‘Supergirl’ is Soaring the DCU to New Heights!
There was a part of me that considered skipping Supergirl in theaters. While Superman and his family of related heroes are some of my favorite superheroes of all time, I was less than thrilled with the James Gunn film. Gunn’s unique directorial vision was perfect for a series of misfits such as Marvel Studios’ Guardians of the Galaxy; it felt wrong for Clark Kent and his vibrant world of Metropolis. As the first film out of the gate for the newly established DC Universe, otherwise known as the DCU, I wasn’t excited about what Gunn and the rest of the creatives at Warner Bros. were building.
And yet, when the promotional material for Supergirl began rolling out and we crept closer to the film’s release, there was something about this film that felt different. There’s an energy radiating from Milly Alcock in this film that is missing from the earlier DCU projects that caught my attention. With each flash across my television screen and trailer that played before a film, I found myself more intrigued by what I was seeing. It felt like a breath of fresh air from amongst the swamp that the DC brand has started to feel like. So when the invite came across my email, I accepted, but with a healthy dose of skepticism.
And yet, as I sat there with my large popcorn and bottle of water, I was transported not only into an exciting film full of everything that makes the superhero genre exciting, but also into a world of what DCU films can actually be.
[Warning: spoilers from Supergirl are below!]
Girls just wanna have fun
As audiences saw in the closing moments of 2025’s Superman, the Kara Zor-El (Milly Alcock) we’re meeting in the DCU is not what you’d typically expect. Whether you look at the Helen Slater-led film from 1984, Laura Vandervoort from Smallville, or perhaps the shining example of Supergirl, Melissa Benoist from the Arrowverse, this latest Kara is different. Where the others are polished, this Kara is rough around the edges. It’s here, in Supergirl, that you see just how much loss she’s actually experienced throughout her life and the impact that it has on her mental health.
Kara doesn’t want to save the world like her cousin Clark (David Corenswet); she just wants to have fun. And no, not in the traditional sense of having fun, Kara wants to traverse the universe, finding planets where she can get drunk and live without others. She doesn’t crave connection in the slightest, which you can see Clark struggling with. He desperately wants to spend time with the only other Kryptonian in existence, who also happens to be the only blood relative that he still has with him. He’s feeling incredibly lonely and hoping that Kara will find her way, both in terms of her life and on a path that brings her back to Earth.
However, Kara isn’t there. She’s grown up on a dying planet, watching all of her loved ones suffer and die, which has left her with more emotional scars than she can count. So instead of facing the reality that’s happened to her, she’s decided to run away from it as much as possible. Planet after planet with red suns, and one drink after another down the hatch, until she passes out and does the same thing the next day. She’s a nomad on an adventure across the galaxy, with only her pet dog, Krypto, to keep her company.
Yet, fate has something else in store for her, as Ruthye Marye Knoll (Eve Ridley) stumbles into her life. A young alien who has also lost everyone important in her life, but unlike Kara, she still has a sense of duty. She may not have been able to protect her family when they were alive, but she absolutely plans on avenging their deaths. However, she needs help, and unfortunately for Kara, that means she’ll have to tag along.
Resistant at first, when Krypto’s life is endangered, Kara must set aside her mission to drink her way through the galaxy and the leader of the Brigands, Krem (Matthias Schoenaerts), before it’s too late. With the help of Lobo (Jason Momoa), a crude as all hell mercenary and bounty hunter, perhaps Kara will embrace her legacy and save the world before it’s too late.
Supergirl brings hope to the DCU
Within minutes of the film beginning, I felt myself relax. Supergirl was nothing like the previous DCU projects, and for that I couldn’t be more thankful. This film wasn’t one bad joke after another, which is what James Gunn projects have begun to be known for. Instead, Supergirl is a story about finding hope in the darkest of places, a message you see in both Kara and Ruthye.
For the majority of the film, Kara’s attempting to convince Ruthye that killing Krem in revenge isn’t the answer to her grief. Speaking from experience, she understands how difficult it can be to process her grief, although she has turned away from the hopeful part of the recovery process. She’s stopped herself from experiencing the powerful impact of hope, and through the course of Supergirl, she discovers it again. This film shows that there’s light at the end of the darkness for those who truly want to find it.
Kara at first doesn’t want to find it, but by the closing moments, she’s on a new path. She’s taking a page out of Kal-El’s book and planting roots, because that is how hope truly springs. However, Supergirl is also bringing hope in another, more tangible way. While there are those who loved Superman, along with Peacemaker and Creature Commandos, I haven’t. To me, the DCU has lacked direction. It hasn’t felt like there’s been a distinct vision, a hint of where the overall world is headed. Instead, it feels like darts are being thrown at the board, attempting to get something to stick.
Supergirl changes that. Finally, the bigger picture is coming together. The team is being formed, and the chessboard is being set. For once, since James Gunn has taken office at DC Studios, I can breathe a sigh of relief. I feared I would come to despise the world that DC was building, but instead, I see that it needed a moment to find its footing, and it does so with Supergirl. This latest DC Studios film proves that superhero movies can be fun without being idiotic. That we can embrace the ridiculousness of the comics we come from without seeming foolish. The script from Ana Nogueira embraces the comic book miniseries on which it is based, Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow. The essence of what makes this story great is there, even if I wish there were more time with these characters and their dynamics to gain a better and deeper understanding of who they are, just a bit more. That being said, if this is any indication of the direction DC Studios is headed, I think we’re in good hands.
Final thoughts on DC Studios’ Supergirl
While there are definitely some interesting creative choices, be it from the director himself or the creatives on high at DC Studios, Supergirl itself is a joy to watch. I’d argue that you’ll be hard-pressed to find anyone who walks out of this film disappointed. Milly Alcock shines in the role, appearing to have as much fun as Kara as I did watching the film. Is Supergirl a perfect film? No, but it is an absolute fun movie to watch from start to finish.
Supergirl is currently in theaters! Have you checked it out yet? What did you think of the film? Share your thoughts on social media and tag @bsb.insider to continue the conversation!
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