Supergirl is in theaters now and has had a mixed reception. Even though critics seem to be down on the movie, audiences rate it highly, showing that the DCU is still on the right track.
Supergirl is set to release in theaters on June 26, 2026, and will be based on Tom King’s 2021-2022 comic book series illustrated by Bilquis Evely. The film stars Milly Alcock, who will play the titular role of Kara Zor-El. It is written by Ana Nogueira and produced by DC Studios co-CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran.
“When an unexpected and ruthless adversary strikes too close to home, Kara Zor-El, aka Supergirl, reluctantly joins forces with an unlikely companion on an epic, interstellar journey of vengeance and justice,” reads the film’s official synopsis.
Supergirl’s critic score only shows half of the picture of the new DCU movie
When Supergirl debuted, it was immediately met with some fairly negative reviews. The film’s Rotten Tomatoes page has it currently listed at 56%, a low mark for any project in the DCU. However, there is a silver lining here, and it’s that the audience score for the movie is actually much higher. Despite a score in the 50s from critics, Supergirl currently has a 76% rating on the site.
Tracking scores like this can be tricky, as sometimes a film’s score might be inflated in ways that don’t reflect how fans actually feel. Still, a massive discrepancy like this shows that at least much more than half of the film’s audience liked the movie to some degree, and at the very least liked Milly Alcock, who’s Kara Zor-El/Supergirl will be appearing in future projects. In this regard, it’s a great sign for the DCU, and shows the burgeoning universe is still on track.
At its current rate, it’s unlikely that Supergirl becomes the massive box office success those at DC Studios undoubtedly had hoped for. However, if the movie remains at least enjoyable in the eyes of fans, that shows that the universe is continuing to earn the goodwill it must build up to have a long stretch of success.
In reality, Supergirl was always going to be a movie that didn’t land with the sort of impact as Superman (the movie that kicked off the DCU’s theatrical slate). It’s a much smaller story featuring a hero that doesn’t have quite the same level of popularity as Superman. However, the fact that audiences are coming away from the newest project with positive remarks shows that the DCU is building the right way, and with projects like Man of Tomorrow and Lanterns on the horizon, they have the chance to boost their popularity even more.
