After James Gunn became co-CEO of DC Studios with Peter Safran, he made huge moves signaling a more exciting future for DC, which included the announcement of Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow for the DC Universe. Ever since 2013’s Man of Steel, the DCEU has faced tonal and behind the scenes issues. The DC Universe provides a new way forward for the superhero franchise, especially since Gunn seemingly has a clear overarching vision for the franchise, which includes a long-awaited Supergirl film installment among other upcoming DC movies.
Supergirl might not be the most famous DC superhero, but the character has never gotten the justice she deserves, as the 1984 movie was a critical disaster and a box office bomb (via Box Office Mojo). And while she has had a small-screen hit, as the CW series Supergirl lasted for six seasons, that was very much a made-for-TV production. As such, Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow is a great chance for the hero and her story to come to life, capitalizing on the character’s history to further flesh out the DC Universe’s Chapter 1.
Supergirl: Woman Of Tomorrow Latest News
September 2024 provided the newest update for DCU’s Supergirl movie, with Matthias Schoenaerts being announced for the cast of the upcoming release, playing the story’s villain. The Wrap has reported that Schoenaerts will be DC villain Krem of the Yellow Hills, which is corroborated by the installment being set to adapt the Supergirl: Woman Of Tomorrow comic, wherein he serves as the main antagonist of the story, who Supergirl hunts down over the course of its chapters.
These reports also provide an update on where the Supergirl: Woman Of Tomorrow movie is in terms of its production process. The Hollywood Reporter stated that the film is set for a January 2025 production start in the UK, following its current pre-production process.
This bodes well for the overall schedule of the upcoming DC installment. An early 2025 start makes the Summer 2026 release date appear a feasible point for the movie to debut – which is an important detail to note given both the Supergirl movie will be a core part of the early setup for the DCU, and given many other superhero movies have had tweaked release dates in recent history.
Other than this, May 14, 2024 delivered the latest news regarding the Supergirl: Woman Of Tomorrow movie, as it was announced that the DCU film would be released on June 26, 2026. This strongly suggests production will begin in earnest for the movie sooner rather than later, and ensures that audiences who are eagerly awaiting new developments regarding the film won’t have to wait too long before the ball starts rolling more transparently for the upcoming installment.
On January 29, 2024, James Gunn confirmed that Milly Alcock was the official DCU casting for Supergirl, with the actor then releasing her own statement about her excitement to take on the role. This came shortly after reports that Milly Alcock and Meg Donnelly were the frontrunners for the DC hero, and were screentesting for it in the final leg of the journey to join the official DCU cast roster. Milly Alcock was a popular casting choice for the role, and her acting history strongly suggests she can bring a vibrant and engaging version of Kara Zor-El to life on the big screen.
Before this, November 2023 brought vital news for Supergirl: Woman Of Tomorrow, with James Gunn revealing that Ana Nogueira is the screenwriter for the movie, stating that, “Ana is an amazing writer whose screenplay adaptation of Woman of Tomorrow is above and beyond anything I hoped it would be. We’re excited to be moving forward on this unique take on Supergirl in this beautiful, star-spanning tale.“
Nogueira originally was set to write a script for a Supergirl movie after the events of The Flash, which introduced Sasha Calle’s iteration of the DC hero. However, this was eventually canceled with the reconfiguration of the DCEU into the DC Universe – which makes Nogueira being hired as the writer for Supergirl: Woman Of Tomorrow all the more notable, as it certainly supports the idea that the writer’s take on Supergirl is especially promising.
Supergirl: Woman Of Tomorrow Confirmed
In January 2023, Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow was confirmed by James Gunn along with many other DCU movies and shows. The slate will also include Superman, Batman: The Brave and the Bold, Swamp Thing, and many others, which will be part of DCU Chapter 1: God and Monsters. Gunn’s list might not be in the order of when they enter production, but Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow sits between Batman: The Brave and the Bold and Swamp Thing.
Supergirl: Woman Of Tomorrow Release Date
Supergirl: Woman Of Tomorrow is set to release in cinemas on July 26, 2026, over a full year after DCU’s Superman movie releases in July, 11, 2025 – making it a naturally crucial part of the Chapter 1 DCU timeline due to its early placement. This placement is perhaps ideal in terms of not being set too close to the DCU’s film debut, but not too far away that a potential tease of Kara’s future could be forgotten by audiences entirely in the time between the two releases.
A 2026 release date for the movie also brings it close to The Batman – Part II, as its release date is set for October 2, 2026, meaning Supergirl’s film debut will be only a few months beforehand. While the two installments are set in different universes – as Supergirl: Woman Of Tomorrow is a mainline DCU project and The Batman – Part II is part of Matt Reeves’ Dark Knight-focused series – their proximity is a promising prospect, by ensuring superhero audiences get to see different worlds as the DCU sets up, and that there are a range of releases for DC’s calendar.
