James Gunn and DCU Director Explain Why Supergirl Is the DCU’s Next Great Antihero
James Gunn and director Craig Gillespie say Supergirl will break the DCU mold as its first true anti-hero story, promising a grittier tone and a Kara forged by a harsh upbringing rather than sunny idealism.
DC Studios is framing Supergirl as something we haven’t really seen in their new continuity yet: an outright anti-hero story. Not the sunny cousin popping in to help Clark. More like: same powers, very different damage.
The pitch
In a new chat with Variety, director Craig Gillespie says the movie leans hard into Kara Zor-El’s baggage. The idea is to contrast her headspace with where Superman is right now. He’s the farm-raised optimist; she’s someone who has been through the grinder before she ever set foot on Earth.
"So many times female superheroes are so perfect," James Gunn said. "She’s not that at all. She’s very imperfect, like male superheroes have been allowed to be for a while."
What they’re adapting (and why it matters)
The film pulls from Tom King’s 2021–2022 comic run Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, illustrated by Bilquis Evely. Gunn spelled out the core contrast back in 2023: Clark was sent here as a baby and raised by loving parents; Kara survived her first 14 years on a shard of Krypton, watching people around her die in horrific ways. Only then did she arrive on Earth. Translation: she’s tougher, sharper, and not the version of Supergirl most people expect. That’s the spine of the movie, and why Gillespie keeps using the anti-hero label.
The essentials
- Title: Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow
- Star: Milly Alcock as Kara Zor-El
- Director: Craig Gillespie
- Writer: Ana Nogueira
- Producers: James Gunn and Peter Safran (DC Studios co-CEOs)
- Based on: Tom King and Bilquis Evely’s 2021–2022 comic series
- Release date: June 26, 2026
Gillespie and Gunn are even calling this the first anti-hero movie in the DCU. Bold claim, but it tracks with the source material and the origin they’re emphasizing. If they actually let Kara be as messy as they say, this could feel very different from the usual Kryptonian playbook.