The first trailer for DC's Supergirl has confirmed a few of the major powers Kara Zor-El (Milly Alcock) will be wielding on-screen. The upcoming DC Studios film is the second live-action movie release in James Gunn and Peter Safran's rebooted DCU. Following Alcock's cameo in Superman, the House of the Dragon star is set for a superhero rise in Supergirl, bringing the famed DC Comics character to the screen in her first leading film of the DCU era.
Marketing is ramping up ahead of Supergirl's release, and the first trailer showcases the action-packed intergalactic adventure audiences can expect on June 26, 2026. Along with the return of Alcock's Kara Zor-El and Krypto the Superdog, the trailer introduces audiences to Eve Ridley as Ruthye Marye Knoll, and it shows a quick glimpse of Jason Momoa's Lobo.
The footage also includes plenty of action-packed scenes showcasing Kara's powers. Kara's superpowers operate almost identically to those of her cousin, Superman, as both of their Kryptonian physiology is enhanced by Earth's yellow sun (although the DCU's Superman isn't as powerful as some other versions). Therefore, audiences can expect Supergirl's powers to parallel those wielded by David Corenswet's character
Supergirl's Kryptonian Powers Highlighted in First Trailer
Super Strength
One of the most frequently used powers by Superman and Supergirl is their enhanced superhuman strength.
In the Supergirl trailer, this is seen in action as Kara throws an enemy into a wall with their axe. Later in the trailer, while surrounded by a ring of bandits, Kara uses a flail to single-handedly cut through them all, without breaking a sweat. It's clear that her strength will be a frequent asset throughout Kara's adventures, as she and Ruthye face pirates and bounty hunters.
James Gunn spoke on Kara's strength during a press conference for Supergirl's trailer launch attended by The Direct, confirming that her powers will alter depending on the planet she is on, just like the comics:
"It is fun watching the movie because she's going in and out of these planets with red planets and yellow planets. And Superman's powers, Supergirl's powers don't work on a red planet. They're just ordinary human beings."
Flight
Another classic Supergirl power is her ability to fly, which she can combine with her abilities of super strength and speed. In the movie's trailer, Supergirl is shown flying into space and out of the intergalactic bar while carrying Ruthye, using her powers to smash through a window while airborne.
One particularly epic shot shows Supergirl breaking the sound barrier as she flies into space, hinting at many exciting aerial sequences in the new DC film.
Heat Vision
As previewed in 2025's Superman, the Kryptonian heroes have the ability to emit fiery heat beams from their eyes. Supergirl is briefly shown using heat vision in this first trailer, as she activates her laser beams while shielding Ruthye from oncoming attackers.
Superman frequently used his heat vision abilities in 2025's Superman, which often left him with red bruising around his eyes after use. Therefore, it's likely that Kara may exhibit some of the same symptoms from using this power.
Invulnerability
Pairing with the abilities of super speed and strength is Supergirl's invulnerability, which allows her to withstand damage to a superhuman degree. In the trailer, Kara is shown crash-landing after flying, breaking through windows, and entering outer space, all activities that would harm a normal human, but not Kara's Kryptonian form.
Audiences also got a hint of Kara's super durability during her cameo appearance in Superman, where she allows her super-strong dog, Krypto, to throw her around the Fortress of Solitude, which didn't hurt her at all.
While the Supergirl trailer previewed several of Kara Zor-El's main on-screen abilities, Supergirl possesses many more powers from the comics that weren't shown in the trailer, but may still be included in the 2026 movie, including:
Bonus: Super Speed
Along with superhuman strength, super speed is a frequent power of Superman and Supergirl.
Kara often utilizes this power in the comics, which enables her to move much faster than an average person and grants her quicker reflexes to dodge and attack in battle. This becomes particularly useful when combined with her power of flight, allowing her to fly across the world in minutes and create things like wind tunnels and cyclones in battle.
Bonus: Freeze Breath
An often underutilized power of the Kryptonians, Kara, like Clark, can turn her breath into ice, marking a mirror power to her heat vision, which is also in her arsenal. This can be particularly useful for freezing enemies in place or creating patches of ice (as Superman did in the 2025 film's Kaiju scene).
Bonus: X-Ray Vision
X-Ray vision is another useful power that Kara has access to, allowing the superhero to see through walls, buildings, and into the makeup of human and alien beings, which helps her identify weak points. With so many different aliens expected to appear in 2026's Supergirl (and a few revealed in this first trailer), X-ray vision could be a useful power for Kara to draw upon.
Bonus: Super Senses
Supergirl's powers enhance all of her senses, so along with abilities like heat vision/x-ray vision from her eyes and ice wind from her breath, she's gifted with other sense abilities like super hearing and enhanced smell and taste. Super hearing is another often-drawn-upon power by Supergirl, as she utilizes her enhanced senses to overhear critical conversations, detect events happening far away, and locate citizens in need of rescue.
