The DCU’s Best Character to Return During the Super Bowl

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The Super Bowl is still the biggest annual sporting event in the US, consistently drawing over 100 million TV viewers. For years, it’s been a key place for Hollywood to launch trailers for big movies, with DC and Marvel often vying for attention after the game. But in 2026, neither DC nor Marvel will be debuting trailers for their biggest upcoming films during the main broadcast. Despite this, DC Studios plans to continue a tradition started in 2025 by offering a special preview of what they consider their most popular character in the DC Universe.

Although you won’t see a typical trailer for Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow during the Super Bowl, the movie will be featured in a special presentation during the 2026 Puppy Bowl. Animal Planet’s Puppy Bowl, known for its focus on pet adoption, proved successful for DC Studios last year when they introduced Krypto the Superdog ahead of the Superman movie. Since Krypto is an important character in the new Supergirl film, the studio is likely using the Puppy Bowl to remind audiences about him before Kara Zor-El (Milly Alcock) stars in her first solo DC Universe movie.

It Makes Sense for DC (And Marvel) to Avoid the Main Super Bowl Event

As a big fan, I get why DC and Marvel didn’t advertise during the Super Bowl this year. Those ads are incredibly expensive – we’re talking around $10 million for just 30 seconds! That’s a huge risk unless you’re absolutely certain the movie will be a massive hit. And honestly, things have changed. Superhero movies aren’t the guaranteed money-makers they used to be. Take the new Superman movie, for example. It made $616 million worldwide, which was enough to make it the biggest superhero film of 2025, beating out other Marvel releases like The Fantastic Four and Thunderbolts. But if you look back just a few years, a superhero movie making that much wouldn’t have been considered a huge success. It just shows how the landscape has shifted – even the biggest heroes are facing a new reality.

DC Studios is shifting away from expensive TV commercials and focusing on collaborations that leverage the reach of its parent company, Warner Bros. Discovery. For example, partnering with the Puppy Bowl (on a Warner Bros. Discovery network) allows them to connect with families at a much lower cost. This approach worked well with Superman, successfully launching a line of Krypto-branded pet food and accessories during the event. These partnerships not only provide extra advertising in stores but also generate additional income for the studio, lessening the pressure on movie ticket sales.

Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow is scheduled to be released in theaters on June 26th.

Is featuring Krypto in the Puppy Bowl a smarter marketing strategy than a typical Super Bowl trailer? Share your thoughts in the comments and join the discussion on the ComicBook Forum!

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2026-02-03 15:10