The Wasteland Reviewer

Supergirl (2026) Written Review

How do James Gunn and the new DCU team follow up the success and goodwill of last year’s Superman? It makes a lot of sense to expand that Superman world with his cousin. The new Supergirl film picks up from the introduction of Kara Zor-El who is portrayed as a self-destructive and tortured foil to the wholesome and pure Kal-El. Kara survived the dying remnants of Krypton with one love, Krypto. But a disturbing and twisted villain Krem poisons her dog and sets Kara on a space trucking adventure alongside a young woman out for vengeance against the same antagonist. I Tonya alumnus Craig Gillespie takes the reins after Gunn restarted this DC cinematic universe and brings audiences through the endless space of this new collective story. 

What does Gillespie bring to the table as the director of Supergirl? Unfortunately, the filmmaking behind this new comic book adaptation is a mixed bag. Gillespie and cinematographer Rob Hardy capture a grizzly and dirty side to space with a post-apocalyptic twist to it. More like Mad Max than Superman, Supergirl certainly has plenty of grotesque characters along the way with some disturbing design, make-up work, and production design. But so much of the film’s visual identity is undercut whenever they need to lean into the computer-generated elements. The characters become rubbery and artificial, and the landscapes look flat and lacking in detail. The score (by Claudia Sarne) lacks an identity which is frustrating for a superhero film like this one. The pacing of the film is awkward and clunky with cutaway scenes to the past feeling like they chop up the moment (even if those scenes give context and depth to Kara). The film’s humor is quite hit-or-miss (and a lot of that is rooted in the different characters and their level of authenticity). The action should be one of the main driving forces of the experience but that is also quite the mixed bag. There are too many moments that are over edited so you cannot tell what is going on. There are a few sequences with some inspired perspective, and one is salvaged by a great needle drop (towards the end of the film). Supergirl certainly isn’t the best first step into comic book adaptations for Gillespie. 

How well does Ana Nogueira’s script come to life on the big screen? It was a bold move to choose Nogueira as the screenwriter when Supergirl would be her first feature screenplay and unfortunately that shows. This is a messy and clunky script to say the least. The film does a good job of capturing who Kara is and the struggle she goes on trying to find meaning and purpose in her life after the destruction of her world. There is strong motivation for Kara’s journey as her dog’s life is on the line (even if playing with the safety of a pet feels a little manipulative and tired at this point). Her partner in this venture, Eve Ridley’s Ruthye, feels significantly more undercooked. Innocent but seeking vengeance is her whole schtick. She also asks so many questions acting as the audience surrogate that it feels a bit annoying after a while. The antagonist Krem is bland from a writing standpoint. He is a malicious child trafficker, but the film fails to explore that extremely heavy theme in a more meaningful way. The narrative itself is quite loose and bland. It is just Kara chasing after Krem through a few points in space with a few overly manufactured roadblocks that feel lazy and annoying in the way. The most egregious tertiary element is the inclusion of Lobo. A fan-favorite character who has no discerning purpose in the narrative and his cringey dialogue sounds like it is written by an edgy 12-year-old. The dialogue in the film is quite flat and clunky consistently and much of the humor just doesn’t land well either. The core themes of the film are justice versus vengeance and even they feel clunky in execution, especially with how the central conflict is resolved.

Does the cast bring much to the table? Milly Alcock is fantastic as Kara as she brings presence and attitude to this edgy hero. When the emotional elements come into play as well, she brings the goods and helps the audience feel those heavy moments. Ridley is charming enough but feels saddled with an underdeveloped character despite making the emotional beats feel authentic. Matthis Schoenaerts is a talented actor and deserves better than this bland villain. Schoenaerts makes some interesting choices for sure with his weird voice, mannerisms, and physicality but that doesn’t make his character a compelling villain. Jason Momoa even feels like he is just doing a schtick with Lobo who is nothing more than curse words and calling Kara “Tittes” instead. David Corenswet is in the film briefly, but he brings that authentic presence and energy as Superman. One minor performance that has a little bit of depth (despite clunky dialogue) is David Krumholtz who portrays Kara’s father in flashbacks. 

Is Supergirl another win for the new DCU? No…not really. This film will most likely be one of the most disappointing films of the summer as it was exciting to look forward to a new twist on Supergirl. Gillespie’s film gets bogged down in the immense weight of the CGI action of this superhero flick. The script also buckles underneath the weight of expectations. But Milly Alcock’s Kara is an excellent addition to this world and at least more adventures of her and Superman should be in the future to enjoy.