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Supergirl arrives as a 2026 superhero film directed by Craig Gillespie — known for I, Tonya and Cruella — with a screenplay by Ana Nogueira. The film is adapted from the 2021–2022 comic series Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow by Batman comic writer Tom King and artist Bilquis Evely.
The lead role of Kara Zor-El — Supergirl herself — is played by Milly Alcock, joined by Matthias Schoenaerts as the villain Krem of the Yellow Hills, Eve Ridley as the young Ruthye, and Jason Momoa as Lobo. Produced by DC Studios under James Gunn and Peter Safran, the film opens via Warner Bros. Pictures on June 26, 2026. At approximately 108 minutes, it forms the second chapter of James Gunn‘s reimagined DC Universe following Superman.
Kara Zor-El of Krypton — unlike her cousin Superman — witnessed the destruction of her planet firsthand, carrying that trauma with her ever since, losing herself to drink on red-sun planets scattered across the galaxy. Celebrating her birthday with her dog Krypto, she crosses paths with young Ruthye, whose family has been slaughtered by the ruthless outlaw Krem. When Krem poisons Krypto and steals Kara’s spaceship, the two embark on an intergalactic journey to rescue the dog and exact revenge — and along the way, Kara’s journey toward finding the hero within herself, and understanding what it truly means to have a home, unfolds in parallel.
Comic Book or Film?
The criticism most frequently leveled at the film during early screenings was that the source comic is brilliant and the film ruins everything. But as someone who has read that comic, I personally disagree — and besides, the general audience is under no obligation to have read the source material. The biggest problem with the fan community is their inconsistent perspective. When it suits them, they complain that the film doesn’t stay faithful to the comic; when it doesn’t suit them, they argue that a Superman in tights has no place in 2026 and that fidelity to the source isn’t necessary. This contradiction neatly summarizes the predicament of comic book adaptations: their greatest handicap is their inability to please anyone fully.
After Zack Snyder ran the DCEU into the ground, James Gunn taking the helm gave Superman a livelier, more comic-accurate DC Universe to begin. Supergirl had even made a brief appearance in Superman, and her solo film followed shortly after. As for the differences between the comic and the film — and the points that drew criticism — the most hotly debated issue is alien character design. While the villains and most characters in the comic look essentially human, the film gives us a wide variety of alien species. The complaints about departing from the comic become particularly absurd right here: why would we want a film set in interstellar space to be populated by races and beings that are ninety percent human in appearance? For me, this diversity of alien races is actually one of the film’s most praiseworthy qualities.
The same logic applies to the villain Krem. In the comic he appears as a blunt, stocky, red-haired man; in the film, he’s reimagined as a repulsive, orc-like figure — a change that creates a positively more unsettling effect. Yes, the villain has no real motivation and is presented as a straightforward psychopath. But in a film set across galaxies, having him be an imposing, red-bearded human rather than something like this makes far less sense. Interestingly, the criticism aimed at Krem’s design isn’t leveled at Supergirl herself, whose look was changed by the same logic — the comic’s Supergirl is quite feminine and, for lack of a better word, “cute,” while the film’s Supergirl is rendered as a truly lost, melancholic character. So the debate over differences between the comic and the film looks like it will never truly end.
In my personal opinion, the worst decision made in adapting the comic is the hollowing out of the Ruthye character, who becomes a small child who gets in Supergirl’s way throughout the film. In the comic, Ruthye is a bolder and more mature character; in the film, with the naïveté of a child, she quickly becomes an irritating and unnecessary presence. This change also somewhat undermines the Kara–Ruthye relationship, which should have been the film’s emotional core.
A Transition Film With No Grand Ambitions
Turning to the screenplay: it must be said from the outset that this film carries none of the grand promises of Superman. Supergirl is best described as a transition film focused on character introduction rather than storytelling. What we get is a thoroughly classical Supergirl adventure — which means the film never rises above the level of breezy, popcorn blockbuster entertainment. But taking all of this into account and entering without specific expectations, it’s easy to say that Supergirl is quite an enjoyable film. Especially compared to the catastrophic outputs Marvel has produced since Avengers: Endgame — films like Black Widow and Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania — Supergirl stands out as a competent and satisfying production.
Among the most praiseworthy moments in the film’s otherwise formulaic screenplay are the scenes showing what actually happened on Krypton after Clark’s departure. These sequences offer genuinely compelling imagery. The fact that Kara — unlike her cousin Clark — personally witnessed the destruction of Krypton and has carried that trauma throughout her life gives the character a depth we never found in Superman. Despite the clichéd scenes and cheesy dialogue, Kara’s arc from rock bottom to a place where she truly understands what home means by the film’s end constitutes a genuine character transformation — contrary to many viewers’ claims that no such arc exists.
