DC Studios boss James Gunn and Supergirl actor Milly Alcock have opened up about the DCU's "flawed" Supergirl – and how it's worlds away from the "perfect" female superhero leads of comic book movies past.
"I think that what Supergirl represents for young women, especially, is that you can be flawed," Alcock says of Kara Zor-El at a press conference attended by GamesRadar+.
Alcock continues, "You don't have to be perfect in order to come to some sort of internal self-resolution. I think that we're kind of thrusted upon this narrative, especially women, that you have to be perfect… I think that Kara is someone who so beautifully leans into her flaws. I think that's really, really special."
Gunn adds, "That's really what spoke to me, both in [Tom King's graphic novel Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow] and in the script. A lot of times – for some reason – our female superhero leads are just so much more perfect. Tony Stark and Star-Lord are such messes, and that isn't always the same thing for our female superhero leads. Seeing someone who was so imperfect and such a mess… that was what excited me."
To that end, Kara (who, if the DCU film follows Woman of Tomorrow, is dragged into a revenge quest across the stars) is positioned as a reluctant superhero in the 2026 release.
As director Craig Gillespie explains: "She gets dragged very reluctantly into the world of having to be a superhero. The way she handles that, the way that she deals with it, and the way that she finds herself through that story is really fascinating. And it's incomplete, which I love as well."
Supergirl, starring Milly Alcock, Jason Momoa, Eve Ridley, and Matthias Schoenaerts, is set for release on June 26, 2026.
For more, check out our guide to DCU Chapter One: Gods and Monsters, plus a few overview of upcoming DC movies.
Need to play catch up before Supergirl flies onto screens? Here's how to watch the DC movies in order.
