A film featuring Supergirl entered development as part of theDC Extended Universe (DCEU) franchise in August 2018, and the character was introduced in the 2023 filmThe Flash, portrayed bySasha Calle. Plans for the standalone project were altered when Gunn and Safran became co-CEOs of DC Studios in October 2022. A new Supergirl film was announced in January 2023 as an adaptation of the 2021–22 comic book miniseriesSupergirl: Woman of Tomorrow byTom King andBilquis Evely. Nogueira was hired by November 2023; Alcock was cast in January 2024 to debut in the first DCU film,Superman (2025); and Gillespie joined that May. Filming took place from January to May 2025 atWarner Bros. Studios Leavesden andLondon in England, and inScotland.
Kara Zor-El celebrates her 23rd birthday by travelling across the galaxy with her dogKrypto. Along the way, she meets the youngRuthye Marye Knoll and encounters a tragedy that leads her on a "murderous quest for revenge".[1][2][3]
Cast
Milly Alcock asKara Zor-El / Supergirl: The cousin ofKal-El / Clark Kent / Superman who was raised on a chunk of the destroyed planetKrypton and watched everyone around her die, making her a more jaded person than her cousin who was raised on Earth by loving parents.[4][5][6] Because Kryptonians are healed and gain powers from yellow suns, Supergirl likes to party on planets with red suns where she can get drunk.[2] ProducerJames Gunn envisioned Supergirl as a "pixie-ish, but very attitudinal character".[7] Both Gunn and Gillespie described her as being anantihero.[8]
Also appearing areFerdinand Kingsley as Elias Knoll, Ruthye's father who was killed by Krem,[14][3] andDiarmaid Murtagh as Drom Baxton, the Brigands' second-in-command.[9]David Corenswet also reprises his role as Kara's cousin Kal-El / Clark Kent / Superman alongside her super-powered dogKrypto, both returning from the filmSuperman (2025).[15][3]
Production
Background
Oren Uziel was hired byWarner Bros. Pictures in August 2018 to write a film based on theDC Comics characterSupergirl. This came as Warner Bros. andDC Films were looking for new approaches to theirDC Extended Universe (DCEU) franchise following several critical and commercial disappointments. Development on the film was in the early stages,[16] but Warner Bros. was already being "very vocal" about wanting to hire a female director.[17] The studio's shift to focusing on a Supergirl film was given as one of the reasons thatHenry Cavill was no longer expected to portray Supergirl's cousinClark Kent / Superman in future DCEU films after portraying the role sinceMan of Steel (2013);[18] Cavill later indicated that he still wanted to return to the role.[19] Production onSupergirl was tentatively scheduled to begin in early 2020,[20] but was put on hold due to theCOVID-19 pandemic.[21]
In February 2021,Sasha Calle was cast asSupergirl for the DCEU filmThe Flash (2023) and signed a multi-film contract for the DCEU.[22][23]Supergirl was included on DC's slate of films planned for release in 2022 or 2023.[24] In April 2022,Discovery, Inc. and Warner Bros.' parent companyWarnerMedia merged to becomeWarner Bros. Discovery (WBD), led by president and CEODavid Zaslav. The new company was expected to restructureDC Entertainment and Zaslav began searching for an equivalent toMarvel Studios presidentKevin Feige to lead the new subsidiary.[25] Tatiana Siegel ofRolling Stone reported in August thatSupergirl was unlikely to move forward under Zaslav,[26] and it was quietly canceled around that time.[1] Writer/directorJames Gunn and producerPeter Safran were announced as the co-chairs and co-CEOs of the newly formedDC Studios at the end of October.[27] A week after starting their new roles, the pair had begun working with a group of writers to develop an eight-to-ten-year plan for a newDC Universe (DCU) that would be a "soft reboot" of the DCEU.[28][29][30]
Development
Ana Nogueira was hired to write a Supergirl film for the DCU by November 2023, after working on a planned Supergirl film for the DCEU.
