Contains spoilers for “Superman”

Following the resounding success of James Gunn’s “Superman,” the quest to build out a viable DC Universe in multiplexes will continue next year with “Supergirl.” You can get all the best available intel on the big-screen comeback of Kara Zor-El via our extended recap video, linked above. And anyone with any interest in superhero cinema should absolutely have their eyes on “Supergirl” — which will, in many ways, be an even bigger test of the genre’s continued viability than “Superman.”

We’ve already gotten our first glimpse at the brand new DCU’s Supergirl near the end of “Superman.” Played by “House of the Dragon” star Milly Alcock, Supergirl turns up drunk at the Fortress of Solitude to get her dog Krypto back from her cousin Kal-El, aka Superman (David Corenswet), who has been on dog-sitting duty. The raucousness of Alcock’s brief appearance, which sets up the “Supergirl” movie, is compounded by the words of James Gunn himself, who told Screen Rant that the DCU’s version of Kara will be “a total mess” due to her unique background.

“[Superman has] had this wonderful upbringing by these two parents that loved him and were very healthy,” Gunn said. “And [Supergirl’s] background was much different than that.” While we wait for “Supergirl” to clarify what Gunn meant, Kara’s apparent party-girl personality does have precedent in the comics. In fact, that precedent even points to where in the DCU timeline “Supergirl” might take place.

“Supergirl” is being directed by Craig Gillespie (who’s well-acquainted with crowd-pleasing flicks about complicated young women, as demonstrated by “I, Tonya” and “Cruella”) and written by Ana Nogueira. Primarily based on the eight-issue miniseries “Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow” by writer Tom King and artist Bilquis Evely, the film will find Kara Zor-El crossing paths with Ruthye Marye Knoll (Eve Ridley), an alien girl who ropes Kara into her quest to avenge her father’s death at the hands of Krem of the Yellow Hills (Matthias Schoeanerts).

If Milly Alcock’s onscreen debut as Kara is any indication, that story may happen in close temporal proximity to the plot of “Superman.” In “Woman of Tomorrow,” Kara meets Ruthye while getting drunk in a tavern somewhere far away from Earth (a necessity, given that our sun’s replenishing effect makes drunkenness impossible for Kryptonians). She’s wearing the very same beige coat Alcock is shown wearing in “Superman,” and has Krypto by her side. This suggests that, in “Supergirl,” Kara might meet Ruthye shortly before or shortly after her stop on Earth to pick up Krypto. Either that, or she’s even more chronically drunk than it seems. 

Whatever the case, it appears “Supergirl” will honor the singular exploration of Kara’s vulnerable side that made “Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow” one of the best “Supergirl” stories ever, as well as the theme of heroism itself as an arduous, hard-fought battle — which is certainly an encouraging prospect. Don’t forget to watch our video recap as the wait begins for “Supergirl” to arrive on June 26, 2026.