DC has released another trailer for the Supergirl movie, and if you were hoping for something completely new, then you should manage your expectations. Starring Milly Alcock (House of the Dragon) as Kara Zor-El, the film is about spacebars, emotional trauma and a dog in danger. Supergirl hits theaters on June 26, 2026, directed by Craig Gillespie (I, Tonya) with a screenplay by Ana Nogueira (The Vampire Diaries).
Krypto gets shot and Supergirl goes up in flames – here’s the breakdown of the trailer
The new trailer wastes no time setting out its premise, and the source material does a lot of work. Supergirl is a live-action adaptation of the critically acclaimed 2022 comic Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow by Tom King and artist Bilquis Evely. The structure of the story is very reminiscent of the comic: Supergirl (Kara) travels through space on a vengeful journey, accompanied by Krypto, her loyal dog.
Kara Zor-El, played by Alcock, crosses paths with Ruthye (Eve Ridley), an alien girl on a mission to take revenge on Krem of the Yellow Hills (Matthias Schoenaerts), a villainous pirate assassin who murdered her father. Her first encounter with Krem doesn’t go particularly well, as he shoots Krypto with a poison arrow, giving the beloved super dog only three days to live unless Kara can track down the antidote.
So yeah, this is essentially a John Wick situation. Crypto is not just for emotional support. He is the emotional trigger. Someone hurt the dog, and now the entire galaxy will regret it. Kara and Ruthye team up, jump between planets, meet space pirates, and cross paths with Jason Momoa’s Lobo – a loud, reckless, motorcycle-riding bounty hunter who didn’t appear in the original comic, but honestly looks like the funniest addition here.
Rounding out the cast are David Krumholtz as Kara’s father Zor-El, Emily Beecham as her mother Alura In-Ze, and a cameo from David Corenswet, who returns as Superman/Kal-El. The trailer sells the action well. The scope feels large, the atmosphere is punchy and Alcock clearly has what it takes to carry a film like this. But as soon as the excitement subsides a little, a nagging question creeps in.
Wait, is this Guardians of the Galaxy again?
This is where things get a little uncomfortable. The trailer looks good, but not new.
Supergirl is the first major DCU film not to be directed by James Gunn. The problem is that it looks like the first MCU film that Gunn actually directed. From the jump, the vibe screams Guardians of the Galaxy. So Gillespie’s vision for Kara Zor-El looks less like the DCU is breaking new ground and more like a reboot of the greatest hits from Gunn’s back catalog.
Let’s start with the obvious: Supergirl struts around in a trench coat and orange headphones, carrying the emotional weight of a lost homeworld. Does this sound familiar? Star-Lord called and he wants his character sheet back! Both protagonists are emotionally stunted by a childhood tragedy – Krypton’s destruction for Kara, the death of his mother for Peter Quill – and both cope by being the coolest people in the alien bar they’re in.
Then there are the alien worlds themselves. There’s a seedy space setting, neon-lit alien bars, chaotic worlds that look like junkyards, and a soundtrack that feels like it was raided from someone’s retro playlist. The aesthetic has the same endearing messiness that made Guardians so unique in 2014.
Funnily enough, what made Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow so visually impressive in the comics is secretly lost. Bilquis Evely’s artwork had a sharp, jagged energy, and Matheus Lopes’ bold color palette of bright oranges, teal greens, sickly golds and pronounced pinks gave it a look unlike any other. The film nods to this color palette but keeps things muted and dark. Visually, it ends up looking more like a Guardians sequel than an adaptation of one of the most beautiful comics of the last decade.
It’s also about a CGI animal companion, because apparently no space adventure is complete without one. Rocket had his moment. Now it’s crypto’s turn. Adding Lobo’s character only deepens the GOTG energy. A ragtag crew, a found family dynamic, a CGI animal at the emotional center; It’s a formula that worked brilliantly for Gunn in 2014. Using them again so early in his DCU career is a bit of a gamble.
And yes, the whole “go to the ends of the earth to save your dog” premise is clearly John Wick in space. What fun! But it’s borrowed fun.
Maybe it will surprise us when Supergirl actually lands
To be fair, this is just a trailer. And trailers are very good at conveying mood, not depth. Supergirl doesn’t hit theaters until June 26, so there’s still plenty of time to develop an identity beyond what two-minute edits can capture.
Gillespie is a truly creative director with a track record of producing films that subvert expectations (Me, Tonya is the obvious example), and Alcock has the star power to make Kara feel unique. The essentials of a great film are clearly there, as the comic on which it is based is strong. And sometimes, when used correctly, familiar ingredients can still result in a great end product. So here’s hoping the whole movie shows us something the trailer didn’t want to.