On January 31, 2023, Gunn and Safran unveiled the first projects from their DCU slate, which begins withChapter One: Gods and Monsters. One of the films in the slate was an adaptation of the comic book miniseriesSupergirl: Woman of Tomorrow (2021–22) byTom King andBilquis Evely.[4][31] Gunn described the project as "a big science fiction epic film" and stated it would explore a more "hardcore" version ofKara Zor-El / Supergirl than had been previously seen on screen.[5][31] King was also revealed to be one of the writers working on the overall story for the DCU.[4] Within days of the film's announcement, copies of theSupergirl: Woman of Tomorrow comic book had sold out onAmazon and at many different publishing houses and comic book shops. Gunn said he was working with DC Comics publisher andchief creative officer (CCO)Jim Lee to ensure more copies were printed soon.[32]
While promoting the release ofThe Flash in June 2023, Calle expressed her love for theWoman of Tomorrow comic book and said she hoped to reprise her role in the film, but this was not guaranteed.[33] She had met with Safran to discuss her future as the character by then,[34] but Gunn eventually decided to move in a different direction with the character.[35] Calle said she was heartbroken and frustrated with the decision because she had filmed a different ending ofThe Flash that was intended to set up future appearances for her character. She was proud of her work in the role.[22] Following rumors that the DCEU'sAquaman actor,Jason Momoa, would be recast as the characterLobo in the DCU,[36] he was reported in October 2023 to have had discussions with DC Studios about playing that character in the first DCU film,Superman (2025), or a standalone film.[37]
In November 2023,Ana Nogueira was revealed to be writing the screenplay. She was previously attached to write a Supergirl film in 2022 when it was being developed as a spin-off fromThe Flash. Gunn and Safran enjoyed her work so much that they had her return for their own take, and she signed an overall writing deal with DC.[38] Gunn confirmed Nogueira's involvement and called the film a "beautiful, star-spanning tale".[39] He chose to move forward with it as the second DCU film afterSuperman, which was not originally planned, based on the strength of Nogueira's script.[40] The film was reported to include the super-powered dogKrypto.[41]
Pre-production
Milly Alcock was first envisioned for the role of Supergirl by producerJames Gunn over a year before she was cast in January 2024.
By January 2024,Milly Alcock,Emilia Jones,Cailee Spaeny, andMeg Donnelly were being considered to portray Supergirl. Donnelly had voiced the character in the animated filmsLegion of Super-Heroes (2023) andJustice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths (2024).[35][42] Jones did not read for the role.[43] Alcock had a general meeting with Safran and was asked to make aself-tape a few weeks later.[44] Alcock was conflicted about pursuing the role, wanting to "do things people watch" but also not be "pigeonholed into one part"; she was convinced after researching the role.[44] Alcock and Donnelly had auditions and screen tests in costume on theSuperman set inAtlanta later in January.[1][35] Alcock was officially cast at the end of the month. Gunn said she embodied how King, Evely, and Nogueira envisioned the character,[6][45] and he had first mentioned Alcock for the role to Safran over a year earlier after seeing her performance in the television seriesHouse of the Dragon (2022–present). Gunn believed she had the "edge, grace [and] authenticity" for this interpretation of Supergirl, which he wanted to distance from the more earnestportrayal of the character byMelissa Benoist in theArrowverse seriesSupergirl (2015–2021).[46] Alcock learned of her casting when Gunn sent her an online article about the news.[44] The studio was hoping to hire a director in the coming weeks,[1] but prioritized casting Supergirl because the character was set to debut in another DCU project, reported to beSuperman.[35][42][45]
