It’s a good time to be a Superfan! The Last Daughter of Krypton returns to movie screens on June 26th in Supergirl, the eagerly awaited new DC Studios film starring Milly Alcock and directed by Craig Gillespie. Based on the Eisner-winning Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow by Tom King and Bilquis Evely, Supergirl promises to reintroduce the legendary DC heroine to a new generation of moviegoers, offering a harder, more irreverent take. Best of all, the first trailer is out now! Read on as we discuss the characters you’ll meet in the teaser, the setting, the Kryptonian lore and lots more…
 

Supergirl Rescues Cats

It was made clear in writer, director and DC Studios’ co-chairman James Gunn’s Superman that the new DC Universe’s Kara Zor-El is a far cry from previous live action versions of the character, and from Superman himself. A hard-partying, hard-drinking, hard-cussing young woman, she isn’t shy about calling Clark a “bitch” (while wearing the same duster jacket she sports in the Woman of Tomorrow comic and upcoming film). It’s evident in the new teaser’s first scene that she’s not exactly the hero her cousin is either. As we follow Krypto, knocking over bottles littering her bedroom floor, the Superdog decides to relieve himself on a copy of the Daily Planet, with the main headline on the front page proclaiming, “Superman Saves Town from Nuclear Reactor Explosion” and a photo of a beaming Superman waving to his fans. A smaller headline further down the page states, “Supergirl Saves Cats,” with an emotionless Kara’s arms full of felines.
 

A Reluctant Hero

As James Gunn, Milly Alcock and Craig Gillespie recently told us, in Supergirl, Kara is looking for a planet with a red sun on which she can get drunk. In the comic, she’s celebrating her 21st birthday. In the trailer, we hear her toasting her 23rd. In both versions, she’s recruited by young Ruthye Marye Knoll (played in the film by Eve Ridley), who seeks vengeance for her father, murdered by Krem of the Yellow Hills (Matthias Schoenaerts).

In the comic, Supergirl initially refuses to help Ruthye because she doesn’t believe in vengeance and has responsibilities on Earth. We’ll see if that’s the case in the film. Though, as we soon learn, she has good reason for her reluctance…
 

A Life of Loss

Unlike Clark, Kara grew up amongst Kryptonians, as her hometown of Argo City survived Krypton’s destruction. In the Woman of Tomorrow comic, however, we learn that her mother died soon after from radiation poisoning, the result of yellow sunlight changing the chemical composition of the rock beneath Argo City. Eventually, asteroids pierce the city’s protective shield, prompting Kara’s father to send her into space in a rocket like Clark’s. We witness Argo City’s destruction in the trailer, and what appears to be a Kryptonian funeral procession in which Kara marches. As Ruthye says in the comic—and Kara echoes in the trailer—“Krypton did not die in a day. The gods are not that kind.”

In the trailer, it also appears that at some point in the film—as in the comic—Kara flies into space to scream, where her screams won’t destroy everything around her.
 

Krypto’s Return

To make things even worse for our heroine, in the Woman of Tomorrow comic, Krem shoots Krypto with poison-tipped arrows, prompting Kara to join Ruthye’s quest in the hope of procuring more poison from Krem in order to fashion an antidote. In the trailer, we see a teary-eyed Kara gazing at a lethargic Superpup. After what Krypto went through in Superman, we’re praying the poor little guy won’t have to endure too much in his next movie…
 

The Main Man Cometh

On a much lighter note, the trailer gives us our first quick glimpse at former Aquaman Jason Momoa as the fabled last Czarnian, Lobo, who’s making his big screen debut! Though Lobo is not featured in the Woman of Tomorrow comic, according to author Tom King, he was in his original pitch for the series. So, why add him back into the story? If you’re wondering about that, we strongly suggest you check out his debut solo series Lobo: The Last Czarnian (written by Keith Giffen and Alan Grant and illustrated by Simon Bisley) to understand why we think this hilariously over-the-top space-biker badass will fit perfectly in this gritty interstellar epic.
 

Space Pirates?

The Woman of Tomorrow comic begins as a space western in the tradition of True Grit (in which young Maddie Ross recruits grizzled veteran Deputy Marshal Rooster Cogburn on a mission of vengeance when her father is murdered). Eventually, however, it turns into a pirate story. As Krem befriends a band of merciless mercenaries known as the Brigands, who come complete with their own intergalactic buccaneer ship.

In the comic’s climax, Kara fights the battle of her life when she flies onboard and takes on the Brigands singlehandedly. In the trailer’s final scene, we see Kara similarly taking on a squad of bloodthirsty space goons. Are these the Brigands? We’ll know for sure when Supergirl hits theaters in June!
 

Supergirl, directed by Craig Gillespie and starring Milly Alcock, lands in theaters on June 26, 2026.

Joseph McCabe writes about comics, film and superhero history for DC.com. Follow him on Instagram at @joe_mccabe_editor.

NOTE: The views and opinions expressed in this feature are solely those of Joseph McCabe 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.