James Gunn and DC Studios will officially redesign a major DC Comics alien race in Supergirl, and new merch delivered the first look. While last year's Superman was a mostly Earthbound story, this June's Supergirl is taking a page out of Guardians of the Galaxy's playbook, taking to the stars and exploring multiple alien planets with different races. Most of these races and worlds come from the pages of Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, although the adaptation for James Gunn's DCU is making some changes and additions.
A new listing on Box Lunch unveiled Figural's Supergirl blind-bag keychains featuring 11 key characters from the James Gunn-developed and produced movie. The range offers new looks at Supergirl, Lobo, Krypto, Krem of the Yellow Hills, and more through this unique aesthetic, and also offers the first glimpse of one alien race.
Figural revealed the first look at a Sklarian Raider in Supergirl, complete with aqua-blue hair and skin, facial markings, and a golden/brown jumpsuit, marking a major redesign from their previous DC Comics appearances.
Nexus Point News was the first to break the news that the Sklarian Raiders would enjoy their live-action debut in Supergirl last May. That report stated Sex Education star Alice Hewkin will play a Sklarian Raider in the DCU blockbuster.
The Sklarian Raiders were introduced in Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes #233 in 1977 as a group of all-female, alien space pirates. They are driven to piracy by a need for more advanced technology to further their homeworld, Sklar, after feeling neglected by the United Planets (sci-fi United Nations).
The Sklarian Raiders have appeared in a number of the Legion of Superheroes' far-future, 30th-century stories. That said, they have never had blue skin, often being portrayed as vibrant yellow with blue hair instead.
The Sklarians have strayed into other skin colors in the past, namely, much paler yellows and occasionally White human-like skin, but never really blue.
Supergirl will finally zoom into theaters on June 26, starring Milly Alcock's Kara Zor-El, Jason Momoa's Lobo, Eva Ridley's Ruthye, and Matthias Schoenaerts' Krem of the Yellow Hills, with a cameo from David Corenswet's Superman.
DCU Supergirl Isn't Playing By Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow's Rules
DC Studios is clearly taking some creative liberties with Supergirl's alien characters across the board. Matthias Schoenaerts' Krem of the Yellow Hills looks nothing like how he does in Woman of Tomorrow, on which the movie is based.
Interestingly, much like the Sklarian Raiders, Krem is the leader of his own group of ruthless space pirates, the Brigands. It's clear that space piracy will be central to Supergirl, but the two intergalactic groups have key differences, as the Brigands are more outright evil while the Sklarians are morally grey and desperate.
The Sklarian Raiders don't appear at all in the Woman of Tomorrow storyline, signaling yet another change that the DCU adaptation is making. Another of those changes comes through Jason Momoa's Lobo, who was part of comic writer Tom King's original pitch for Woman of Tomorrow, but was cut by DC Comics, and one has to wonder if the Sklarians were similarly close to featuring on the page.