When Alcock was cast, filming was expected to begin in late 2024.[6][46] Zaslav confirmed in February that the script had been written and further casting was underway.[47] In April,Craig Gillespie entered talks to direct the film and DC Studios EVPChantal Nong was revealed to be an executive producer.[48] Gillespie said he was immediately interested in directing the filming after reading the script and seeing Alcock's performance, as he understood the "tone and what to do with it". He also enjoyed receiving creative freedom from Gunn, which they felt was necessary in maintaining the script's tone.[49] He was confirmed as director the next month, when the film was given a release date of June 26, 2026.[50] In September,Matthias Schoenaerts joined the cast as the main villain,Krem of the Yellow Hills,[51][13] and filming was expected to begin in January 2025 in the United Kingdom.[51] The next month, Gunn said the film would follow athree-act structure rather than the structure of theWoman of Tomorrow comic book, but it would retain the major characters and themes from the comic. He had reviewed screen tests for the characterRuthye Marye Knoll by then,[52] and Eve Ridley was cast in that role at the end of the month.[53]
In December, Momoa was reported to be portrayingLobo in the film. He confirmed the casting by referencing an interview from a year earlier in which he expressed interest in the role.[13] While the character does not appear in theWoman of Tomorrow comic book, King's originalpitch for the story was a team-up between Supergirl and Lobo in which they would take on similar roles to the characters Mattie Ross andRooster Cogburn, respectively, from the novelTrue Grit (1968).[54] Gunn said Lobo was added to the film to help with adapting it to a three-act structure. He felt Lobo was "the biggest comic book character that's never been in a film".[7] Momoa's role was reported to be acameo appearance.[10]Anna B. Sheppard and Neil Lamont were the film's costume designer and production designer respectively.[55] Gillespie noted howWoman of Tomorrow itself was inspired byTrue Grit, and incorporated that into the script while also citingLogan (2017) as an inspiration. He describedSupergirl as being a "road movie" and as having a darker tone thanSuperman because Nogueira's scripts candidly dealt with the trauma Kara Zor-El had gone through during her childhood.[8] It centers around Kara Zor-El's journey in accepting her heroism, and takes place in outer space.[49]
Filming
Principal photography began on January 13, 2025, atWarner Bros. Studios Leavesden andLondon in England,[56][13] withRob Hardy as cinematographer,[55][57] usingIMAX cameras.[58] Gillespie said the cinematography during action sequences would reflect Kara Zor-El's emotional state at the time, with anger being associated with "frenetically messy, aggressive kind of camera work" while her being relaxed would be associated with a "more fluid" style.[49] Alcock filmed her first scenes with Corenswet, where the two interacted in the Kryptonian language.[15] Later that week,David Krumholtz andEmily Beecham joined the cast as Supergirl's parentsZor-El andAlura In-Ze, respectively;[10] Beecham previously worked with Gillespie on the 2021 filmCruella.[59] Other than the very beginning of filming, Gunn was not present on set and said Gillespie was a great partner who had "just been doing his thing".[60] Gunn and Safran said filming was halfway done at the end of February.[61] Momoa and Krumholtzwrapped their scenes in April.[62][63] Filming was taking place inScotland by the end of that month,[64] and wrapped by May 10.[65] Filming was also expected to occur inIceland.[66]
Post-production
Tatiana S. Riegel, a frequent collaborator of Gillespie's and an additional editor on Gunn'sGuardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023), is editing the film, while Geoffrey Baumann is the visual effects supervisor.[55] In June 2025, Gunn announced that the film's title had been shortened to simplySupergirl.[60] By October, atest screening had quietly occurred at theWarner Bros. Studios Burbank lot with some Warner Bros. and DC Studios executives and personnel.[67] The film was reported at the start of December to have a $200 million budget,[68] which Gunn disputed;[69]Matthew Belloni atPuck later saidSupergirl had a lower budget similar to the approximately $40 million–budgeted DCU filmClayface (2026).[70][71] JournalistJeff Sneider reported that another test screening had occurred during the week of December 15, 2025, and that it had received praise for Alcock's performance and featured severalneedle drops like Gunn'sGuardians of the Galaxy (2014–2023) films for Marvel Studios. However, Sneider said the action sequences and Schoenaerts's Krem elicited more mixed responses.[72] Between November 2025 and January 2026, additional actors were revealed to be appearing in the film:Ferdinand Kingsley as Ruthye's father, Elias Knoll;[14]David Corenswet reprising his DCU role asKal-El / Superman;[15] andDiarmaid Murtagh as Krem's second-in-command, Drom Baxton.[9] Sneider also reported thatSeth Rogen had a voice cameo.[72]
