DCU’s Supergirl Casts Acclaimed Actor as Mysterious New Villain
Supergirl is gearing up for double trouble as Diarmaid Murtagh joins the DCU film as Drom Baxton, the ruthless second-in-command to main antagonist Krem of The Yellow Hills, played by Matthias Schweighöfer. Milly Alcock’s Supergirl won’t just face one formidable foe when she blasts into theaters.
Well, the Supergirl movie in James Gunn's new DC Universe is really filling out its villain roster, and if you're as much of a fan of deep-cut cosmic bad guys as I am, there’s some fun stuff here. We just got confirmation on who’s playing the movie’s 'second in command' antagonist—so let’s break it down.
Meet Supergirl’s Latest Intergalactic Problem
Diarmaid Murtagh (you might recognize him as Leif from Vikings or Buck from Outlander) has officially joined the cast as Drom Baxton. He’ll be right-hand man to the main villain, Krem of the Yellow Hills, who’s being played by Matthias Schoenaerts. Together, these guys aren’t just petty space bandits—they’re apparently full-on 'ruthless space pirates and human traffickers.' Subtle, right?
Who Else Is in This Thing?
- Milly Alcock returns as Kara Zor-El/Supergirl, after showing up briefly in 2025’s Superman.
- Eve Ridley plays Ruthye Marye Knoll (if you’re a comics reader, yes, that Ruthye from Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow).
- David Krumholtz is Supergirl’s dad, Zor-El.
- Emily Beecham plays Alura In-Ze, Kara’s mom.
- Jason Momoa steps in as everyone’s favorite intergalactic jerk Lobo.
- David Corenswet will show up as Clark Kent/Superman again.
What’s the Story? (Without Spoiling the Fun)
The movie pulls pretty heavily from Tom King and Bilquis Evely’s Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow run, if you’ve read it. The official synopsis goes like this:
'When an unexpected and ruthless adversary strikes too close to home, Kara Zor-El, aka Supergirl, reluctantly joins forces with an unlikely companion on an epic, interstellar journey of vengeance and justice.'
So basically: Personal tragedy, team-up with a random sidekick, vengeance. Classic superhero stuff, but with space pirates this time.
Behind the Scenes Details
Craig Gillespie is directing—yes, the same guy who did Dumb Money and Cruella. Screenplay’s from Ana Nogueira, and of course, the DCU saviors James Gunn and Peter Safran are producing.
Supergirl is technically the second entry in the new DC Universe. Gunn’s Superman movie kicked things off last summer. This year, Supergirl leads into another pretty wild pick: Clayface, which is apparently going full body horror, with Tom Rhys Harries as the title creature. That one drops September 11, 2026.
What’s Next for DCU?
Here’s the lineup, so you don’t need to dig around for release dates:
- Supergirl: June 26, 2026
- Clayface: September 11, 2026
- Man of Tomorrow (the next Superman flick): July 9, 2027
All three fall under Chapter One: Gods and Monsters, the DCU’s first official chapter heading. No word yet on what comes after, or if Lobo’s already negotiating for his own spinoff (but you know he probably is).
Final Take
Diarmaid Murtagh as a nasty space pirate might not win any 'most original villain' awards, but I’ll take fun weirdos over yet another angry Kryptonian general any day. June 2026 may seem light years away, but at least the DCU’s actually giving us something fresh—well, at least a little fresher. I’ll be keeping my eyes peeled for more, especially since DC’s showing they don’t mind getting a little audacious with their casting and storylines these days.