James Gunn revealed a key inspiration behind the DCU’s new take on Supergirl, drawing a direct comparison between the chaotic Kryptonian and Robert Downey Jr.’s famously flawed Iron Man from the MCU. Speaking at an official DC Studios press event on December 7, 2025, Gunn explained that Supergirl’s imperfections are central to what makes her compelling in the new DCU.
The comments came during a discussion with Supergirl star Milly Alcock and director Craig Gillespie, in which all three emphasized that this version of Kara Zor-El will break from the traditionally polished portrayal of female superheroes. Gunn specifically cited Iron Man’s Tony Stark as a benchmark for how audiences have embraced deeply flawed male heroes and why Supergirl deserves the same treatment.
How Is Supergirl Similar to the MCU’s Iron Man?
During the event, Alcock opened up about what Supergirl represents in the 2026 film, particularly for young women watching the DCU unfold:
"I think that what Supergirl represents for young women, especially, is that you can be flawed, that you can be openly… and you don't have to be perfect in order to come to some internal self-resolution. I think that we're kind of thrusted upon this narrative, especially women, that you have to be perfect in every aspect of your life. And I think that Kara is someone who so beautifully leans into her flaws. And I think that's really special.”
Gunn immediately echoed that sentiment, noting how rare that approach has historically been for female superheroes, especially when compared to their male counterparts:
"Yeah, I agree with you. That's really what spoke to me both in the book and on a script is that a lot of times for some reason, our female superhero leads are just so much more perfect than our male. Tony Stark and Star-Lord are such messes and yet that isn't always the same thing for our female superhero leads and seeing somebody who was just so imperfect and such a mess, but just really a beautiful soul.”
By directly name-checking Iron Man’s Tony Stark and Guardians of the Galaxy’s Star-Lord, Gunn positioned Supergirl alongside two of the MCU’s most beloved flawed heroes. Stark and Star-Lord’s emotional baggage and poor decision-making added extra layers to their characterizations, making them feel complex yet self-destructive, traits audiences latched onto and identified with.
Gillespie added that Supergirl’s messiness is deeply rooted in her personal history:
“And an understandable mess of that. She's got some serious baggage that she's dealing with.”
Later in the press event, Gunn was asked a question that further clarified how Supergirl will stand apart in the burgeoning DCU:
Gunn: “Totally. Yes. That was what excited me. So guys, SensaCine in Spain wants to know for Craig, what defines Supergirl as a unique hero?
Gillespie: “I think it's the fact that she's an anti-hero. What I loved in the story is she doesn't want the role. When we meet her, she's, in a very hard way, running away from it and in her own space. And she gets dragged very reluctantly into the world of having to be a superhero. The way she handles that, the way that she deals with it, and the way that she finds herself through that story is really fascinating, and it's incomplete, which I love as well.”
That sense of incompleteness is a sharp contrast to Superman’s traditionally confident moral clarity, reinforcing Gunn’s earlier comments about allowing Supergirl to be messy, resistant, and emotionally unresolved.
If executed well, this version of Supergirl could become one of the DCU’s most human characters, not because she’s powerful, but because she’s unfinished. And in a cinematic landscape where audiences repeatedly embraced flawed heroes, Gunn’s Iron Man comparison may be the clearest sign yet that Supergirl is being set up for something special.
