The supergirl movie 2026 has landed, and it is one of the most talked-about entries yet in the rebooted DC Universe. Directed by Craig Gillespie and starring Milly Alcock as Kara Zor-El, the film opened in U.S. theaters on June 26, 2026 after a Brooklyn premiere on June 22. Adapted from the acclaimed comic Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, it trades a traditional origin story for a galaxy-spanning revenge road trip, with Jason Momoa’s Lobo along for the ride. Reviews have split hard between praise for Alcock and frustration with the script, while a soft opening weekend has raised real questions about the DCU’s box-office momentum. Here is the full picture: cast, story, numbers, and what it all means.
Background and context: how Supergirl fits the new DCU
When James Gunn and Peter Safran took over DC Studios, they laid out a slate branded “Gods and Monsters,” and Supergirl was positioned as an early theatrical pillar following 2025’s Superman. Rather than retell Kara’s arrival on Earth, the creative team reached for one of the most praised Supergirl stories of the modern era: Tom King and Bilquis Evely’s 2021-2022 limited series Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, a bleak, beautiful space Western about grief, vengeance, and what it costs to stay heroic when the universe keeps taking from you.
That choice signaled ambition. The comic is not a light cape-and-cowl adventure; it is a character study wrapped around a manhunt. Gunn and Safran producing, with a script from Ana Nogueira and direction from Gillespie (best known for I, Tonya and Cruella), suggested DC wanted a Supergirl with edge rather than a sanitized reboot. The film also had to do double duty: stand on its own while quietly expanding the DCU, most notably by introducing Jason Momoa’s Lobo, a character fans have wanted on the big screen for years.
Key details: cast, release, and production
Here is the confirmed lineup and the numbers behind the film:
- Kara Zor-El / Supergirl — Milly Alcock (House of the Dragon), leading her first major feature.
- Krem of the Yellow Hills — Matthias Schoenaerts, the space pirate and leader of the Brigands who sets the plot in motion.
- Ruthye Marye Knoll — Eve Ridley, the young alien who recruits Kara on a quest for vengeance.
- Lobo — Jason Momoa, the Czarnian bounty hunter making his DCU debut.
- Kal-El / Superman — David Corenswet, reprising the role from the 2025 film.
- Zor-El — David Krumholtz, and Alura In-Ze — Emily Beecham, as Kara’s parents.
On the production side, Gillespie directed from Nogueira’s screenplay, with Gunn and Safran producing. Principal photography ran from January to May 2025 at Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden, on location around London, and in Scotland, shot using IMAX cameras. The film runs a tight 108 minutes and carried a reported net budget of roughly $170-186 million. It premiered in Brooklyn on June 22, 2026 and opened wide in the United States on June 26, 2026.
What to expect from the story
Unlike a standard origin film, Supergirl is set largely in deep space. Kara, older and more disillusioned than the sunny Superman archetype, is drowning her sorrows on a distant world when a young girl named Ruthye Marye Knoll approaches her with a request: help hunt down Krem of the Yellow Hills, the man who murdered Ruthye’s father. When Krem poisons Kara’s dog Krypto, the mission becomes personal, and Kara reluctantly takes Ruthye along on a violent journey across the galaxy to find an antidote and dispense justice.
The film reshapes the comic into a three-act structure but keeps its major characters and themes intact: grief, mentorship, and the moral weight of vengeance. Expect a grittier tone than most cape films, an unlikely-sisters dynamic between Kara and Ruthye, and Momoa’s Lobo injecting chaos. If you loved the somber, painterly mood of the source material, the adaptation aims squarely at that register, though critics disagree on how well it lands the emotional core.
Fan and industry reaction
Reception has been sharply divided. On Rotten Tomatoes the film sits at 54% from 349 critics with an average rating of 5.6/10, while Metacritic logged a 50/100. Audiences were notably warmer, with a 77% Rotten Tomatoes audience score, though the CinemaScore came in at a middling B− and PostTrak recorded 52% of moviegoers saying they would recommend it.
Almost universally, critics singled out Alcock. The Rotten Tomatoes critics’ consensus credits her with bringing “a swagger to Kara Zor-El” even as it calls the surrounding film a familiar origin story. The knives came out for the screenplay instead: Variety’s review memorably branded it a comic-book movie with the worst script I can remember
, a line that went viral. Others complained about murky, gray visuals and uneven VFX, with The Hollywood Reporter calling the result an uninspired slog while still praising its lead.
The box office told its own cautionary tale. After $7.8 million in Thursday previews and roughly $18 million on opening day, Supergirl managed about $38 million domestically in its opening weekend and $68 million worldwide, below pre-release projections. It has since climbed to around $115.4 million globally ($66 million domestic, $49 million international), a figure that trade outlets tie to a projected loss in the range of $85-125 million once marketing is factored in. For a DCU that saw Superman, Peacemaker, and Creature Commandos score far higher on the Tomatometer, that is a sobering result, even if Alcock’s Kara clearly has fans.
Key issues collectors are watching
Whenever a character gets a high-profile screen adaptation, the back-issue market pays attention, and Supergirl is no exception. Collectors are keeping an eye on early Kara Zor-El appearances, key Lobo issues tied to Momoa’s DCU debut, and of course the modern Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow run that inspired the movie. Whether a mixed critical reception dampens demand or a growing fanbase for Alcock’s version sustains it is exactly the kind of question long-term collectors weigh. If you want to see where Kryptonian and DC keys stack up against the wider hobby, our regularly updated guide to the most valuable comic books is a useful benchmark before you buy or sell.
Where Supergirl ranks among comics’ heavy hitters
Part of the fun of any new Kryptonian film is arguing about power levels. A fully powered Supergirl is one of the most physically dominant beings in the DC pantheon, which is why she features so heavily in fan debates. If you enjoy that conversation, dig into our rankings of the strongest DC characters and the broader list of the most powerful comic book characters ranked to see where Kara and her cousin land. For a cross-universe take, our roundup of the strongest Marvel villains makes for a fun comparison against the cosmic threats Supergirl faces on screen.
Frequently asked questions
When did the Supergirl movie release in 2026?
The film premiered in Brooklyn on June 22, 2026 and opened in U.S. theaters on June 26, 2026 as an early entry in the rebooted DC Universe.
Who stars in the 2026 Supergirl movie?
Milly Alcock plays Kara Zor-El / Supergirl, with Matthias Schoenaerts as Krem, Eve Ridley as Ruthye, Jason Momoa as Lobo, and David Corenswet returning as Superman.
Is Supergirl based on a comic book?
Yes. It adapts Tom King and Bilquis Evely’s 2021-2022 series Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, though the film restructures the story into three acts while keeping its core characters and themes.
Was Supergirl a box office success?
No. It opened to about $38 million domestically and has grossed roughly $115.4 million worldwide, below expectations, with trade outlets projecting a sizable loss for the studio.
