SUPERGIRL Will Be Nothing Like SUPERMAN as Filmmakers Tease a Cosmic, Grittier DCU Tale
The DCU is gearing up for its next big leap with Supergirl, arriving after James Gunn’s Superman. Even though the films share Kryptonian roots, the filmmakers want fans to know they should expect something completely different.
This isn’t a companion piece that mirrors Clark Kent’s hopeful Earth bound journey. This is Kara Zor El’s story, and according to the team bringing it to life, the two movies couldn’t feel more distinct.
During a recent press conference, Milly Alcock, who stars as Kara, set the tone saying: "It's just a completely different movie. Very different tonally.” Supergirl isn’t interested in tracing the emotional beats or atmosphere of Superman. Kara’s path is harsher, stranger and unfolds far from anything resembling Smallville.
Craig Gillespie, who directs the movie, reflected on an early exchange with DC Studios chief James Gunn that convinced him he could take big swings.
"What I loved when we met, I said, 'How much do I have to adhere to Superman and that world?' And he was like, 'We're approaching this like every [movie] is its own graphic novel. You get to put your stamp on it, and your style and your vision.' And that was incredibly exciting, and I'm very grateful for that."
That freedom opened the door for a wild cosmic adventure that stands apart from Clark Kent’s grounded optimism.
Gillespie added: "They are so different in tone, and to be able to really lean into it and embrace it… and plus... are we allowed to say this? It's like, the whole movie takes place in outer space. It's a very different world you start with. So we had a completely blank slate."
The creative team is leaning directly into the grittier foundation of Tom King’s Woman of Tomorrow, which gives Kara a harder edge shaped by trauma Clark never endured.
After a brief introduction at the end of Superman, Supergirl launches her into a galaxy spanning hunt for vengeance described as a “murderous quest for revenge” with Krypto the Superdog by her side.
The film pits her against Krem of the Yellow Hills, played by Matthias Schoenaerts, and features a cameo from Jason Momoa as the infamous bounty hunter Lobo.
Screenwriter Ana Nogueira has previously spoken about how Kara’s worldview diverges from her cousin’s kinder perspective shaped by his Earth upbringing.
"She watched Krypton completely be destroyed," Nogueira said. "I was always like, 'I can’t get my head around the version of the character that is so sunny.'" Her take embraces a version of Supergirl who is "rougher and grittier and edgier and funnier" than audiences might expect.
With its cosmic setting, darker emotional core and creative autonomy, Supergirl is going to carve its own place in the DCU rather than orbit around Superman.
Via: GamesRadar+