Lucky 13 Reviews
SUPERGIRL: WOMAN OF TOMORROW — REVIEW
★★1/2★★
Critical Stats
Release Date
June 26, 2026
Tomatometer
56%
Letterboxd
3.1
Running Time
108 mins
Official Synopsis
“Supergirl,” DC Studios’ newest feature film to hit the big screen, will be in theaters 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 designers Anna B. Sheppard and Michael Mooney, Visual Effects Supervisor Geoffrey Baumann, music supervisor Susan Jacobs and composer Claudia Sarne.
DC Studios Presents a Troll Court Entertainment / The Safran Company Production, A Film by Craig Gillespie, “Supergirl,” which will be in theaters and IMAX ® across North America on June 26, 2026, and internationally beginning 24 June 2026, distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures.
Ensemble
Milly Alcock as Kara Zor-El / Supergirl
Eve Ridley as Ruthye Marye Knoll
Matthias Schoenaerts as Krem of the Yellow Hills
David Corenswet as Kal-El / Superman
Jason Momoa as Lobo
Architects
DirectorCraig Gillespie
WriterAna Nogueira (Based on the comic book by Tom King & Bilquis Evely)
ProducersJames Gunn, Peter Safran
Production Info
| Studio Production Companies | DC Studios, Warner Bros. Pictures |
| Theatrical Distributors | Warner Bros. Pictures |
| Screenwriter | Ana Nogueira (Based on the comic book by Tom King and Bilquis Evely) |
| Filming Locations | London, United Kingdom; Atlanta, Georgia, USA |
Production Vault
| Motion Picture Rating | PG-13 (Strong violence, action, and language) |
| Aspect Ratio | 2.39:1 |
| Production Status | Released (Theatrical June 26, 2026) |
Behind The Lens Spotlight
Director Craig Gillespie infuses a weathered, dust-laden atmosphere into the science fiction backdrop, consciously mirroring the gritty tone of Tom King's award-winning print run. Shunning pristine digital canvas styling, Gillespie opts for texture-heavy environments where interstellar space behaves more like an unforgiving, lawless frontier border town than a sterile space fantasy.
Ray's Thoughts
With the ongoing proliferation of superhero comic book movies, it is deeply unfortunate when a film suffers from a severe case of overfamiliarity. Despite earnest attempts to inject some original production value and unique visual landscapes, the narrative beats of Supergirl eventually become far too recognizable. Furthermore, when you anchor a story with a protagonist who is virtually indestructible, the narrative loses almost any sense of organic tension, which is a kiss of death for an action movie. Supergirl is simply the latest superhero project to fall directly into this trap. The film frequently feels like a patchwork amalgamation of a dozen similar projects, populated by antagonists who function merely as cardboard obstacles and speedbumps on the hero’s journey.
What is worse is that, despite trying to carving out a distinct visual identity, the film struggles to feel genuinely cinematic. It frequently plays like the pilot episode of a streaming television series, even presenting Kara's origin story with the familiar pacing trappings of that specific medium by forcing flashbacks awkwardly between action set pieces. To be fair, Supergirl already faced a massive uphill battle. It has the immense challenge of following in the footsteps of the blockbuster Superman, a film that beautifully leaned into the bright, comic book roots of the character with a less cynical, profoundly hopeful presentation. This iteration also has to contend with the shadow of the hit television series, which in many ways captured a similarly bright, accessible aesthetic.
In order to differentiate itself, this project pivots hard into darker territory, establishing a grungy, dark science fiction production design that heavily evokes a Guardians of the Galaxy type of cosmic imagery. But the narrative's underlying issue remains unresolved: it is universally known that Supergirl is practically invulnerable. As a result, the writers are forced to bend over backwards trying to place the character in reasonable peril. Despite those structural gymnastics, the writing is on the wall; the audience knows that nothing on this frontier can truly harm Kara, leaving viewers to passively wait out the clock to see how things will inevitably resolve.
Compounding the film’s problems is the fact that the primary antagonist isn't genuinely formidable or intimidating, despite clear directorial efforts to physically present him in a visually unflattering, menacing light. Critical comparisons linking the script to John Wick are entirely accurate, particularly regarding the "pet in peril" catalyst involving her companion dog, but John Wick succeeded because of groundbreaking action and jaw-dropping choreography, qualities that Supergirl unfortunately lacks. There is very little combat sequencing here that we haven’t already witnessed a million times before.
What the film does have in its favor is a collection of strong performances, led by a fierce Milly Alcock, who does her absolute best to elevate the thin material she is handed. Additionally, Jason Momoa delivers a thoroughly fun, charismatic turn as the notorious interstellar bounty hunter Lobo. The flashback sequences that recount Kara’s tragic origin are equally interesting, offering a poignant look at how she was forced to leave her parents and the immense psychological trauma she had to endure on a drifting fragment of Krypton. Regrettably, these compelling flashbacks only comprise a few fleeting moments of the runtime.
The majority of the story remains a standard revenge tale where we already know the outcome, largely because Supergirl is a corporate icon and this movie exists primarily to lay down the tracks for a broader cinematic universe.
Supergirl feels like a project that was structurally compromised from the start. While it is easy to pile on and pick the film apart, it at least succeeds in laying down the groundwork for a much larger cosmic canvas. It is certainly debatable whether this was a strictly necessary chapter to sit through, but it at least gets the mandatory origin story out of the way, allowing for a bit of genuine excitement regarding how this darker character will eventually fit into the greater DCU tapestry. When evaluating the final product, I tried to imagine a version of this specific narrative that I actually wanted to see, and I honestly could not conceive of a better alternative. The entirety of this story could have easily been condensed into a tight, 45-minute short film. I am not entirely sure where to place the ultimate blame for these issues, but as far as initial impressions go on this entire project, the feeling I am left with is something closely resembling disappointment.
The Final Verdict
★★1/2★★
Lucky 13 Rating
Supergirl emerges as a visually distinct but narratively compromised cosmic Western that strips away traditional family friendly optimism in favor of a darker, grunge-infused frontier . While director Craig Gillespie successfully crafts an immersive space environment and Milly Alcock brings a fierce, commendable intensity to Kara Zor-El, the script ultimately collapses under the weight of its own invulnerability problem. By attempting to force high-stakes John Wick-esque revenge mechanics onto a practically invincible protagonist, the film struggles to generate any genuine cinematic peril or narrative tension. It frequently plays less like a grand superhero event and more like a padded, streaming-style pilot designed purely to lay the tracks for a broader universe, resulting in a familiar, consequence-free journey that leaves audiences with a lingering sense of disappointment.
🎬 Expanded Fun Facts
- From Westeros to Krypton: Star Milly Alcock landed the role of Kara Zor-El after competing in an intensive screen testing phase, following her critically acclaimed breakout run in HBO's House of the Dragon.
- Page to Screen Fidelity: Screenwriter Ana Nogueira's script leans incredibly close to the distinct literary structure of Tom King’s eight-issue comic run, maintaining the poetic, narration-heavy "Space Western" tone.
- Setting the DCU Blueprint: This movie represents one of the crucial, early cinematic cornerstones of James Gunn and Peter Safran's newly mapped "Gods and Monsters" theatrical release slate.
Stick around and Read our Review for SUPERMAN:
