The DCU’s upcoming Supergirl film is shaping up to be something very different from the typical superhero origin story. During a recent press event, Milly Alcock, James Gunn, and director Craig Gillespie spoke about their version of Kara Zor-El and why embracing her imperfections is the key to understanding this new take.
Their enthusiasm for a more grounded and emotionally complicated Supergirl sets the film up for a refreshing shift in DC Studios’ new era.
Alcock explained that Kara’s value as a superhero comes from the parts of her that aren’t polished or pristine. She said, “I think that what Supergirl represents for young women, especially, is that you can be flawed.”
She expanded on that idea, adding, “You don’t have to be perfect in order to come to some sort of internal self resolution. I think that we’re kind of thrusted upon this narrative, especially women, that you have to be perfect… I think that Kara is someone who so beautifully leans into her flaws. I think that’s really, really special.”
Gunn went on to connect it to what first struck him about Tom King’s graphic novel Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, which the film draws inspiration from.
“That’s really what spoke to me, both in [Tom King’s graphic novel Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow] and in the script. A lot of times for some reason our female superhero leads are just so much more perfect.
“Tony Stark and Star Lord are such messes, and that isn’t always the same thing for our female superhero leads. Seeing someone who was so imperfect and such a mess… that was what excited me.”
This new interpretation of Kara presents her as someone not seeking the superhero spotlight and certainly not ready for it. In the story, she becomes wrapped up in a revenge driven journey across the galaxy.
Gillespie explained why that reluctant journey makes her such a compelling lead. “She gets dragged very reluctantly into the world of having to be a superhero. The way she handles that, the way that she deals with it, and the way that she finds herself through that story is really fascinating. And it’s incomplete, which I love as well.”
That sense of incompleteness is becoming part of the DCU’s identity as Gunn develops a lineup of heroes who aren’t fully formed and don’t have themselves figured out. Supergirl may be one of the most powerful beings in the universe, but this movie seems far more interested in the young woman beneath the cape.
Supergirl arrives in theaters on June 26, 2026.
Source: GamesRadar+
