Supergirl brings a new hero into the DCU, introducing Milly Alcock as Kara Zor-El, and as you would expect with any superhero movie, it's full of Easter eggs. From comic book nods to cheeky cultural references, there are so many hidden details worked into the new movie. But despite how many there are, it's not the easiest to spot all of the references, especially with so much going on in the new movie.
Not only does it introduce this version of Supergirl with an intriguing origin story, but there is also plenty of action to enjoy in Craig Gillespie's film. Well, lucky for you, that's where we come in. We've poured over every frame in the superhero film to catch as many DC Easter eggs, references, and cameos as we can.
So if you've just seen it and are desperate to deep dive into the minute details, you're in the right place with our complete guide to every Supergirl cameo and Easter egg we spotted. It's worth pointing out here that we will be getting into big spoiler details from here on out, so make sure you've seen Supergirl before reading on.
Superman's newspaper antics
During the opening scene of Supergirl, a leftover Daily Planet newspaper can be seen in Kara Zor-El's room. This has the headline written on it, "Superman saves town from nuclear reactor explosion". We actually managed to get a closer look at this at a recent in-person pop-up for the release of Supergirl. The actual write-up is dated October 4 and says it happened at Silver Ridge Nuclear Facility. Elsewhere on the paper, there's a picture of Supergirl saying that she rescued some cats, and is "living in the shadow" of her cousin. Aptly, we see Krypto wee on it.
David Corenswet
Speaking of Supes, he appears in several cameos in the Supergirl movie. He's not a main part of the movie's storyline, but he appears on a video message recording at the beginning and Kara does answer his call at one point. He appears as well as in a later flashback sequence when we see how Kara arrived on Earth and then finally he is reunited with his cousin in the movie's final scene.
Planet names
Several of the planet names included in Supergirl are named after people involved with the 'Woman of Tomorrow' comic book series, which the movie is based on. Holzherr, which is the first planet we see Kara go to, is named after Brittany Holzherr, who was the DC Comics Editor who oversaw the publication. Kara later travels to a planet called Bilquis. This is a nod to the comic's artist Bilquis Evely.
Argo City
We get a better look at Superman and Supergirl's home planet in the new movie as a flashback section takes place at Argo City. This feels heavily inspired by the artwork that Bilquis Everly created for the 'Woman of Tomorrow' comics. Some moments, including when Kara is sent away from her home to Earth, seem to be pulled directly from the pages.
Supergirl vs. Superman
There's a tongue-in-cheek reference to one of the biggest discourses around Supergirl – why isn't she called Superwoman? When Kara is telling Ruthye about her cousin, the young girl asks, "How comes he's a man and you're a girl?" Kara doesn't have an answer for that one, but it is something that fans have long speculated about.
Pop-culture nods
Kara Zor-El may be an alien, but she does have some hefty pop culture knowledge, too. When she's in a bar on Bilquis, she tells the musicians to keep playing because "it's like the Titanic". Later on, she also calls one of the tentacled aliens she sees "Squidward" in reference to the SpongeBob SquarePants character. Almost throughout the whole movie, she is wearing a Blondie top too. This all gives us a bit of an idea about Supergirl's watching and listening habits.
Colorful suns
A lot of the movie dives into the impact of different-colored suns on Kara. When she's on a planet with a Red Sun, she can get drunk as her powers aren't as strong. She then needs a Yellow Sun to return to full power. It turns out a third kind of sun, a Green Sun, echoes the effects of Kryptonite and renders her unable to move. This all has backstory in Superman and DC lore, where there are actually a couple more suns that give the Kryptonians different powers too.
Movie influences
A lot of early reactions to Supergirl compared it to Mad Max, thanks to Krem's redesign from the comics and the Brigands taking "brides" (hello, Fury Road…). However, director Craig Gillespie has also cited several other movies that inspired the film, including True Grit (which was also an inspiration for the comics) and Logan. "[Supergirl] is really a road movie in a way," Gillespie said to Slash Film. "And it was great to have it be like a [two-hander] in that sense. And go on that journey, it makes it very intimate because it really is the two of them growing and learning together."
Was that you, Seth Rogen?
While he remains uncredited in the final movie, Seth Rogen makes a brief voice cameo. He plays the small alien who assists the bus driver when Kara and Ruthye head off-planet in search of Krem. The comedian is best known for his roles in movies like Knocked Up and Neighbors and is no stranger to a cameo, having just appeared in the most recent season of The Boys.
Supergirl is out in UK cinemas now and arrives in US theaters on June 26. For more, check out our Supergirl review as well as our breakdown of how to watch the DC movies in order and all the upcoming DC movies and shows you need to know about.