Music
Tom Holkenborg was revealed in February 2026 to be composing theSupergirl score, after previously scoring several DCEU films. Holkenborg replacedRamin Djawadi,[73] who was originally attached as the composer by December 2025, after scoring several comic book films and Gillespie's 2011 filmFright Night.[74][75]
Marketing
Following Supergirl's introduction in the final scene ofSuperman,[2] Gunn released the first poster forSupergirl in July 2025. It shows her leaning against theSuperman logo with that film's tag line, "Look Up", graffitied to say "Look Out". Commentators highlighted the change in tone fromSuperman suggested by the poster, as well as Supergirl's coat, which is similar to one she wears in theWoman of Tomorrow comic book.[76][77][78] Aaron Perine at/Film wrote that the graffitied tag line was a succinct way to indicateSupergirl's different direction and tone, and said the "whole rebellious angle makes all the sense [in] the world" following her cameo appearance inSuperman.[79] At aCCXP panel in Brazil in early December 2025, the film's logo and Supergirl suit were showcased.[80][81] The logo's design was reminiscent of Corenswet's Superman emblem, rather than an earlier design used during this film's production that featured a yellow italicized typeface and a blue background, which Taimur Dur ofComicsBeat had determined was a placeholder design.[82][83]Omelete's Guilherme Jacobs noted that the Supergirl suit design showed more wear and tear than that of Superman's, which was inherent from Supergirl's less careful adventuring;[80] Matthew Aguilar, writing forComicBook.com, felt the enlarged S symbol, modified golden belt, and reveal of the cape made for a "sleeker" presentation than that of the design fromSuperman.[84]
Later in December, two short teaser previews and a poster were released online, while the first full trailer was screened at a private press conference inManhattan, New York City–hosted by Gunn, Safran, Gillespie, and Alcock–days before its December 11 release.[85][86][3]Variety's Antonio Ferme and Jordan Moreau felt that the trailer, set to "Call Me" byBlondie, and the earlier footage "made a clear case for how Alcock's Kara Zor-El will stand apart from her more optimistic cousin Superman".[3] James Grebey ofMen's Journal noted similarities between scenes in the second preview of Kara wearing headphones and listening to music andStar-Lord from Gunn'sMarvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) filmGuardians of the Galaxy (2014),[87] while Aguilar felt the poster and footage "just radiate the aura of cool and confidence" of the character from the comics.[88]Polygon's Jake Kleinman felt between the use of "Blondie", the outer space setting, and a space group that "look suspiciously like theRavagers", "Supergirl looks way more likeGuardians [of the Galaxy] Vol. 4 than aSuperman follow-up" which was "concerning". He was hopeful upon releaseSupergirl would be "its own distinct take on the superhero genre" and not Gunn "fall[ing] back on his signature style".[89] Rafael Motamayor of/Film speculated that seeing Jason Momoa's Lobo in the trailer was Gunn being "misdirecting" for marketing purposes, guessing that Lobo would replace a bounty hunter who Supergirl defeats early in the comic, and that his role in the film would be small to not infringe on the adaptation of the comic yet enough to "gauge interest in more Lobo appearances";[90]Kotaku's Ethan Gach praised Kara's line "[Superman] sees the goodness in everyone, I see the truth", wondered if Momoa could perform a distinctive characterization for Lobo as opposed to just being Aquaman again, and felt the visuals in the trailer were bland.[91]
Release
Supergirl is scheduled to be released theatrically by Warner Bros. Pictures in the United States on June 26, 2026,[50][3] inIMAX.[55] It will be part of the DCU'sChapter One: Gods and Monsters.[4]
^Couch, Aaron; Kit, Borys (October 3, 2025)."Heat Vision".Heat Vision (newsletter).Archived from the original on October 9, 2025. RetrievedOctober 9, 2025.
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