James Gunn Is Officially Fixing Milly Alcock's Supergirl

DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn is putting in the effort to fix one of DC's most powerful heroines, Supergirl. Kara Zor-El has been one of DC's biggest names for decades, making her a natural choice to lead one of the first big-screen movies in James Gunn's new DC Universe after he took the job next to Peter Safran. Now, after a rough early start in this franchise for Milly Alcock's version of the Woman of Tomorrow, things appear to be changing.

James Gunn and Peter Safran will look to right the ship with Alcock's Supergirl after her 2026 solo movie became one of the year's biggest critical and financial flops. Early critic reviews largely panned the DCU's second theatrically released movie, resulting in a 52% positive critic score on Rotten Tomatoes. It also disappointed at the box office, only grossing $126.4 million worldwide against a reported budget of $170 million-$186 million.

However, producer Lars P. Winther spoke with Phase Hero host Brandon Davis at the movie's world premiere in New York, teasing that Milly Alcock's superheroine is not going anywhere. Her journey will evolve in 2027's Man of Tomorrow, which will heavily feature this character as her relationship with Superman pushes to new heights in a story that Winther says "is going to be epic:"

"You're seeing her journey in ['Supergirl']. So now, when she gets into 'Man of Tomorrow,' you know more about her. You know about their relationship 'cause in the next movie, in Man of Tomorrow, Supergirl's in it a lot. So, they're in it together. So, you see their dynamic, which I think is cool... and bringing her into the world we already created on the first Superman. So, Man of Tomorrow is going to be epic."

Notably, Supergirl has already returned to action elsewhere in the DCU, as she made a short appearance in the second season of the Krypto Saves the Day! shorts on HBO Max. Here, Supergirl made multiple cameos alongside Superman and Krypto, offering a much more comedic look at the heroine than what was shown in her solo movie.

One of the biggest complaints about Alcock's solo Supergirl movie (which did not earn many positive reviews) was that it leaned too hard into a dour, serious tone, preventing Kara's sense of humor and lighthearted nature from shining. While the story naturally had plenty that fans would expect to beat down the titular heroine, Alcock's character had the chance to deliver more humorous moments throughout the story, which would have at least made it feel lighter and pushed the plot forward more easily.

She leaned into that comedy in her DCU debut, which came in the final moments of 2025's Superman. Here, she came back to Earth after a long stretch of partying on other planets, reuniting with Krypto before she and the dog started roughhousing and destroying the floor of the Fortress of Solitude. She even left by dropping a hilarious line, as she yelled at Superman, "Thanks for watching him, b***h!" Thankfully, Milly Alcock's future DCU appearances should help turn the character in the right direction, as Gunn looks to put her in a much more favorable light.

How Supergirl Will Be Improved in Man of Tomorrow

Looking ahead, Alcock is confirmed to play Supergirl for the third time in Man of Tomorrow, which will reunite her with David Corenswet's Clark Kent after sharing scenes with him in both of the DCU's first two movies. Based on how Supergirl has been utilized before and after Supergirl, the expectation is that Man of Tomorrow will give her a chance to be a much more well-liked part of the story when it hits theaters on July 9, 2027.

At the very least, she should get plenty of banter with her superpowered cousin, similar to what she gave him at the end of their first movie together in 2025. Kara joining other superheroes like Nathan Fillion's Guy Gardner and Edi Gathegi's Mr. Terrific should also open up opportunities for funnier moments where she can show more of her personality, both in battle and in smaller moments.

On top of everything else, however, this will be her biggest appearance to date under James Gunn, who is writing and directing the Superman sequel. While Gunn knows how to bring an emotional story, comedy is one of his fortes, and both of those elements will lend well to Supergirl being a better-liked character upon her return. While her specific storyline is still unknown, Gunn's influence alone should give her plenty of opportunities to shine in what should be the DCU's biggest movie to date.