One of the stars of 2025's Superman did a post-mortem on Supergirl, pointing out its flaws and explaining how Man of Tomorrow will be different. Lanterns has been receiving so much positive buzz that it's easy to forget that it hasn't all been smooth sailing for DC Studios in 2026. In June, the company released Supergirl, a Superman spinoff film starring Milly Alcock. It failed to make noise at the box office, grossing $126 million on a $170+ million budget.
Bad word of mouth was one of the main culprits behind Supergirl's lackluster performance. Fans just didn't connect with its story, which adapted Tom King and Bilquis Evely's beloved comic book Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow. But audience members aren't the only ones speaking out on the subject. Neva Howell, who played Martha Kent in Superman, took to social media to give her opinion on the film.
"I personally enjoyed the performances of Milly Alcock and Jason Mamoa. I agree with many that Krem did not have strong impact. For me, personally, the LONG, chaotic fight scenes in dimly lit areas were not my favorite."
Complaints about Krem are nothing new. When Supergirl released, more than a few people were quick to throw him in the superhero villain reject pile. Howell's comments about the fight scenes do stand out, though. She's likely referring to the battle on the planet Bilquis, which featured the titular hero and Lobo throwing down with the Brigands. The sequence took place at night and asked the audience to follow a lot of different characters around.
While it may seem unusual for an actor to be throwing stones at a project they weren't involved in, it's clear that Howell is just passionate about the DCU franchise. She spends plenty of time online singing James Gunn's praises and teasing what's to come in her next big-screen appearance in Man of Tomorrow.
Responding to a fan who expressed excitement about Howell's role in the Superman follow-up, the actress described the film as "epic."
"In James Gunn tradition, you can expect the unexpected, from shock to guffaw to awe. Ultimately, it will be epic."
It's hard to imagine Man of Tomorrow being anything short of epic. After all, it boasts an unbelievably impressive cast, including an actor who will bring to life a villain who doesn't get out of bed for anything less than a potentially world-ending event.
Man of Tomorrow Won't Be Accused of Having a Generic Villain
Krem didn't live up to expectations in Supergirl because his motivations were hard to follow. There was something about him wanting powerful weapons and trafficking children across the galaxy, but it didn't get much deeper than that. Lobo stole almost all of Krem's thunder, even with limited screen time. Brainiac, who will force Superman and Lex Luthor to bury the hatchet in Man of Tomorrow, won't leave any room for error.
In the comics, Brainiac travels across the galaxy in search of knowledge. While that sounds like a noble cause, his actual goal is shrinking down civilizations and keeping them locked away. Some continuities even make him responsible for Krypton's destruction. The android is sure to set his sights on Earth in Man of Tomorrow, putting the planet's heroes (and villains) between a rock and a hard place.
Only Gunn and his collaborators, including Howell, know where things go from there. However, given Gunn's track record, there are sure to be plenty of laugh-inducing moments, emotional beats, and memorable action sequences. All that will help Man of Tomorrow become the breath of fresh air that DC Studios desperately needs and get the DCU back on track after a more-than-minor bump in the road.
