The final minutes of James Gunn’s “Superman” gave us our first glimpse of Kara Zor-El, aka Supergirl (Milly Alcock). Today, DC Studios released the first two-minute trailer for its own “Supergirl” film, directed by Craig Gillespie and set for release on June 26, 2026.
This will be the first “Supergirl” film in more than 40 years, since the 1984 film starring Helen Slater. This film seems more faithful to the comics, specifically adapting the 2021 miniseries “Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow” by Tom King and Bilquis Evely. DC Comics readers know that “Woman of Tomorrow” takes Supergirl to many alien worlds, just like this trailer.
“Superman” explained that Kara likes to visit planets with red suns which dampen her superpowers so she can get drunk and party. That’s because (as this trailer teases) she has a pretty dark past. Kara is from Argo City on Krypton, a metropolis that was freed from the planet’s explosion and spent years floating in space. When baby Kal-El was too young to remember Krypton, Kara had to watch everyone around her die – including her parents, Zor-El (David Krumholtz) and Alura In-Ze (Emily Beecham) – before reaching Earth.
The trailer shows Kara, dressed in a brown coat and sunglasses, waiting at a space bus stop then going to an alien bar to celebrate her birthday. But she has much more to look forward to than bar hopping. Young Ruthye Marye Knoll (Eve Ridley) needs Supergirl’s help to track down her father’s killer, Krem of the Yellow Hills (Matthias Schoenaerts). The trailer shows a brief glimpse of Krem himself, as well as Jason Momoa’s Lobo and various alien pirates – none of whom should underestimate Supergirl’s power.
Supergirl Looks Like a Cosmic Coming-of-Age Adventure
“Superman” made us believe that a man could fly, but the story remained mostly on Earth. The closest thing to an alien world was the pocket universe created by Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult). “Supergirl” intends to show that the DCU will not be limited to the formula, as it will take Kara and Ruthye across the cosmos. Even though Gunn doesn’t direct this one, the trailer evokes his “Guardians of the Galaxy” films. One of the alien cities Kara visits resembles Knowhere, while the pirates she faces resemble Ravagers.
Another Gunn-ian trademark – needle-dropping action scenes – is apparent in this trailer. Once Kara starts kicking ass and the trailer goes into montage mode, she starts playing Blondie’s 1980 hit “Call Me.” It’s a propulsive but undeniably feminine song, a perfect vibe for Kara Zor-El.
“I, Tonya” and “Cruella” showed that Gillespie had a jukebox directing style, as did Gunn. So, what other songs can we expect in upcoming “Supergirl” trailers or in the movie itself? What other female-led artists/bands capture both Kara’s depression and her bare-knuckle brawling side? Hole’s “celebrity skin”? “Rid of Me” by PJ Harvey? “Isn’t It Fun” by Paramore? “Kiss With A Fist” by Florence + The Machine? Some evidence of the latter point: Florence Welch sang the theme to “Cruella” and Gunn used Welch’s “Dog Days Are Over” to close “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.”
The opening shot of the trailer shows Kara’s dog, Krypto, playing with a record player in her bedroom. Fingers crossed, it’s a promise that “Supergirl” will deliver not only a great superhero movie, but also a great superhero playlist.
“Supergirl” hits theaters on June 26, 2026.
