James Gunn Takes On Superhero Sexism — Starting With Supergirl
Supergirl is finally taking center stage — and James Gunn says this Kara Zor-El won’t play by the old rules. Unveiled in New York City, his vision tackles the long-standing double standard for female heroes, promising a bolder, harder-edged take on the Girl of Steel.
DC Studios just tossed Supergirl into the center of the new DCU, and James Gunn is making sure she is not the pristine, flawless version we usually get. This Kara Zor-El is complicated, slightly chaotic, and honestly a lot more human. The first teaser backs that up in a big way.
Gunn said the quiet part out loud
At an event in New York City, Gunn called out how female superheroes have been boxed into perfection while male heroes get to be messy. He was not vague about it:
So many times female superheroes are so perfect. She is not that at all. Like male superheroes have been allowed to be for a while.
That is the mission statement for this Supergirl, and the teaser basically underlines it in bold.
The teaser: messy, funny, and not trying to be anyone's role model
The debut teaser goes all in on Kara being a person first, icon second. She praises Krypto for peeing on a stack of news clippings (yes, really), parties a little too hard, wakes up hungover, and stumbles through a 23rd birthday that spans multiple alien worlds. We also get glimpses of her past, and it is not a triumphant origin. It is grief, dislocation, and a girl who survived Krypton and did not come out of it shiny.
It also widens the DCU beyond Earth in ways that feel very 'Woman of Tomorrow' — not a straight adaptation from the comic, but the vibe is there: cosmic, bitter-edged, and unapologetically weird.
Superman set the tone early
Gunn actually primed this version of Kara at the end of Superman. She shows up to pick up Krypto, and the dog immediately barrels into her and knocks her flat. That quick tag sells her energy: loose, lively, not overly precious about the cape.
Why Milly Alcock's Kara could hit differently
Milly Alcock steps in as a Supergirl who is allowed to be angry, imperfect, and emotionally messy. She carries the trauma of losing Krypton, and she is not smoothing her edges to make anyone comfortable. The trailer even contrasts her with Kal-El: as Kara puts it, he 'sees the good in everyone,' while she 'sees the truth.' That is a sharp, useful axis for the two of them — optimism vs realism — and it gives Kara her own lane instead of making her Superman-lite.
If the movie sticks this, it is the kind of portrayal that a lot of viewers (especially young women) have been waiting for: you can be complicated and still be the hero. No pedestal required.
- Star: Milly Alcock as Kara Zor-El
- Tone check: messy, human, occasionally hungover; yes, Krypto is here and has opinions
- Scope: cosmic settings that push the DCU beyond Earth
- Influence: draws clear inspiration from the 'Woman of Tomorrow' era
- Release: June 26, 2026 (USA)
Will this actually move the needle on how female superheroes are written? Hard to say off one teaser, but Gunn talked the talk, and the footage walks right with it.