In comic book lore, Jor-El and Lara Lor-van are typically portrayed as moral and good Kryptonians who send their son to Earth simply so that he can survive the death of his home planet... but that tradition has been significantly upended in the new lore of the DC Universe. In James Gunn's Superman, it's revealed that they had very different and specific plans for their offspring on a foreign world – namely, he was supposed to dominate the human race and essentially reform it in his image. It's quite a bombshell in the 2025 movie, but fans should know that we're definitely not done learning about the Man of Steel's family, as there are more revelations to come in the upcoming Supergirl.
The next DCU blockbuster is arriving in 2026 (just eight months away now!), and actor David Krumholtz has offered up some interesting teases regarding what fans can expect from the movie. During a recent interview with Nerdtropolis, the actor was asked to tease what is on the way in the Supergirl movie, and in addition to complimenting its faithfulness to the source material, he noted that the film will offer more insight into what Superman's family was like on Krypton. Said Krumholtz,
It’s very true to the graphic novel that it’s based on, Woman of Tomorrow. Very true, which is great. … I’ll just say that I’m thrilled to be sort of the next piece of telling the story of Krypton and sort of further clarifying what the House of El is all about.
As far as the House of El is concerned, David Krumholtz definitely has an inside track to what's going on with the family, as he will be portraying a part of that family tree. Specifically, he is going to be portraying Zor-El – who is the younger brother of Jor-El, uncle to Superman, and father or Supergirl (a.k.a. Kara Zor-El). In the comics, he is usually another one of the "good Kryptonians," as he joins his brother in trying to convince the larger populace of the planet that their world is dying before it is too late... but after what happens in Superman, I'm not sure we can trust that will still be the case with the new big screen version of the character.
Needless to say, it will be very interesting to see if the 2026 blockbuster ends up changing how we feel about the family and the context of the revelation in James Gunn's film... especially because the plan initiated by Jor-El and Lara Lor-van with their only son going to Earth seems pretty indefensible from the angle at which we now view it. If Supergirl can successfully pull that off, it would be quite the storytelling feat to say the least.
For right now, what we actually know about the upcoming DC movie is pretty minimal, though we got a taste of what we can expect from the lead character via the Milly Alcock cameo in Superman (she is a true party girl). The miniseries Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow by Tom King and Bilquis Evely has been utilized by screenwriter Ana Nogueira as source material, and the story will see the titular hero both celebrating her 21st birthday in the cosmos and embarking on a mission for murderous revenge.The film is being directed by Craig Gillespie, and in addition to Alcock and Krumholtz, the impressive ensemble cast also includes Matthias Schoenaerts, newcomer Eve Ridley, Emily Beecham, and Jason Momoa making his debut as Lobo.
Production on Supergirl wrapped back in May, and while the film won't be arriving in theaters until next summer, it's a pretty safe bet that we'll see the first trailer before the end of 2025. That in mind, stay tuned here on CinemaBlend for all of the latest news and updates about the exciting new superhero movie.
