A Superman spoiler lies ahead, so read on at your own discretion.
The first film in DCU Chapter 1 is finally with us, as Superman soared into theaters weeks ago and made a splash with audiences. Now, a number of fans are setting their sights on the next movie that’ll take place in this continuity – the upcoming Supergirl. What’s known thus far is that Milly Alcock is set to play the titular heroine and that Craig Gillespie is helming the flick. As details have been divulged, I’ve wondered what the film will be like tonally compared to Supes, so I’m glad James Gunn finally provided an answer.
As the co-head of DC Studios, James Gunn serves as a producer on Supergirl alongside Peter Safran. Gunn, of course, also helmed the box office hit Superman, establishing a specific vibe for the Man of Steel’s corner of this interconnected universe. The filmmaker tells Rolling Stone, however, that Kara Zor-El’s solo film is quite different from the one centered around her heroic cousin. Based on Gunn’s tease, audiences are going to want to brace themselves for Kara’s big-screen outing:
Supergirl is a way more rock & roll film. It’s a little bit rougher, in certain ways. She’s a tougher character. She’s not Superman at all. And so it’s not the same. This movie really is for everybody. And so is Supergirl, but it’s a little bit edgier in some ways than this film. Mind you,I’ve seen all the dailies, but I haven’t seen the cut. I see it next week, I think. So I’m very excited about that.
It definitely makes sense that Craig Gillespie’s flick would have more of an edge than James Gunn’s, in this case. Kal-El/Clark Kent is a bit more polished as an individual, and he mostly dwells in the pristine city of Metropolis. On the other hand, Kara is sometimes depicted as a loose cannon who ventures across the grimiest corners of the galaxy, and that definitely seems to be the case in the DCU as well. It’s honestly hard to forget the sight of her drunkenly flying into the Fortress of Solitude to pick up Krypto at the end of Superman.
What excites me not just about Craig Gillespie’s film – which counts Ana Nogueira as its writer – but the DCU as a whole is that varied stories with different tones are being developed. James Gunn has been adamant about the franchise’s various films and TV shows not feeling monotonous. That should serve this budding entertainment property well as it continues to expand.
Specific plot details on Supergirl, which wrapped this past May. What is known, however, is that the film takes heavy inspiration from Tom King and Bilquis Evely’s fan-favorite miniseries, Woman of Tomorrow. Also part of the cast alongside Milly Alcock are Matthias Schoenaerts, who plays the villainous Krem of the Yellow Hills, and Eve Ridley, who plays Ruthye Marye Knoll. Also, Kara’s parents, Zor-El and Alura In-Ze are to be played by David Krumholtz and Emily Beecham, respectively, and Jason Momoa plays Lobo, the eccentric space bounty hunter.
The Kara-centric film is still a ways out, but James Gunn did reveal the first official look at her costume by way of the teaser poster. Per the one-sheet, the film’s tagline is “Look Out,” which is a funny play on Superman’s advertising slogan, “Look Up.” While the taglines are only different due to one word being swapped, both seem to perfectly illustrate just how the films will be different tonally. Here’s hoping this next DC Studios film does indeed give off “rock & roll” vibes Gunn is promising!
Supergirl is set to fly (or crash-land) into cinemas on June 26, 2026. In the meantime, stream other DC content featuring Kara Zor-El using an HBO Max subscription.
