In a world where comic book superheroes were often shown to be flawless, emotionless beings, Supergirl stands out as a beacon which emphasises that in your darkest times, vulnerability can be your main source of strength.

Supergirl, as rightfully described by our friends at Goggler, that it isn’t just another case of taking an existing male superhero and gender-swapping him. Instead, it is a wonderfully crafted and written film which explores the themes of grief, acceptance and recovery with Director, Craig Gillespie focusing on showing rather than plainly spelling out Kara’s mental and emotional state.

A direct sequel to last year’s superhero flick Superman which starred David Corenswet as the Big Blue Boy Scout, Kara Zor-El a.k.a Supergirl is Kal-El’s Kryptonian cousin who shares similar superpowers to him. She first appeared on the big screen in 1984, then portrayed by Helen Slater as the titular character and more recently, by Sasha Calle in 2023’s abomination, The Flash.

Now played by Australian actress, Milly Alcock (of House of the Dragon fame), the current Kara Zor-El made her screen debut at the end of 2025’s Superman where she dropped by the Fortress of Solitude to retrieve Krypto who was under Superman’s temporary care.

A Masterclass in Showing

Supergirl is a perfect superhero comic book adaptation example of how good writing can produce both a sequel and an origin story simultaneously without breaking the momentum, tone, and general direction of a film. The flashbacks focusing on Kara’s backstory were expertly weaved into the present day while tidying up the loose threads which viewers of Superman may still have lingering. The Kryptonians’ source of their superpowers and vulnerabilities was explored thoroughly yet organically which would bring even the most non-comic book reader out there up-to-speed in no time.

Those who are familiar with the comics would instantly notice the parallels to her characterisation in the Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow comic book, an eight-issue miniseries by writer Tom King and artist Bilquis Evely which served as the cornerstone and inspiration of the film. In a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moment, an Easter Egg referring to these two were also embedded in which was a nice touch.

We also enjoyed not just the dynamics between the two Kryptonian cousins, but how opposing Kara’s approaches, identity and take on life compared to David Corenswet’s more straight-laced Superman. Speaking of which, similar to how we were able to instantly get a glimpse of Kara’s personality at the end of Superman; so were we with Corenswet’s Superman here. What he stands for. His awkwardness and best of all, humanity. Traits we were already accustomed to, of course, yet amplified in those brief cameo moments.

The casting team really did hit a homerun with Corenswet and Alcock. Bravo.

A Different Kind of Super

There were countless discourse online on how Alcock – like Corenswet – didn’t look ‘Super’ enough to portray these almost Godlike legacy comic characters. However, in our books, these two actors convincingly embodied characters who remain ‘super’ in spite of their setbacks rather than just being ‘super’ because of the abilities they were born with.

And let’s not forget Jason Momoa’s Lobo whose inclusion in Supergirl served as an obvious launchpad for future projects. Simply by appearing in Supergirl, Lobo’s reason of being in this revamped DC movie universe is instantly cemented, bypassing any need for elaborate exposition of his origin and background when his solo film eventually comes around. A definite scene stealer each time he appears, Momoa, seem very much at home as Lobo. In fact, better than he ever was as Arthur Curry / Aquaman. Whilst heavily featured in the promotional materials and a star in his own right in 2025’s Superman, Krypto is not the star this time around. Instead, he serves as macguffin which propels Kara’s story forward.

Not A Guardians Redux

While James Gunn is ‘merely’ a Producer for Supergirl, his signature style was imprinted all over, especially with its tone and aesthetics. The ambience, tone and mannerism, including the side characters, would easily fit into Gunn’s previous projects most notably, Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy, and we can’t help but see a version of Starlord in Kara. However, Supergirl remains uniquely hers. Unlike Peter Quill, who oozes confidence out of his ears, Kara lacks self-belief and purpose. Self-assured of her physical prowess, she consciously suppresses it in order to feel ‘normal’ – a decision rarely explored in the realms of superhero movies.

As expected, wisecracks and snarky one-liners aplenty accompanied by top-notch action sequences involving closed-quarters beatdown and larger-scale destruction. We also appreciate that the filmmakers took time and effort to showcase Kara going full tilt yet still maintaining measured aggression – a very delicate balance there – on goons whose power levels were so far below hers.

Supe Summed Up

Delivered in a similar tone to what was shown in 2025’s Superman, Supergirl explores the more human side of the character instead of solely focusing on their godlike abilities. It continues James Gunn’s revamping of the DC Comics’ reinterpretation on the silver screen; establishing emotionally grounded and realistic superheroes with normal people problems. Loneliness, grief, acceptance.  The film further emphasises along the notion that, while super-abled beings were born, Superheroes are forged.

Final Score: 80/100

This review is based on an early media screener for Supergirl organized by Warner Bros Malaysia. Supergirl hits cinemas 25th June 2026.