Supergirl (2026) Review: Milly Alcock saves the day in an average DC film

Supergirl should have been a triumphant showcase for Milly Alcock. Instead, it becomes a frustrating reminder that even a terrific lead performance can’t overcome inconsistent filmmaking. Alcock commands every scene she’s in, while David Corenswet‘s brief appearances as Superman further highlight the emotional sincerity the film desperately needs.

Unfortunately, underwhelming action, thin supporting characters, distracting music drops and one of the weakest comic-book villains in recent memory prevent Supergirl from reaching its potential. The result is a disappointing film anchored by a performance worthy of a much better one.

Supergirl Overview

Set after 2025’s Superman, Supergirl follows Kara Zor-El (Alcock), who spends her time drifting from red sun planet to red sun planet, drinking heavily in an attempt to escape the trauma of Krypton’s destruction. Her self-imposed exile comes to an end after the mercenary Krem (Matthias Schoenaerts) poisons Krypto. Joined by the vengeful Ruthye Marye Knoll (Eve Ridley), Kara embarks on a mission to save her dog while confronting the pain she has spent years trying to outrun.

Alcock immediately establishes herself as the film’s greatest strength. Her Kara is impulsive, emotionally wounded, and far rougher around the edges than previous live-action versions of the character. She isn’t simply a female Superman. Instead, Ana Nogueira‘s screenplay presents a hero whose trauma continues to shape every decision she makes. That emotional complexity gives Kara an identity entirely her own and provides the film with its strongest material.

Unfortunately, the supporting cast rarely receives the same level of attention. Ridley grows more confident as Ruthye, particularly during the third act, but the character remains largely defined by revenge. As a result, the evolving friendship between Ruthye and Kara never reaches the emotional payoff the story is aiming for. Schoenaerts fares even worse. Krem is an underwritten antagonist whose motivations never evolve beyond generic cruelty, making him one of the weakest villains in a modern superhero film. Jason Momoa’s Lobo provides a jolt of excitement, but there’s also not much depth there, either.

Craig Gillespie captures the quieter character moments well, particularly those exploring Kara’s memories of Krypton. Those scenes offer a fresh perspective on her loss and further distinguish her from Superman. The action, however, rarely reaches the same level. One third-act music cue, in particular, feels completely at odds with the action unfolding on screen.

Uneven pacing and forgettable set pieces prevent Supergirl from fully capitalizing on its promising premise, leaving Alcock to shoulder much of the film.

Looking to catch up on James Gunn and Peter Safran‘s DC universe? Superman (2025) is streaming on HBO Max.

Ruthye and Kara

Supergirl opens with Krem slaughtering Ruthye’s entire family in a senseless act of violence. Driven by revenge, Ruthye searches the planet for someone willing to help her hunt him down. Her search leads her to Kara, who dismisses Ruthye’s offer of a legendary sword after it’s presented to everyone in the bar. When a massive alien steals the weapon instead, Kara can’t resist stepping in to retrieve it. Even so, she makes it clear Ruthye is on her own.

After Krem poisons Krypto, Kara begins pursuing him but still refuses to let Ruthye come along. Ruthye ignores those wishes, repeatedly finding ways to insert herself into the journey.

Even at her lowest point, Kara’s instincts as a hero never fully disappear. That’s what makes her dynamic with Ruthye compelling. Ruthye is consumed by revenge and believes killing Krem will bring her peace. Kara, despite wrestling with her own trauma, insists vengeance only creates more pain.

Unfortunately, the film never gives their relationship enough room to breathe. The two rarely spend enough meaningful time working toward the same goal for their eventual falling out to carry much emotional weight. As a result, their second-act separation lacks impact, and Ruthye’s return arrives before the audience has a chance to miss the partnership.

Ruthye also spends much of the film feeling like a passive participant. Until the third act, she’s rescued by Kara at nearly every turn and contributes little beyond reinforcing Kara’s moral dilemma. That makes it difficult for Ruthye to feel like an equal partner rather than someone the story continually has to protect.

Krypton fallout

One of Supergirl‘s greatest strengths is how it recontextualizes the destruction of Krypton. Traditionally, the planet explodes, its civilization disappears in an instant, and only Kara, Kal-El and a few stragglers survive. Clark’s grief has always been rooted in a home he never truly knew. Kara’s trauma is far more immediate. She remembers Krypton, its people, and its culture. More importantly, she watches it die slowly instead of all at once.

Rather than perishing with the planet, the surviving Kryptonians are temporarily saved by Kara’s father, Zor-El (David Krumholtz), who preserves them aboard the floating city of Argo. Their survival is short-lived. Fragments of Krypton, transformed into Kryptonite, begin poisoning the city’s inhabitants, including Kara’s parents. Realizing there’s no cure, Zor-El builds an escape pod to ensure Kara survives. The film’s depiction of Kryptonite poisoning resembles a family losing loved ones to a terminal illness, creating its most emotionally devastating sequence.

That trauma follows Kara to Earth. Clark is the first person she meets, but the two immediately face a disconnect. He doesn’t speak Kryptonian, and Kara must adjust to the effects of Earth’s yellow sun as an adult while processing unimaginable loss. It’s a compelling contrast to Superman’s journey. Clark grew up with humanity as his foundation. Kara lost hers. That difference gives her a hardened exterior and explains why she keeps others at arm’s length. Yet whenever she’s with Clark, that armor softens. She admires his unwavering belief in people, even if she knows her own experiences make it far harder to share his optimism. As a result, she chooses to distance herself from her cousin by galavanting off planet.

Supergirl Final Thoughts

Supergirl never fully justifies its ambitious ideas, but it also isn’t a failure. At its best, the film demonstrates that Kara Zor-El deserves to stand alongside Superman as one of DC’s most compelling heroes. It presents a version of Supergirl shaped by grief rather than hope, yet still capable of inspiring others when it matters most. That foundation is strong enough to support future stories.

The problem is that too much of the film settles for “good enough.” Emotional revelations don’t always receive the payoff they deserve, several story threads feel underdeveloped and the spectacle rarely matches the scale of Kara’s journey. Rather than building momentum, the film often feels like it’s checking off plot points on its way to the next destination.

Even so, Alcock makes it impossible to write Supergirl off entirely. She brings vulnerability, anger, humor and resilience to Kara in a way that immediately distinguishes her from every other hero in the DCU. By the time the credits roll, you’re left wanting to spend more time with this version of Supergirl, not because of the movie she was given, but because of the performance at its center.

That’s both Supergirl‘s greatest accomplishment and its biggest disappointment. It introduces a fantastic Supergirl. It just fails to give her a film worthy of her potential.

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