In terms of 2026 summer blockbusters, anticipation is high for Supergirl. James Gunn’s Superman reignites hopes for a modernised and positively received DC Universe, after the DC Extended Universe crashed and burned with The Flash, Black Adam and Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. Gunn’s take on Superman aimed to ‘softly’ reboot the series and the brief glimpse of Clark Kent’s inebriated cousin was a hint of the new direction for the franchise.
Starring Milly Alcock, Eve Ridley, Matthias Schoenaerts and Jason Momoa, Supergirl marks the second film in James Gunn and Peter Safran’s rebooted DC Universe (DCU). Freshly turning 23, Kara Zor-El (Alcock) travels across the galaxy in a race against time to secure an antidote to save her dog Krypto after being poisoned by Brigand leader Krem (Matthias Schoenaerts). In her mission, she is accompanied by Ruthye Marye Knoll (Ridley), who is seeking her own brand of vengeance after witnessing Krem slaughtering her family.
Taking inspiration from the 2021 comic series Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow by Tom King and Bilquis Evely, Chapter One: Gods and Monsters’s Supergirl is more interested in drinking her troubles away than saving the day. But this rebelliousness is just a facade, as Kara strives to forget the pain from being forced to leave home and her parents after a deadly outbreak on Argo City — all of which come through sporadic flashbacks. Scenes involving her mother Alura In-Ze (Emily Beecham) and father Zor-El (David Krumholtz) have promise for emotionality due to their conflict of leaving their daughter as an orphan. But the lack of time spent on these interactions make them brief, underdeveloped glimpses of a cherished past. It is unclear as to how they serve Kara’s narrative: does she miss home or an existence where her powers didn’t separate her from the herd? Ultimately, she is someone trying to find a home and her sense of purpose.
Yet, what should be ample material for exploration, Supergirl never ventures past its surface level introductions. Ana Nogueira’s script nor Craig Gillespie’s uninspired direction seem to adequately grapple with this sentiment with how it wants to embolden its characters and themes. Female characters are frequently seen as desperate, weak-willed mothers, tragic heroines or young brides. And for a film that centres on a prolific female DC character, it feels like a tactic to embolden the eponymous character only to come across as counterproductive.
Alcock’s performance as Kara is a standout, as she fabulously embodies heart and sass amid an embittered soul. However, Ridley’s Ruthye is prevented from being a potential sword-wielding badass in favour of being the film’s moral core. Meanwhile, the male characters are mostly one-dimensional. Schoenaerts’s Krem is just a merciless killer without the fear factor to make him truly despicable while Lobo (Momoa pulling a Chris Evans style-move amid comic book universes) is a narcissistic Gene Simmons lookalike. Overall, the character development has a knock-on effect to the film’s narrative. Gillespe’s direction seemingly focuses on lacklustre, vengeance-driven emotional elements and the need to deliver crowd-pleasing fight scenes that are literally mostly a blur. This disconnect results in a visually restricted feature rather than a compelling story around a prolific DC heroine.
Despite its potential, Supergirl is a mixed bag that mostly suffers from an inconsistent and weak narrative. But the film – and the future of the DCU – is saved by a strong lead performance from Alcock.
Supergirl is out in UK cinemas on Thursday 25 June.
Rating: 
Director: Craig Gillespie; Ana Nogueira (screenwriter)
Stars:
Milly Alcock, Matthias Schoenaerts, Eve Ridley, David Krumholtz, Emily Beecham, David Corenswet, Jason Momoa
Runtime: 108 minutes
Country: USA
