SUPERGIRL
Studio: Warner Bros. Pictures
Theatrical Release: June 26, 2026
Supergirl, DC Studios’ newest feature film to hit the big screen, will be in theatres worldwide this summer from Warner Bros. Pictures, starring Milly Alcock in the dual role of Supergirl/Kara Zor-El. Craig Gillespie directs the film from a screenplay by Ana Nogueira.
When an unexpected and ruthless adversary strikes too close to home, Kara Zor-El, aka Supergirl, reluctantly joins forces with an unlikely companion on an epic, interstellar journey of vengeance and justice.
Alcock stars alongside Matthias Schoenaerts, Eve Ridley, David Krumholtz, Emily Beecham, and Jason Momoa. DC Studios heads Peter Safran and James Gunn are producing the film, which is based on characters from DC, Supergirl based on characters created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster.
The film is executive produced by Nigel Gostelow, Chantal Nong Vo and Lars P. Winther. Behind the camera, Gillespie is joined by director of photography Rob Hardy, production designer Neil Lamont, editor Tatiana S. Riegel, costume designer Anna B. Sheppard, Visual Effects Supervisor Geoffrey Baumann, and composer Ramin Djawadi.
DC Studios Presents a Troll Court Entertainment Production, The Safran Company Production, A Film by Craig Gillespie, Supergirl, which will be in theatres and IMAX across North America on June 26, 2026, and internationally beginning 24 June 2026, distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures.
By James Harvey
Featuring some fantastic performances and great action beats, Supergirl still manages to come out on top, even if the Maid of Might’s cosmic adventure falls slightly short. The film’s thoughtful and compelling character work, along with its attempts to explore grief and trauma, unfortunately clashes with an anemic script, shapeless pacing, and an underdeveloped supporting cast. Supergirl is ultimately an entertaining journey, but it never quite takes flight, settling for being just fine when it has all the makings of something super.
The second big-screen DC Studios feature, Supergirl follows Kara Zor-El as she reluctantly agrees to help Ruthye Marye Knoll, a young girl seeking vengeance against Krem of the Yellow Hills, the man responsible for murdering her family. Inspired by the acclaimed Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow comic series, their journey carries them across dangerous planets, where they encounter bounty hunters, alien civilizations, and ruthless criminals, all while Kara confronts her past and discovers what kind of hero she truly wants to become.
Supergirl’s cameo at the end of Superman (2025) hinted that she’d be markedly different from her iconic cousin, and thankfully Supergirl reveals there’s far more to the Last Daughter of Krypton than a young woman partying her way across the cosmos. This Kara Zor-El very much remembers Krypton, and the friends and family she lost when it was destroyed, leaving her haunted by loss and consumed by grief and anger. For all of the script’s assorted shortcomings, and there are a few, Supergirl nevertheless succeeds at creating a messy but compelling arc for Kara.
Director Craig Gillespie and screenwriter Ana Nogueira keep Kara’s emotional wounds at the forefront, using them as the driving force that largely propels the film’s plot, and wisely so. Kara’s journey, despite a very questionable choice she makes during the climactic battle, remains stirring enough to sustain the film through its roughest stretches and stands as its greatest strength. Helping substantially is Milly Alcock, who is marvelous in the dual Kara/Supergirl role, delivering a performance that brings considerable heft to both the film and its story.
Alcock emerges as Supergirl‘s undeniable standout, no question, but the film is not without its other merits. Jason Momoa is perfectly cast as Lobo, bringing an infectious exuberance to the role that makes every appearance memorable, while Eve Ridley also puts in solid work as Ruthye Marye Knoll, Supergirl’s traveling companion, despite being saddled with a role that rarely extends beyond her character scowling. In fact, despite a capable ensemble, Supergirl‘s slight screenplay affords few characters beyond its heroine the opportunity to develop beyond their narrative functions or leave much of a lasting impression.
While Nogueira crafts a compelling central arc rooted in grief, trauma, and survivor’s guilt for Supergirl, the screenplay as a whole feels sparse, its quest-like structure often mistaking forward momentum for genuine narrative development. As a result, much of Supergirl‘s ensemble is defined more by plot function than by distinct personalities or meaningful character arcs. There is little depth to either the supporting cast or the narrative itself, leaving both feeling underdeveloped and preventing the story’s emotional and thematic ambitions from fully coming together.
