The last time someone asked me about Supergirl, I changed the subject. Not because she's irrelevant—far from it—but because, if we're honest, “Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow” never stood a chance. Try saying it out loud. Feels like an apology, doesn't it? Too clever by half. Like DC was already hedging bets.
But now, the powers that be (James Gunn, I see you) have hit delete on the subtitle. We're left with one word: “Supergirl.” Simpler. Riskier. And, somehow, it's an admission—they don't need to sell us a whole thesis, just a name. It's Superman's shadow casting long, cold lines across the marquee.
And here's the uncomfortable question: does anybody want this movie? History says… meh. The 1984 Helen Slater flick—memorably awkward, now a trivia answer. The CW show? It limped through mediocre ratings before quietly folding, like a soft pretzel left out overnight. There's no roaring fanbase demanding Supergirl get her own billion-dollar spectacle. Not yet.
Still, this isn't quite the same old collared cape and skirt. Craig Gillespie is steering the ship—yeah, the same guy who made Tonya Harding fascinating and pulled off “Cruella” without crashing into IP oblivion. Not a blockbuster evangelist, but he knows offbeat. Maybe that's the trick. Maybe Supergirl, of all people (aliens?), needs weird.
But—plot twist—the lead isn't a household name, not unless your household came with a copy of “House of the Dragon.” Milly Alcock snatched the part from under Meg Donnelly's nose, and if there's hope for this thing, it's all in Alcock's hands. Truth: she's magnetic, fierce—you saw “House of the Dragon,” you get it. If anyone can make Kryptonian exile sexy and strange, it's her.
Mark your calendars (or don't): June 26, 2026. That's the date. Supergirl will land, ready or not. The film's in post-production limbo right now, which is exactly how this industry prefers its Hail Marys—quietly, until sudden disaster or surprise.
But here's where DC's gambit feels almost heroic: they're betting that pathos and performance—not just IP inertia—might be enough to get butts in seats. Eternals couldn't do it for Marvel, and they had the weight of gods (and—let's be honest—a helluva marketing budget). Supergirl? She has Alcock. She has Gillespie. She has a release date and very little in the way of a sure thing.
Sometimes gambles pay off because they shouldn't. Maybe this is one of those times. Or maybe it ends up like that uneaten soft pretzel. Any bets?
