DC Studios’ “Supergirl” is a simple, enjoyable side chapter in the ever-expanding DCU, one that ultimately feels incomplete and unsure of its own direction. Odd editing choices and inconsistent pacing leave the film feeling like a puzzle missing several key pieces. That’s a shame, because at its core, there was real potential in a story built around grief, innocence and purpose. What audiences get instead is a muddled film that can’t quite decide what kind of story it wants to tell.
Milly Alcock deserves real credit here. She brings a wounded, complicated version of Kara to life, one carrying visible weight from her past, and her performance alone makes the character worth following into a future installment. The film also benefits from a brief but welcome appearance from David Corenswet’s Clark Kent, whose easy warmth contrasts sharply with Kara’s burden. Their dynamic, two orphans shaped by very different upbringings, is one of the more compelling ideas the film raises, even if it never gets the room it deserves.
Jason Momoa is a clear highlight as Lobo, fully committing to the character’s chaos in a standout second act sequence, one of the best stretches in the entire film, before heavier reliance on visual effects undercuts the back half. Still, Momoa’s grasp of the character’s voice and physicality will land with longtime comic readers.
It’s a notable contrast to last year’s “Superman” (2025), which embraced its silver age roots with confidence and told a clear, purposeful story about choice and consequence. ‘Supergirl,’ by comparison, struggles with identity.
Choppy editing, thinly drawn antagonists and inconsistent visual effects work against genuinely strong elements, including practical production design from Neil Lamont and costume work from Anna B. Sheppard (with one notable exception in a key group’s design, which lands closer to strange than faithful). Composer Clauda Sarne’s score also shows real promise in isolated moments, only to be drowned out elsewhere by needle drops that clash with the film’s tone.
The film is at its best when it commits to its characters’ internal struggles and lets the audience sit with them, rather than rushing past that work toward plot mechanics. The cast, particularly Alcock, clearly understands the emotional core of the material even when the script doesn’t fully support them. As a result, the film plays it safer than its comic source material, “Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow,” might have allowed, and the energy fades before the credits roll.
A longer runtime, even 15 to 20 additional minutes, could have given key relationships and backstory room to breathe rather than feeling rushed. There’s a stronger, more emotionally resonant film somewhere in this material. What made it to screen falls a clear step below ‘Superman,’ and hopefully serves as a lesson DC Studios takes seriously: not every film needs to be a masterpiece, but this one needed more time to find its shape before release.
Even so, with a slate that includes ‘Lanterns’ and ‘Clayface’ still ahead, there’s reason for optimism about where this DCU goes next.
About ‘Supergirl’
“Supergirl,” DC Studios’ newest feature film to hit the big screen, arrives in theaters worldwide next summer from Warner Bros. Pictures, and stars 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.
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 Claudia Sarne.
