James Gunn Made the Final Call on SUPERGIRL's Most Controversial Needle Drop After Weeks of Debate
One of the big talking points coming out of Supergirl has nothing to do with Kara Zor-El, the action, or even the story. It's all about a song.
The film's climactic needle drop featuring Kelty Greye's slow-burning cover of Jimmy Eat World's "The Middle" has become one of the movie's most divisive creative choices, with many fans arguing it completely missed the mark.
As it turns out, the filmmakers spent weeks trying to find the right track, cycling through dozens of songs before James Gunn made the final call just days before the movie was locked.
According to director Craig Gillespie, that single music cue became the biggest debate of the entire post-production process.
Speaking with Rolling Stone, Ana Nogueira, who wrote Supergirl, explained that the team went through a long list of possibilities before settling on the track.
"There were a lot of options," Supergirl writer Ana Nogueira said, with Gillespie revealing that "there were probably about 45 songs that went against that scene."
That’s a lot of music to sort through, and Gillespie admitted the conversation continued almost until the movie was finished.
"That was probably the biggest discussion. And it was down to the very last week, and I gotta give James [Gunn] credit for that one."
While Gillespie didn’t reveal every song that was considered, he did mention that "a remix of a classic" made it to the final round before Gunn made the call. Unfortunately, he stopped short of revealing what that alternate choice actually was, which will probably leave fans wondering what almost ended up in the film.
The decision has proven divisive. Many moviegoers felt the slower version of "The Middle" clashed with the emotional tone and momentum of the finale.
For Kelty Greye, though, landing the song in a DC movie was a cool moment. The singer celebrated the news on Instagram, writing: "As a proud nerd who was raised on superhero movies, this is quite literally a dream come true!"
Of course, Gunn has built a reputation for using memorable pop and rock tracks throughout his projects. From the '80s-inspired soundtracks in the Guardians of the Galaxy movies to the instantly recognizable opening musical numbers in Peacemaker, music has become one of his creative signatures. This time around, however, the audience reaction has been much more mixed.
The conversation surrounding the soundtrack comes as Supergirl has also struggled commercially. The film opened to a global box office of $68 million, falling short of DC Studios' expectations.
In response to the opening weekend, DC Studios co-CEO Peter Safran addressed the film's performance in a statement to The New York Times.
"While Supergirl didn't meet our box office expectations, it’s just one component of a broader, long-term strategy at DC Studios that we remain confident in."
Whether fans eventually warm up to the film's most controversial needle drop remains to be seen, but it wasn’t a random decision. The creative team spent weeks debating it, tested dozens of songs, and ultimately James Gunn made the final call. Judging by the reaction, it’s a choice people will probably keep talking about long after the credits roll.
Supergirl is now playing in theaters.