Superman is back on the silver screen! James Gunn’s latest movie kickstarts the new DC cinematic universe that’s being spearheaded by Gunn and Peter Safran—and fans are already eager for more.

Superman is a bold film that honors one of the first superheroes to exist, the Man of Steel, through a modern lens while capturing the essence of his character and setting up this new shared DC Universe. Hope is an integral theme that is consistent in all great Superman stories and Superman is no exception. From heartfelt moments that inspire us to be kind, because kindness is punk rock, to action packed feats of heroism that bring together the many metahumans of the DCU, there is so much to love about this movie.

One of the most ambitious and exciting parts of the film is the many familiar and beloved DC characters that have seemingly jumped off the pages of the comics straight onto the big screen. To many, this movie serves as an introduction to DC characters like Guy Gardner, Hawkgirl and Mr. Terrific, allowing newer fans to get excited over the prospect of seeing them in future DC Studios projects. The next DC movie to land in theaters will follow another famous Kryptonian—Superman’s cousin, Supergirl—in her self-titled film set to premiere in 2026. Of course, if you’ve seen Superman, then you’ve already met this Girl of Steel. So…who is this Supergirl?

When we meet Clark’s cousin, she is already very different from other live action adaptations of the character. This version of her is messier. She has just returned to the Fortress of Solitude after going out of town to get drunk on planets with red suns (where she essentially doesn’t have powers and her body will feel the effects of alcohol). While still under the influence, she stumbles in shouting about how Clark moved the entrance (he didn’t) and asks for her dog—yes, Krypto!

Krypto, our favorite misbehaving, scene-stealing super-pup, excitedly and aggressively greets Kara. He does so by playing rough and dragging her across the floor in a destructively chaotic way. In the short time we get with her in this movie, it’s clear that this is the Kara from 2021’s Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, which the upcoming movie will be based on.

Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, written by Tom King with art by recent Eisner-winner Bilquis Evely and colors by Matheus Lopes, follows a young and directionless Kara Zor-El. Having lost her entire planet as a teenager, Kara was sent to earth to watch over her baby cousin Kal-El—ultimately arriving late and meeting him as a full-grown man who no longer needed her supervision. Now living in the shadow of Superman, she struggles to find a purpose and a point to it all.

Everything changes when she meets an alien girl named Ruthye whose father has been murdered by a man who’s roaming free. Ruthye asks Kara to help her get revenge, and while Supergirl is reluctant to help her at first, when Ruthye discusses how her father was her entire world, the young girl’s choice of words and devastating loss resonate deeply with Kara. This unexpected team soon embarks on an intergalactic journey that will shake both of them to their very core.

King and Evely’s limited eight-issue series begins with Kara turning 21 and celebrating by getting drunk with Krypto on a planet with a red sun—so her cameo is already setting up the beginning stages of this storyline. It’s helping to smoothly transition us into the Supergirl movie while establishing her character in this new DCU. One can almost assume the moment she leaves her scene in Superman, the events of the Supergirl movie begin.

While Supergirl stumbling around being unapologetically herself and encouraging Krypto’s behavioral issues is funny, it also sets up the exploration of the darker themes of Supergirl as a character and, especially, the dark themes of Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow. Unlike Clark, Kara didn’t land on Earth as a baby, she grew up on Krypton and watched her entire world end when she was a teenager. She grieves for the world she once knew—her family, her friends and her culture. Her grief manifests itself in many ways, like depression. We see this in her cameo with her drinking and partying, but she also experiences anger and isolation.

So, what can we expect from next year’s Supergirl movie? While I am beyond excited to see what elements have been taken directly from Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, I am equally excited to see the changes and the differences, and, most of all, I’m excited to see Milly Alcock’s performance as the Maiden of Might. We can expect an intergalactic journey where Supergirl will have to travel across galaxies and face her own trauma and grief, while still choosing to be a hero for those who can’t fight for themselves. It has also been confirmed that Lobo will be making his DCU debut in Supergirl, played by Jason Momoa. This opens up endless possibilities for the Girl of Steel to take her rightful place as a pillar of the DCU alongside her famous cousin!

Superman felt so much like a comic book by throwing us into a lived-in world full of superheroes and metahumans. And with a Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow comic-accurate Kara making her debut within it, there is a lot for comic fans to look forward to, while also making space for new fans to enjoy these films and dip their toes in the comics. Milly Alcock’s Supergirl has already stolen my heart, and I am counting down the days until Supergirl comes out in theatres. Supergirl deserves her own spotlight, and just like the themes of Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, she deserves to break free from Superman’s shadow. June 2026 couldn’t come fast enough!
 

Superman, directed by James Gunn and starring David Corenswet, Rachel Brosnahan and Nicholas Hoult, is now in theaters! Click here to get tickets.

Sami DeMonster writes about superheroes, horror and sci-fi for DC.com and reviews comics every week on social media. Follow her at @samidemonster on Instagram and Substack.

NOTE: The views and opinions expressed in this feature are solely those of Sami DeMonster and do not necessarily reflect those of DC or Warner Bros. Discovery, nor should they be read as confirmation or denial of future DC plans.