Birds of Prey made more than $200 million at the global box office, against a budget of around $84.5 million. The movie didn't make the kind of money that other superhero projects make, but the budget was smaller, it was a spin-off, and it was rated R, so that makes comparisons to other DC or Marvel films flimsy. Director Cathy Yan has now reflected on the Birds of Prey box office narrative among some pockets of the audience and press, saying people were too quick to pounce on the movie and label it a failure.

"I know that the studio had really high expectations for the movie--as we all did. There were also undue expectations on a female-led movie, and what I was most disappointed in was this idea that perhaps it proved that we weren't ready for this yet," she explained to The Hollywood Reporter. "That was an extra burden that, as a woman-of-color director, I already had on me anyway."

She added: "So, yes, I think there were certainly different ways you could interpret the success or lack of success of the movie, and everyone has a right to do that. But, I definitely do feel that everyone was pretty quick to jump on a certain angle."