Gunn’s Legacy and the Guardians Atmosphere
One of the film’s greatest strengths — though many fans consider it a flaw — is how faithfully it preserves the legacy that has carried over from Guardians of the Galaxy and that James Gunn began building in this universe with Superman. Because Superman was set on Earth, this sensibility couldn’t be fully displayed there — but Supergirl unfolds as if it were taking place within a Guardians of the Galaxy universe. From alien diversity to planetary architecture to spaceships, the film delivers a richly satisfying world. The interplanetary bus scene in particular stands out as one of the most delightful moments this creative universe has to offer. That said, it should be noted that the planets and cinematography are occasionally somewhat darker and more muted in color than Gunn’s own work.
The film’s influences enrich this atmosphere further. Beyond the Guardians of the Galaxy resemblance, a Supergirl pursuing revenge for her dog inevitably evokes John Wick. Women being kidnapped by male outlaws to be used as breeding stock carries resonances of both The Handmaid’s Tale and Mad Max: Fury Road. While the film attempts to synthesize all these influences in its own crucible, it occasionally risks losing its original identity beneath the weight of so many inspirations.
The music, however, is unquestionably one of the film’s weakest elements. Here it becomes clear that James Gunn‘s vision hasn’t made the journey across. The memorable use of music that became Gunn’s iconic signature in the Guardians of the Galaxy series — songs that elevate and define the scenes — is nowhere to be found here. No memorable tracks that would lift scenes to another level have been chosen. For a viewer who understands how music can raise a film’s atmosphere, the musical selections are a genuine disappointment.
On the Female Body and Solidarity
The film carries a notable feminist current running between its lines. Krem and his men kidnapping women to use as breeding stock places male domination over and violence against the female body directly at the center of the story. Kara’s journey from a lost character to a figure who gradually protects both herself and Ruthye can be read as a narrative of female solidarity. Two women shattered by male violence coming together to resist that system gives the film a subtext beyond the typical superhero adventure. That said, the film cannot fully develop this theme, and its anxiety about remaining a family film means the horror these women experience is never completely processed.
Perhaps the film’s single greatest problem is its CGI. The visual effects are conspicuous and clearly subpar not only in action sequence effects, but also in the background environments behind characters on alien planets. Strangely, CGI and VFX have always been among the biggest problems in DC films going all the way back to Snyder — to the point where discussing it almost becomes pointless after a while. Given Marvel’s recent CGI failures as well, it becomes clear that weak effects have become a shared disease across the entire blockbuster industry, not just one production’s problem.
On cinematography, it can be said that despite the bad effects and mediocre screenplay, there are a handful of truly memorable, epic shots scattered throughout. It wouldn’t be fair to say the whole film delivers stunning visuals, but certain individual frames really do land. As for the performances — this is where the film shines brightest. Milly Alcock is nothing short of luminous. She crafts a brilliant Supergirl portrait, becoming an actress and a character we want to see in this universe for years to come. A character more troubled than Clark, haunted by trauma, not trying to be a hero — Alcock captures all of this with both her acting and her physical presence.
The film’s other star is unquestionably Jason Momoa as Lobo. Momoa fits this wild, unhinged character like a glove with his performance, creating another character we want to see more of in this universe. Krypto the dog, despite limited screen time, once again manages to warm hearts in the way we know. As for the villain Krem — despite being criticized and looking very much like an orc lifted from The Lord of the Rings — he at least succeeds at the requirements of an empty psychopathic character by being repulsive and irritating. The film’s only real performance handicap may be Eve Ridley as Ruthye, though the problem there stems directly from how poorly the character is written rather than from the actress’s performance.
Supergirl arrives as a transition film without grand ambitions — flawed, but enjoyable within its own limits. While it shares the adaptation’s curse of failing to please everyone, it manages to hold your attention through its alien diversity, the rich universe that recalls Guardians of the Galaxy, and especially Milly Alcock‘s brilliant performance. The Krypton scenes, Kara’s genuine character arc, and Jason Momoa‘s delirious Lobo rank among the film’s memorable highlights. On the other hand, the recurring problem of poor CGI, music that never quite fits the film, a hollowed-out Ruthye character, and a mediocre screenplay all limit the film’s potential. Shedding the dark, heavy atmosphere of the Zack Snyder era and continuing the livelier line James Gunn has brought, Supergirl holds its own handsomely compared to many of Marvel’s recent failures, offering a satisfying popcorn entertainment for the viewer who calibrates their expectations accordingly.
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