DC Comics/Instagram: @millyalcockJames Gunn’s new DCU has now officially kicked off with Superman, but Kara Zor-El is getting the big screen treatment too in Supergirl.
The release of Superman marks the first of several new movies for the DCU, with Clark Kent’s cousin making a cameo before her solo film flies into theaters.
DC Comics fans know Kara is far from just Superman in a skirt, and her standalone film will try to capitalize on some of the best comics featuring her angsty personality.
Here’s what’s been said about her big-screen adventure ahead of the upcoming DC movie. Warning: minor spoilers for Superman ahead!
Supergirl release date
Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow will be released on June 26, 2026.
DC ComicsThe movie was first announced back in 2023 as part of the DCU’s new slate, with the working title Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow. However, this was later changed to Supergirl.
During a DCU press event attended by DC Studios CEOs Gunn and Peter Safran in February 2025, the former provided an update on the status of Supergirl.
According to Screen Rant, Gunn said at the time, “I think we’re midway through production now of Supergirl. It’s so scary every time I say it, but it’s been an extraordinary experience so far. The script was one of the first things that we greenlit when we got here.”
Filming took place between January and May 2025 in the UK, with Kara making her first appearance in Superman, showing up right at the end to claim her doggo Krypto, after drinking a few too many tipples.
Who’s in the cast?
Milly Alcock has been cast as Kara Zor-El/Supergirl.
The Australian actor fought off stiff competition while costume tests were being carried out on the set of Superman, but her ace work in House of the Dragon Season 1 sealed the deal for Gunn.
He told Variety, “Milly was the first person I brought up to Peter for this role, well over a year ago, when I had only read the comics. I was watching House of the Dragon and thought she might have the edge, grace, and authenticity we needed.”
Gunn is still singing the praises of Alcock and noted that it’s been a “wonderful” experience so far and “watching the [progress] has been great.”
That means Sashe Calle’s Supergirl from The Flash will be left in the past.
Matthias Schoenaerts has been confirmed as lead antagonist Krem of the Yellow Hills, who killed the father of a young extraterrestrial girl, Rutheye, before Supergirl is embroiled into the conflict. Rutheye will be played by Eve Ridley.
Also announced for the film is Jason Momoa as violent DC anti-hero Lobo. Momoa was long-rumored to play Lobo, and his desire to take on the role was widely known. The casting news essentially cements the end of his tenure as Aquaman in future DC entries, though no new Aquaman has been announced.
The parents of Kara Zor-El/Supergirl will be played by David Krumholtz and Emily Beechham.
We bet David Corenswet of the Superman cast will show up for a cameo, as will Krypto the Superdog (featured in both the source comics and in the first trailer for James Gunn’s Superman), but the rest of the lineup is still being assembled.
We also know that Craig Gillespie, who directed Cruella and I, Tonya, will helm this project.
Supergirl plot
The Supergirl movie is based on the Woman of Tomorrow comics. The DCU movie will be edgier than the TV show, seeing Kara Zor-El traveling across the galaxy with her dog Krypto, during which she meets the young Ruthye Marye Knoll and goes on a “murderous quest for revenge.”
DC ComicsThe Woman of Tomorrow comics by Tom King and artist Bilquis Evely were released in 2021. In it, Kara is struggling with anger and a lack of purpose.
She was initially sent to Earth to protect Clark, but she arrived and realized he didn’t need her. The world also wouldn’t stop viewing her through the lens of Superman’s fame.
Then, an alien girl seeks her out for a mission: the girl’s world was destroyed, and those responsible are still at large. She wants revenge, and if Supergirl doesn’t help, she’ll do it alone.
Kara is much more dynamic and individual than people might expect, which allows her to contrast Clark in refreshing ways.
Historically, Kara has been the edgier Kryptonian, and it looks like the film adaptation won’t abandon that. Gunn told DC.com, “She’s a much harsher and more f***ed up Supergirl than you’ve been used to [on screen] thus far.”
He also noted Kara’s distinctive markers in the Gods and Monsters announcement video, saying “Superman is a guy sent to Earth and raised by loving parents, whereas Supergirl in this story, she is a character raised on a chunk of Krypton. She watched everybody around her perish in some terrible way, so she’s a much more jaded character.”
Ana Nogueira will write the script. Previously, she’d been tapped for a Supergirl spin-off of The Flash. It looks like DC is smitten with her despite Calle’s movie being canned.
At the NYCC, Gunn also said that Supergirl will be “a completely different, unique take on a superhero.”
He added: “It’s a three-act structure, so it’s a little bit different than the structure, which kind of goes through various stories, but as all those major characters, the major themes.”
Is there a trailer?
There’s no Supergirl trailer yet. Production has officially wrapped at Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden, so we’re expecting our first teaser by the end of 2025.
DC ComicsWe can’t wait to see how this all shakes out on screen.
There’s also the The Batman 2, and we’ve also ranked the DCEU movies. Also, you can also read why Robert Pattinson should be the DCU’s Batman and the one thing Man of Steel did better than Gunn’s Superman.
