James Gunn promises that Supergirl won’t be by the book

After getting our first look at Supergirl in the recent trailer, it felt like Kara Zor-El (Milly Alcock) had a vibe that made her seem right at home rocking out to one of Star-Lord’s Awesome Mixes from the Guardians of the Galaxy movies. However, those who have already read the Tom King-written tale that the new film is based on will be aware that there’s more to this teenage Kryptonian. It’s just a matter of how much of that will make it into the film.

While appearing on Variety’s Award Circuit podcast, Superman director and DC Studios co-head James Gunn has revealed that the new film won’t be following the Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow page-for-page. Even though that might disappoint some fans, Gunn assures that we’re in for a treat when it comes to the Girl of Steel leading the charge.

“I love Millie Alcock in the movie, and I think it’s a space fantasy, which is like ‘Guardians’ in a way,” explained Gunn. “But it’s based on the Tom King book, but it doesn’t follow it religiously, but it has a lot of the core of that there, and I’m really excited for people to see it and to see Millie. It’s going to be awesome.”

That certainly checks out, given what was revealed in the recent preview. For one, the film will feature Lobo (Jason Momoa), who was absent from the original story. Also, thanks to Bilquis Evely’s stunning artwork, the film’s villain, Krem of the Yellow Hills, appeared far more cavalier (making him all the more annoying) in the book, unlike the facial-studded figure we’ve seen glimpses of, portrayed by Matthias Schoenaerts.

What will remain intact is Kara’s self-destructive nature, bred by the trauma of Krypton’s demise and the death of her family, which her cousin, Kal-El (David Corenswet’s Superman), was too young to experience. The film will focus on how she deals with that while also setting out on a True Grit-like mission with a young girl named Ruthye, who is tracking down her father’s killer. You’ll see whether they find the man they’re after when Supergirl lands in theaters on June 26, 2026. For every other DC project heading our way, check out our list here.