, and the upcoming releases of Spider-Man: Brand New Day and The Odyssey, summer 2026 shapes up as one of the densest and richest in cinematic offerings in recent years, despite the risks of commercial cannibalization between competing films.

This abundance, while it may wear out audiences with limited time and money, also offers a diversity of tones and genres rarely gathered in such a short span, from family blockbuster to the most melancholic auteur retelling.

What the coming weeks will tell us

The coming weeks will show whether this bold scheduling bet, with two major films released on the same day, paid off for the studios involved, or whether one of the two films ended up eclipsing the other in moviegoers' collective memory.

One thing remains certain: summer 2026 will go down, whatever happens, as a season in which popular cinema bet on density rather than caution, for better or worse.

I close this column with a sincere wish to see both films in theaters, not to decide which one is better, but to savor the rare diversity they represent together.

By Maxime Marquette, columnist

Columnist's transparency note

Who I am and my acknowledged biases

I am a columnist for mad-m.ca. On matters of film and popular culture, my only acknowledged bias is curiosity: I am as interested in major Hollywood franchises as I am in more independent offerings like those from A24, with no favoritism toward any studio or genre.

I had seen neither Supergirl nor The Death of Robin Hood at the time of writing this column: my analysis relies on production information, official materials, and early reviews published by the trade press.

What I don't know, and my method

I cannot predict the final commercial success of these two films, nor how audiences will receive them once word of mouth is fully established in the weeks after release.

My method consists of cross-referencing official production information, studio press kits, and early trade press reviews, clearly flagging what counts as verifiable fact versus my own personal interpretation as a columnist.

Sources

Primary sources

Agenda des sorties cinéma de la semaine du 1er juillet 2026 — Allociné

On l'appelait Robin des Bois au cinéma : Hugh Jackman en héros crépusculaire — SortiràParis

Supergirl (film, 2026) — Wikipédia

Secondary sources

Supergirl peine à s'envoler avec un scénario sans rebonds, malgré une Milly Alcock rayonnante — Ouest-France, June 30, 2026

Spider-Man: Brand New Day, L'Odyssée, Vaiana : les 11 films à ne pas louper au cinéma cet été — RTL, June 28, 2026

Spider-Man: Brand New Day, ce que l'on sait du film avec Tom Holland et Zendaya — World of Geek