Supergirl raced into theaters in her first solo live-action theatrical outing in over forty years and it was worth the wait. Keep reading to find out more.
I was among the many who read Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow when it was originally published in 2021. That story is a very dark tale featuring the Girl of Steel with numerous homages to her Silver Age history. Supergirl is adapted from this story and sees Kara Zor-El (Milly Alcock) tracking down the monstrous Krem of the Yellow Hills across the galaxy.
Supergirl
Directed by: Craig Gillespie
Starring: Milly Alcock, Matthias Schoenaerts
Eve Ridley, David Krumholtz, Emily Beecham
David Corenswet, Jason MomoaRelease Date: June 26, 2026
As much as I love Superman and the Superman mythos, I’ve struggled with enjoying the various movie adaptations for years because something about them never quite fit for me. This version of Supergirl however, that’s a superhero tale I can sink my teeth into. This version of Kara Zor-El is overwhelmingly flawed compared to her picture-perfect cousin Superman. She drinks and parties all night, she spends her days flying from one intergalactic bar to the next.
What makes this film brilliant is how it slowly draws out why Kara behaves this way. This is, above all, a story about grief and trauma and what they can do to a person if not properly addressed. This is why Supergirl as a character has always appealed to me more than Superman. While Kal-El, understandably, can mourn the people and culture he never knew, Kara Zor-El has to live with the memory of watching her entire civilization die around her before being sent away to a planet and culture that are not hers. It’s small wonder that Kara struggles with fitting in on Earth.
With all that in mind, I love how this film adapts Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow for the big screen. True, it’s not an exact adaptation and quite a few things are changed, but I feel like that’s true of most comic book movies. This film captures the spirit of the original comic, especially once Ruthye and Kara join forces and begin to learn more about each other.
Milly Alcock blew it out of the water with her performance as Kara Zor-El. She plays Kara as a person who has worked very hard to numb themselves so they can forget they are in pain. But when Kara inevitably breaks, you feel the depth of her pain, all the frustration and rage that she’s been burying for so many years. I can’t state strongly enough how important it is for superheroes to be portrayed like this, as people who struggle with past trauma, just like us. I know it’s been done before, but I feel like this film is a particularly good example of the practice.
I may be in the minority here, but I like how Krem of the Yellow Hills was portrayed in this film. His whole look does give serious “Mad Max” vibes, but it also underscores just how dangerous he is, dangerous enough that even a powered up Kryptonian like Kara Zor-El has to be careful when fighting him. These aren’t clean fights where Supergirl just swoops in and out with some punches. These fights look painful and it just helps add to the gritty reality the story is trying to portray.
And then there’s Jason Momoa as Lobo. I’ll admit, I don’t know that much about the character, but as soon as he hit the screen I suddenly understood why Momoa has been lobbying to play the character for so long. The only complaint I have about Momoa’s performance as Lobo is I wanted to see more of him on screen. Lobo, in this film, is chaos incarnate and I will happily sit and watch whatever film he appears in next.
I still don’t know how I feel about Krypto being CGI. I get why it was necessary, since dogs can’t really fly, but it bothered me because every time I saw Krypto I could tell he wasn’t a real dog. It’s a minor nitpick, but one that had to be mentioned.
One of the best things about Supergirl is how Kara slowly comes into her own, fighting for truth and justice in her own way. This whole buildup climaxes to the reveal of Kara in the iconic Supergirl costume and it just feels right.
In closing, I’ll ask that everyone please give Supergirl a chance. It’s a much grittier take on the character compared to past iterations and that’s okay. This movie gives us a Kara who has plenty of room to grow and evolve as a person. She also serves as an interesting foil to her cousin. There is so much of substance to be found in Supergirl, and it deserves to be seen on the biggest screen possible.
