Published Jun 30, 2026, 8:00 PM EDT
Angela Davis is a freelance movies writer for Screen Rant. She specializes in English with concentrations in media analysis and grammar. She’s watched a movie every day for the past eight years and learned some of the best ways to write stories during her time at college.
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Warning: Major Spoilers Ahead for SupergirlSupergirl is way better than its Rotten Tomatoes score will have people believe. The second film in James Gunn’s DCU is finally here, and it’s been met with underwhelming reviews. Currently sitting at 55% on Rotten Tomatoes, many critics have stated the movie is a step-down from last year’s Superman.
Some of the most common critiques claim that the movie feels drab and all over the place with its story. Other criticisms high Krem of the Yellow Hills as a lackluster villain, while also finding the movie lacking in appeal when it came to its tone and story.
The resulting box office of Supergirl’s release hasn’t been any better, as it opened with $68 million internationally. This is well below expectations, given how popular Superman was just a year ago with a massive financial debut that helped it soar to over $600 million.
Despite the middling reviews and disappointing box office though, fans have taken to the internet to show their love for it. The audience score on Rotten Tomatoes is currently 76%, signifying that far more people like the movie than not.
If there’s one thing critics and audiences have agreed on with Supergirl, it’s Milly Alcock. The House of the Dragon actress does a phenomenal job bringing this interpretation of Kara Zor-El to life with her balance of wit and trauma. Alcock feels right at home playing this character, joining the ranks of David Corenswet as a perfectly cast actor to play the part.
Throughout the film, Alcock makes the role her own. She commands the screen whenever she’s put in focus, making the audience laugh while also inviting them to empathize with the character’s pain.
One scene that stands out as her best moment is when she takes off into space and screams her frustrations into the soundless void. It’s a painful moment that perfectly sums up her portrayal of the character as she silently tries to release the trauma hiding within her.
While Mamoa certainly didn’t have a ton of screentime, his performance as Lobo is one of the best highlights from Supergirl. This is a role that he was born to play, and seeing him finally play the Main Man himself is an absolute treat.
He certainly leaves a lot to be desired since he barely plays much into the main plot. However, he’s a delight to have whenever he’s on-screen, and it opens the doors to him making more appearances throughout the DCU, including a potential* Lobo *movie or TV spinoff down the line.
Midway through the film, Supergirl tells Ruthye about her life on Argo City, a subsection of Krypton that survived the initial explosion of the planet. This sequence is by far the best scene in the film, as well as one of the greatest moments in the DCU, as it captures the horrific tragedy of the Kryptonian people as they succumb to radiation poisoning.
From the start of the film showcasing Zor-El and his wife rushing to Argo to avoid being killed by Krypton’s destruction to Kara being sent to Earth, this entire sequence is engaging and heartbreaking. It plays a massive role in showing why Kara feels disconnected from anywhere and feels the need to party on planets with red suns. The one home she knew is long gone.
When it comes to action, Supergirl delivers. There are certainly slower moments throughout the film as Kara tries to save Krypto, but when a fight does break out, it’s wonderfully choreographed. The final fight on the Brigands’ ship is particularly amazing as it shows Kara at her full potential. She’s finally donned her iconic suit and is fighting through the Brigands effortlessly.
While Supergirl absolutely could have incorporated more into its fight scenes from Woman of Tomorrow, including the space dragon fight at the Interplanetary Rest Stop, the action is so well directed that it’s far from disappointing. The fights make Supergirl such an entertaining movie on their own.
While Supergirl takes a lot of liberties with adapting the Tom King and Bilquis Evely graphic novel, it maintains the heart and themes of the original story. It’s still a tale about revenge and finding purpose. The way the script handles these topics is well-handled as Kara begins to see that people look to her to be good, and that, on its own, is enough to help her realize her party lifestyle was more harmful than helpful.
It certainly would have been more interesting if the film made Ruthye the focus like in Woman of Tomorrow, but it still maintains what made the graphic novel so well-received and beloved. Supergirl may not be a perfect adaptation, but it’s far better than critics are claiming it to be. Its themes add a tremendous amount of heart to the film, making it an enjoyable experience, even if it’s not groundbreaking.
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Science Fiction
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Craig Gillespie
James Gunn, Lars P. Winther, Nigel Gostelow, Peter Safran