Nogueira’s adaptation of the Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow comic series strips away so much of the source material that what remains feels like little more than a bare-bones outline of the original story. While there are plenty of comedic and dramatic moments, along with the expected superhero spectacle, the film feels a little hollow, moving too quickly to let its emotional beats register or resonate. It doesn’t help that much of the subtlety and complexity found in those original four-color pages has been stripped away in an effort to streamline this super-saga. Instead of enriching its story, Supergirl treats its central themes as narrative necessities, leaving them feeling more shallow than meaningful.
Further compounding Supergirl‘s story-telling shortcomings is Gillespie’s flat direction and visual approach, which drenches the film in browns and muted colors to sell its self-consciously gritty, True Grit-esque tone. Gone are the vibrant, colorful vistas of Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, replaced instead by generic dive bars, Kara’s predictably messy spaceship, and drab, interchangeable alien worlds, with nearly every location looking much the same as the last. Little about Supergirl’s jaunt through the galaxy feels visually distinct or memorable, despite the clear effort put into the film’s digital and practical effects.
Even the film’s fantastic, emotional flashbacks to Krypton, where we watch Kara and her friends and family live out their final days on Argo City, look muted and murky, much like nearly every other location in Supergirl. Still, these scenes, as Kara watches her world slowly slip away from her, are easily the film’s strongest, providing much-needed emotional weight and dramatic heft. Plus, Superman’s brief cameos in Supergirl also bring a welcome touch of light and warmth as Kara races across the cold cosmos.
Despite its many shortcomings, Supergirl still delivers enough inspired moments to remind you of the great film it could’ve been. Beyond its talented cast and poignant flashbacks, the film also delivers several terrific action sequences, strong chemistry among its ensemble, and plenty of fun nods to Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow and other titles from DC Comics past and present. There’s all that and Krypto, too, leaving plenty to enjoy even if the film never quite reaches its full potential.
There’s just something inherently watchable (and enjoyable) about Supergirl, even if the film’s final form isn’t as mighty as it should be. Alcock truly makes the role of Kara her own, and it’s fantastic to see the character shine in her first big-screen adventure in more than 40 years. It also helps that Supergirl presents a refreshingly distinct take on the character, portraying Kara as someone who vividly remembers—and is still processing—the destruction of her home, a perspective that sets her apart from her more famous cousin.
That attention to the character extends to her appearance as well. Supergirl and Lobo are dead ringers for their respective comic book counterparts, with Kara’s supersuit looking nearly perfect and Lobo appearing appropriately grungy. Their designs not only help offset the underwhelming costumes for Krem and Ruthye, but also serve as a fitting metaphor for the film’s constant push and pull in quality. For every smart creative choice, there seems to be an equally baffling decision that undercuts it.
Even the decision to adapt Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow for Supergirl’s big-screen return is a strong one, but many of the choices made during the adaptation process weaken the original comic’s themes and message, including one that arguably undercuts the very idea the movie is trying to convey. Those familiar with Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow will likely take greater issue with those changes than viewers who have never picked up the series. However, whether you know Tom King and Bilquis Evely’s modern classic or not, the movie still kinda lands somewhere middle-of-the-road-ish in terms of quality. There’s a lot that Supergirl gets right, but just as much holds it back.
From start to finish, Supergirl is extremely watchable, though not always for the right reasons. Strong moments or ideas regularly clash with bewildering creative choices, making for an intriguing though occasionally perplexing experience. Even so, Supergirl‘s strengths do thankfully tip the balance in its favor, making it a worthwhile, if flawed, addition to the DCU.
An underwhelming script, lackluster pacing and several questionable directing choices aren’t enough to stop Supergirl from delivering a rickety but still surprisingly sorta super adventure. Supergirl offers more than enough thrills and emotion to satisfy most, but it’s hard not to shake the feeling there’s a better film just beneath the surface that truly lets the Maid of Might soar. Fortunately, the film never loses sight of what makes Supergirl such an easy hero to root for. Worth a watch, but enter at your own risk.
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comic series adapted for “Supergirl!” Available in trade paperback,
deluxe hardcover, compact edition, and original single-issue formats.
Check out these assorted “Supergirl”-themed variant covers from DC Comics!
Other notable Supergirl and related comics, graphic novels and trade collections include:
Also Available:
“From Comic to Screen: The Art of Supergirl”
“DC Comics Presents – Supergirl: Four Acclaimed
Comic Book Stories By All‑Star Writers & Artists”
Previously on the big screen from the DCU:
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