DC Studios' Supergirl debuted its first trailer and confirmed that its villain, Krem of the Yellow Hills, is getting a significant redesign from the comics. Unlike most superhero movies, Supergirl is directly adapting a comic storyline, Woman of Tomorrow, but that's not to say it isn't making some changes. For one, Jason Momoa's Lobo will appear as a secondary villain, despite not featuring in the original 2022 DC Comics storyline.
Just over six months before Supergirl flies into theaters, DC Studios dropped the first look at The Old Guard actor Matthias Schoenaerts as Krem of the Yellow Hills. Those familiar with Tom King's Woman of Tomorrow will be well aware that his appearance has undergone a massive redesign for live-action.
On the page, Krem has a human-like appearance with a warrior-esque build, but DC Studios has replaced his ginger bearded look with something far more alien and monstrous, with metal parts scattered across his face.
This isn't the first time fans have heard about Krem getting a live-action design, as scooper Daniel Ricthamn previously revealed he "looks more like a monster... [who carries] dead alien rats with him to eat." One could argue that Krem's monstrous makeover enhances Supergirl's place in the DCU's Chapter 1 storyline.
Unfortunately, fans may be waiting until the next trailer to see Krem's full design, but his imposing silhouette was glimpsed walking down a dark walkways.
That silhouette looks to somewhat far closer resembles Krem's DC Comics appearance with a kilt-like bottom half. That said, it appears he will wear some kind of chest armor for the big screen, compared to his largeless topless comic role.
Supergirl will hit theaters on June 26, 2026, as the next offering from James Gunn's DCU, starring Milly Alcock's Kara Zor-El after her debut in Superman. She will be joined by Eva Ridley's Ruthye, Matthias Schoenaerts' Krem, Jason Momoa's Lobo, and, reportedly, David Corenswet's Superman.
Everything to Know About Supergirl's Krem of the Yellow Hills
Krem of the Yellow Hills is an intergalactic pirate and assassin who hails from an unknown distant planet that orbits a red star. He is known to be an expert swordsman and a skilled archer, often carrying poisoned arrows in his quiver.
The DCU synopsis declares Krem an "unexpected and ruthless adversary" who kickstarts Kara Zor-El's "interstellar journey of vengeance and justice" when he "strikes too close to home." But Supergirl isn't the only one to be wronged by Krem, as Eva Ridley's Ruthye Marye Knoll will join her as a sidekick in this quest.
After Krem murdered the young Ruthye's father, she sought out a bounty hunter to kill him, leading to her meeting Supergirl. Unfortunately, Krem found out about this plan and tracked the duo down, shooting Krypto with a poisoned arrow, leaving him in grave danger, and escaping with Kara's spaceship.
He would go on to join the Brigands and join them in their genocidals activities, slaughtering and looting communities across the galaxy. That is until his inevitable defeat at the hands of Supergirl and Ruthye.
While the Supergirl team hasn't explained why Krem was redesigned so drastically, but it may have been to increase his villainous presence. After all, Krem may have appeared a little too much like an ordinary human to be the main villain of a space fantasy story, especially placed side-by-side with Jason Momoa's Lobo.