The September 2024 reports that production should begin in January 2025 support the idea of a July 2026 release date being the final concrete release date for the Supergirl movie. With over a year for filming and post-production to take place, it seems Supergirl: Woman Of Tomorrow should thus definitely serve as the second movie release in the DCU slate, unless any other surprise installments happen to be announced to debut beforehand, or if unforseen complications arise during this period of time.
Supergirl: Woman Of Tomorrow Cast
After some confusion as to whether Sasha Calle would continue in the role of Supergirl after playing an alternate universe version of the hero in the DCEU movie The Flash, it has since been confirmed that Milly Alcock will be taking on the role of DCU’s Kara Zor-El, following the official 29 January 2024 announcement.
James Gunn also revealed that Milly Alcock was his first choice for the role, having seen her performance in House Of The Dragon a year prior, which convinced him she’d be a good fit for the character. Supergirl: Woman Of Tomorrow comic creator Tom King added his approval as well on social media, describing the decision to go with Alcock as “perfect casting“.
Indeed, Alcock’s performance as a younger Rhaenyra proves she’s able to deal with a range of tones and adapt original source material well, as she did a stellar job taking on a complex job in an extensive franchise. This should all hopefully put her in good stead for her role as Supergirl within the DC Universe – something that’s already supported by the fact she appears to have won out against other talented actors, as Meg Donnelly and Emilia Jones were reportedly also candidates who made it to the final stages of the casting process.
Matthias Schoenaerts has also been announced as part of the Supergirl: Woman Of Tomorrow cast, playing the villain of the story. If this is indeed Krem of the Yellow Hills – as reports and the fact the movie is adapting the comic storyline of the same name that contains the character – then Schoenaerts is set to provide a defining performance of the character, bringing the antagonist on-screen to audiences for the first time.
Matthias Schoenaerts has an extensive acting history that makes his casting an even more exciting prospect, with his first performance coming in 1992 from the then 13-year-old actor. Schoenaerts has played a range of roles since then, including Rust and Bone, The Danish Girl, and Bullhead. His latest roles have been in 2024’s The Regime and the period drama Django, which both appear to provide different insights into the way in which Schoenaerts may handle playing a hardened warrior in Supergirl: Woman Of Tomorrow.
Milly Alcock’s Supergirl is rumored to appear before her own solo movie in
Superman
, though nothing official has yet been announced by James Gunn or DC Studios.
Supergirl: Woman Of Tomorrow Story Details
While Supergirl sounds like a more light-hearted movie compared to Batman: The Brave and the Bold and Swamp Thing, it could be exactly the opposite. Based on James Gunn’s comments about Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow when he confirmed its development, the movie’s story has a real chance of being some of the DCU’s more intense viewing. Gunn explained that audiences will see “Supergirl, raised on a rock, a chip off of Krypton, and who watched everyone around her die and be killed in terrible ways for the first 14 years of her life and then come to Earth.” Gunn added that she’s “not the Supergirl we’re used to.” This raises a lot of potential for the movie, as it suggests the plot could go in directions viewers may not be expecting beforehand.
Gunn also overtly referenced comic book writer Tom King who created the Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow comic book, meaning that the movie will likely be heavily based on the story. The comic book, which was published as recently as 2022, is considered some of the best material about the superhero. It follows Supergirl, who is contacted by an alien girl who had her entire planet destroyed and wants revenge on the people that destroyed it. And as has become typical of Gunn’s movies, the comic book features a cute, supernatural animal, meaning Krypto the dog has a very real chance of featuring in the DCU film.
The reports that Matthias Schoenaerts will be playing Krem of the Yellow Hills also appears to shed more light on what to expect from the story of Supergirl: Woman Of Tomorrow, as Krem’s conflict with Supergirl is a defining part of the comic story of the same name. This would align with the idea that the DCU Supergirl is set to have a relatively dark story, as the Kryptonian being locked in a battle to the death in her solo movie could easily provide some early brutal moments for the franchise.
Though it is unlikely that Supergirl will be in James Gunn’s Superman, there’s a small chance that Superman could have some kind of involvement in the events of Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow. In the same blurb given by Gunn about this movie, the writer/director also mentioned the Man of Steel, noting, “We will see the difference between Superman, who was sent to Earth and raised by loving parents from the time he was an infant, versus Supergirl.” It isn’t clear whether Gunn is simply referring to how the character will be different from Superman or if they’ll actually share the screen, though either avenue holds real potential for both characters and the new world they will inhabit.
