Supergirl is part of James Gunn and Peter Safran’s new DCU, but DC Studios is making one thing clear ahead of release: audiences aren’t supposed to treat it like homework.
The biggest takeaway: Supergirl is connected to Superman, but it’s not being sold as a direct continuation of it.
You Don’t Need To See Superman To Watch Supergirl
Safran addressed exactly how Supergirl fits into the DCU following Kara’s debut in Superman.
“We like the idea of our films are consistent but not necessarily connected,” Safran said.
He continued, “Milly as introduced as Supergirl in Superman, same character, same person. But we can take her on an adventure that has no real connection to the story that we told in Superman.”
Safran added that viewers don’t need to be caught up on the rest of the franchise to follow along.
“You can join Supergirl without ever having seen anything else we’ve done in the DCU,” he said, while noting that committed fans will still get “nuance and Easter eggs.”
The distinction matters because Supergirl does have direct ties to Superman. Alcock debuted as Kara in last year’s film, Krypto returns, and DC is openly positioning the movie as part of the same universe. The message is that it should work on its own, not as Superman 1.5, a notable pitch given the film’s soft box office tracking heading into June 26.
DC Studios Is Building The Superman Family
Safran laid out how DC Studios views the next few years of Superman-related movies.
“We love the idea that in 2025, it was the Summer of Superman, and the movie delivered commercially, critically,” Safran said. “Audience, fans, everybody embraced it, and the fact that a year later they get Supergirl, and then the year after that in 2027 to have Man of Tomorrow.”
That “delivered commercially” line is worth a closer look, though — the box office math says Superman may not have actually been the commercial success Safran claims.
Safran said DC has “built this cadence of films around the superfamily” with movies that “all feel very different” but are “special and unique in their own ways.”
Gunn agreed the films will each show a different side of the universe.
“They really are all different,” Gunn said. “Even Superman and Man of Tomorrow. So we get to see different facets of storytelling with each of these things, different facets of the DC universe, DCU.”
So while Supergirl is being called standalone, DC is still using it as part of a larger Superman-family rollout: Superman launched the new DCU on the big screen, Supergirl follows in 2026, and Man of Tomorrow arrives in 2027. The difference is that DC wants each movie to feel like its own story rather than another chapter in one ongoing plot.
Supergirl Opens Up The Cosmic Side Of The DCU
Gunn also made clear that Supergirl will expand the scope of the DCU beyond Earth.
“We’re opening up the universe very explicitly because Superman is Earth-based, Creature Commandos is Earth-based, Peacemaker is almost totally Earth-based,” Gunn said. “This is another piece of the galaxy. So I think that we are building the DC universe, not the DC planet.”
That may end up being the more important part of Supergirl. The movie isn’t just following Kara after her introduction in Superman — it’s the first major DCU film to push the franchise into space.
Gunn said Kara is very different from her cousin because she lived through the trauma of Krypton’s destruction, while Superman came to Earth as an infant and never experienced his planet’s death the same way.
“Supergirl always has experienced that trauma,” Gunn said, calling the idea of Supergirl as “not your usual hero” exciting. He also pointed to a female-led superhero film where the character “wasn’t perfect,” while Safran praised Alcock for bringing a “punk rock attitude” to the role along with the emotional range it needed.
Krypto, Ruthye, And Lobo Round Out The Adventure
Krypto plays a major role this time, with Gunn saying the dog’s life is on the line throughout the film.
“Krypto’s life is at stake throughout the movie, and it does create this tension throughout,” Gunn said, adding that fans who loved Krypto in Superman will see him return, but this time “truly” in danger.
The movie also pairs Supergirl with young Ruthye, a dynamic Gunn described as a buddy comedy. Ruthye wants revenge; Supergirl wants to save Krypto.
Jason Momoa appears as Lobo, a role Gunn said the actor had wanted for a long time. “Everybody knows he’s perfect as Lobo,” Safran said, adding that Momoa is “fantastic in the film.”
Put together, the EPK makes the strategy clear. Supergirl is part of the DCU, part of the Superman family, and part of the franchise’s bigger cosmic expansion, but it’s not being treated like required homework for anyone who skipped Superman. Connected, but not dependent, looks like the plan.
Supergirl flies into theaters on June 26, directed by Craig Gillespie.
