The DCU’s Winning Streak Is Over and ‘Supergirl’ Just Killed It
The DC Universe has had an undeniably strong run since James Gunn took the reins, and anticipation for its second theatrical chapter has been building for months. Directed by Craig Gillespie and written by Ana Nogueira, ‘Supergirl’ follows Kara Zor-El on an interstellar journey of vengeance after an adversary strikes close to home, with the young heroine reluctantly teaming up with an unlikely companion along the way. The film is adapted from Tom King and Bilquis Evely’s critically acclaimed comic miniseries ‘Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow’ and sits within the DCU’s Chapter One: Gods and Monsters slate. It is also, notably, the first project in the new DC Universe that James Gunn has neither written nor directed.
Milly Alcock leads the film as Kara Zor-El, joined by Matthias Schoenaerts as villain Krem of the Yellow Hills, Eve Ridley as Ruthye Marye Knoll, and Jason Momoa in a scene-stealing appearance as Lobo. The casting of Alcock, who previously made waves as young Rhaenyra Targaryen in ‘House of the Dragon’, has been widely seen as one of the most exciting moves of Gunn’s DCU rebuild. In the film, Kara is framed as the thematic opposite of her famous cousin, trading his earnest optimism for messy impulsiveness and the crushing weight of survivor’s guilt.
When the review embargo lifted, @DiscussingFilm reported that ‘Supergirl’ debuted at a 59% on the Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer, based on 46 reviews at the time of their post. The score has since shifted, landing at a “Rotten” 57% as more critics weighed in, with 119 reviews counted. That is a significant step down from the reception James Gunn’s ‘Superman’ received in 2025, which carries an 88% Certified Fresh score on the same platform. The early consensus puts ‘Supergirl’ well behind other recent DCU titles, including ‘Creature Commandos’ at 95% and ‘Peacemaker’ Season 2 at 94%.
The divide in critical opinion, however, comes with a clear exception. The Hollywood Reporter’s David Rooney noted the film feels “stuck on autopilot” while still singling out Alcock for a “hard-edged performance” that makes her “an appealingly punky protagonist.” Screen Rant’s Molly Freeman called the film “fine, even good,” but concluded it doesn’t quite reach the bar set by ‘Superman’, while still expressing hope that its shortcomings wouldn’t discourage DC Studios from backing more female superheroes. The most generous reviews leaned into the film’s unusual genre energy, with Slash Film noting that Craig Gillespie’s film has as much in common with ‘True Grit’ and the grimy landscape of ‘Mad Max’ as it does the world of capes and tights.
Much of the critical frustration has been aimed at Ana Nogueira’s screenplay, with Clarisse Loughrey of The Independent arguing that the film seems mandated to stay “as distinctly Gunn-esque as possible,” robbing Kara of the chance to speak in her own voice, calling it “the superhero equivalent of a Vegas impersonator.” The tonal balancing act is a recurring note across many reviews, with DiscussingFilm’s own review flagging that the script is “packed with ideas” but “prefers to sheepishly flirt with all these tones rather than balancing them.”
The 1984 live-action ‘Supergirl’, which starred Helen Slater, currently sits at 19% on Rotten Tomatoes, meaning even a divisive score places Alcock’s version in a far stronger position than the first attempt at bringing Kara to the big screen. And despite the mixed notices, DC producer Lars P. Winther has confirmed that Alcock is already set to reprise the role in the DCU film following ‘Man of Tomorrow’, signaling that DC Studios has every intention of keeping her front and centre in the franchise’s future.
Whether you think the ‘Supergirl’ reviews are unfairly harsh or a fair reflection of a promising hero let down by her first solo outing, it’s hard not to root for Milly Alcock to get another shot at a stronger script.
