Supergirl director and star say the upcoming DCU movie is "so different in tone" from Superman: "The whole movie takes place in outer space. It's a very different world"

Supergirl may be the DCU's big-screen follow-up to Superman, but don't expect a similar vibe between the two films.

"It's just a completely different movie. Very different tonally," Kara Zor-El star Milly Alcock said at a press conference attended by GamesRadar+..

Director Craig Gillespie echoed this sentiment, recalling an early conversation with DC Studios boss James Gunn. "What I loved when we met, I said, 'How much do I have to adhere to Superman and that world?' And he was like, 'We're approaching this like every [movie] is its own graphic novel. You get to put your stamp on it, and your style and your vision.' And that was incredibly exciting, and I'm very grateful for that."

He continued, "They are so different in tone, and to be able to really lean into it and embrace it… and plus... are we allowed to say this? It's like, the whole movie takes place in outer space. It's a very different world you start with. So we had a completely blank slate."

After introducing Kal-El's party girl cousin at the end of Superman, Supergirl will follow Kara on a "murderous quest for revenge" across the galaxy – with Krypto the Superdog in tow. Matthias Schoenaerts will play the movie's villain, Krem of the Yellow Hills, and the film will also feature a cameo from Jason Momoa as bounty hunter Lobo.

Raised on Earth by loving human parents, Superman has a much more optimistic outlook on life than his Krytonian cousin. "She watched Krypton completely be destroyed," screenwriter Ana Nogueira previously said. "I was always like, 'I can’t get my head around the version of the character that is so sunny.'" Based on Tom King's Woman of Tomorrow comic, Supergirl features a "rougher and grittier and edgier and funnier" version of the character than we've seen before.

Supergirl arrives in theaters on June 26, 2026. While we wait, get up to speed with the rest of the DCU Chapter One with our guide to the rest of the upcoming DC movies and shows.