So I just got out of Craig Gillespie’s Supergirl, the next installment in James Gunn’s new DC Universe, and honestly, I expected an absolute disaster. After all the online controversy surrounding Millie Alcock, the discourse before release, and Warner Bros. deciding to dump this movie between Minions and Toy Story 5—which might genuinely be one of the worst release windows imaginable—I thought this thing was going to be a trainwreck. Instead, it’s just another average comic book movie. That’s almost more disappointing. There’s very little separating this from Thunderbolts, Fantastic Four, Captain America, Shang-Chi, Birds of Prey, Blue Beetle, and a dozen other superhero movies we’ve gotten over the last decade. They’re competent enough, they have a few good moments, and then you leave the theater and forget about them a week later. The internet wants you to believe this is one of the worst comic book movies ever made. It isn’t. It’s just painfully average at a time when average isn’t enough anymore.
The best thing about the movie is Millie Alcock. She completely carries it. Every time the film slows down and lets her actually be Kara instead of reacting to CGI spectacle, the movie comes alive. She was perfect casting, and she’s easily the biggest reason I’m still excited about the future of the DCU. David Corenswet’s Superman also elevates every scene he’s in. Whenever he showed up, I found myself wishing I was watching a Superman and Supergirl movie instead. The Krypton flashbacks with Kara’s parents are some of the strongest scenes in the entire film because they actually have emotional weight, and Krypto is an absolute joy throughout. Jason Momoa’s Lobo is another highlight. You can tell he’s having the time of his life playing the character, and while I would’ve preferred a slightly darker, more intimidating version of Lobo, he’s entertaining enough and will almost certainly become an important part of the DCU going forward.
Unfortunately, the movie keeps getting in its own way. Comic book movies seriously need to stop making these generic, forgettable villains because Krem is about as bland as they come. I barely remembered his name walking out of the theater. We’ve seen this exact character over and over again: slap some scars on his face, make him yell a bit, and suddenly he’s supposed to be threatening. He’s not. One of the biggest promises of James Gunn’s DCU was that nothing would get greenlit until the script was genuinely great, but this screenplay is all over the place. Ruthie never becomes particularly compelling despite understanding why she’s in the story, the pacing feels uneven, and the film never fully commits to any of its ideas. Craig Gillespie has made movies I’ve really enjoyed, but I’m not convinced he was the right choice for this project, and personally, I think there was a missed opportunity to have a woman direct Supergirl’s first solo film.
My biggest filmmaking complaint, though, is the soundtrack. The climax should’ve been emotional, but instead we’re constantly getting hit with licensed songs when the movie desperately needed to trust its score. This is something James Gunn has become known for, but even he needs to know when to let a scene breathe. Supergirl deserved an unforgettable orchestral score carrying those final action sequences, not another needle drop every few minutes. The third act also reminded me a lot of The Flash, with endless barren alien worlds that all blend together visually. For a movie that’s supposed to explore the cosmos, everything ends up looking strangely gray, empty, and repetitive.
What frustrates me most is that I don’t think this was the Supergirl movie audiences wanted. After Superman, this universe needed an event. It needed Superman and Supergirl teaming up against someone like Darkseid, or at the very least teasing a major threat like Darkseid or Brainiac to get people excited about where the DCU is heading. Instead, we get another standalone adventure with a disposable villain that feels like it could’ve come out at any point over the last fifteen years. When audiences have already seen fifty-plus superhero movies, that’s simply not enough anymore. These films either have to feel like genuine cinematic events or have a distinct artistic identity like Matt Reeves’ The Batman. Average superhero movies just don’t sell tickets anymore.
I also think a lot of the conversation surrounding this movie had very little to do with the movie itself. Some people clearly made up their minds months ago because it’s a female-led superhero film, and that absolutely influenced the online discourse. At the same time, I also think audiences are simply exhausted by formulaic superhero movies. Both things can be true. The movie deserved better than a $38 million domestic opening, but it also isn’t some misunderstood masterpiece. It’s just another decent comic book movie released at the absolute worst possible time.
I don’t think the DCU is in trouble because of Supergirl. I think Warner Bros. simply made the wrong movie at the wrong time. Now everything shifts toward what’s next. Lanterns needs to be excellent, Clayface has a real opportunity to surprise people because of its horror angle and smaller budget, and absolutely everything rides on Man of Tomorrow. That movie has to be great. It has to be a genuine event, and it has to make serious money because it’s the film that will determine whether this universe can really build momentum.
As for Supergirl, Millie Alcock is fantastic, David Corenswet continues to prove he’s Superman, Jason Momoa is a fun addition as Lobo, and there are flashes of a genuinely great movie hidden throughout. But a weak villain, messy writing, overused needle drops, and an uninspired third act keep it from becoming anything more than another forgettable superhero movie.
Supergirl = 68/100
