The Loosely Adapted Woman Of Tomorrow (Supergirl 2026 review)

 

James Gunn continues to build a new and improved DC universe, especially after the success of Superman. Seemingly continuing to build the super family first, he now brings Supergirl to the screen after teasing her at the end of the David Corenswet-led Superman, with expectations that it will specifically adapt the "Woman of Tomorrow" version of the character from the famous Tom King comic book miniseries. Was bringing Supergirl to the fold of a very fragile restart of the DC universe going to excite audiences enough to watch this? 

Supergirl, like I said, is adapting an iteration of the character that proved to be a bold take on the Girl of Steel and has grown into one of the most iconic comic book series of all time. Director Craig Gillespie and up-and-coming screenwriter Ana Nogueira are very loosely inspired by the source material, sometimes for the better and sometimes for the worse. Fans of the comic book can go either way, seeing a new iteration of that already significant diversion of expectations of the very cookie-cutter Kara Zor-El, into the very broken woman who sets herself apart from her more famous cousin. The comic book, from a personal standpoint, broke a stereotype that had emboldened Kara. The movie, however, is from the get-go pushing a narrative that Supergirl does not share Superman's values. 

This is a great choice that some might think to be jarring, considering most onscreen adaptations of the character, whether in animation or even other live-action portrayals, specifically 1985's Supergirl, played by Helen Slater, and the more mainstream, famous CW show starring Melissa Benoist, both of whom carried a much more optimistic flair to Kara. Milly Alcock leans hard into the King comic book and very much hones in on the idea that - and I am paraphrasing here - Clark seeks hope and (she) sees the truth. Alcock pulls off this performance, bringing to life an interesting and complex female character that is finding her place in the universe by traveling to planets with red suns to make sure the alcohol hits stronger. 

That part of her character is built through the specific world-building that James Gunn and co. seem to be taking liberties with Krypton, which we glimpsed in Superman, and they go further with it here. However, certain tones and themes in the film's comedy and its outlandish approach to the DCU's cosmic side bear similarities to Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy. Craig Gillespie is an Oscar-nominated director who has made iconic films like I, Tonya and Disney's Cruella. It is surprising that his personality as a filmmaker is lacking here, as it very much just seems like ideas that James Gunn forced, or that Gillespie didn't have the capacity to imagine his own. 

Another part of the film adapted from the aforementioned comic series is the side plot Kara seems caught in: Rutheye's revenge against Krem and The Yellow Hills. Eve Ridley's Rutheye proves herself also effective as the vengeful child in overhead, asking the drunken Kara for help. She becomes not the moral center but forces Kara to prevent another young woman the universe has left to fend for herself from falling into the same darkness that consumed her. This element adds to Kara's journey here, which I think was as bold as the comic book itself, despite the original solution to that subplot. 

The villain they face is unnecessary at best. Matthias Schoenaerts' portrayal of Krem leaves him unfortunately amongst the forgettable antagonists in superhero movies. This was expected, given how little he was featured in the trailers. His antagonistic acts create several plot holes from the moment he walks on screen, which makes me wonder why they chose to keep this part of the source material if they were not going to do it properly or effectively. Most of these subplots may bring comparison to space westerns like The Mandalorian and Grogu, but Supergirl, although directionless, has better execution than the recent Star Wars outing. 

Lastly, Jason Momoa returns to the DCU not as Aquaman, but as the character he has wanted to play for the longest time and fans have been wanting too: the space immortal, Lobo. He is clearly having fun with the role, and his inclusion in the plot makes the film more James Gunn; as noted before, it seems to muddle the film's intentions. He very much feels shoehorned in to force something that fans want into the plot to make Supergirl more appealing when they should have made the character appealing by just how much they were already tackling. 

Without fully being bogged down by the sentiments of the source material, Supergirl is still a fun time, and Alcock's performance proves itself more than worthwhile. The DCU is trying something different here to create its own space outside the shadow of the MCU, and it does work. Whether this might resonate with audiences remains to be seen, but I would like to see more of Alcock's Kara based on her arc here alone. Whether they explore the other characters introduced here is also debatable, especially with Lobo. Is it the best superhero movie? No. Can it revitalize the superhero genre? That's a lot of pressure. But I do hope it does not suffer the unfair treatment The Marvels and The Blue Beetle went through as forgotten but fairly good additions to the many superhero stories out there.