Something I love about Superman 2025 and Supergirl 2026 is how Clark has the expectations women often experience placed upon him, and Kara does not. I mean in canon, not on a meta level, because a lot of men have been insufferable when talking about Supergirl. If I see a man say, "it's not a perfect film, but-" or, "it's great, but-" I'm blocking on sight. Get outta here😭 it's a phenomenal movie about how women experience and handle grief. This is for women. Supergirl is seriously a 12/10 for me. ANYWAY, onto my main point.
Throughout Kara's childhood, at least from the bit we can see, she's allowed to flourish into her authentic self. It's not that Clark can't, but she's surrounded by a community that fully embraces her. She's never expected to restrain herself because she didn't have powers in Argo. By the time Kara gets her powers, she's all over the place. In control, for sure, but she flaunts them, no matter whether she's wearing her suit or her regular clothes. When she has outbursts throughout her movie, never once does the narrative paint this as a bad thing. In fact, the movie makes a point to show us that it's perfectly healthy and acceptable. None of the characters ever comment on her anger or rage, not outside of Rutheye, and we actually see her anger used in the heroic moment when she bashes the absolute shit out of Krem. That's so fucking cool, man! Kara basically gets to experience the luxury men have when it comes to expressing anger and frustration. Men aren't demonized for it, and so fuck yea Supergirl 2026 said that we can be free to be angry and loud
Then we have Clark, who, for his own safety, had to learn how to be totally in control and suppress a part of himself. He's pretty self-restrained with his powers, and how he presents himself as Superman to the public. Even after the message is released, he makes a point to go to a secluded building so he can breathe and collect himself.The ONE time he has a public outburst, he's completely demonized for it... just like women have been for centuries.
It's so fascinated to me that both movies managed to flip the gender roles for Kara and Clark, but not in a way to bash audiences over the head by saying, "see how much it sucks when it happens to men?? Do you get the unfairness of what it is women go through that men don't??" It IS unfair how women and Clark in his movie are treated. What I mean is that the roles were quietly switched, and it was such a clever way to break gender norms for fictional characters. It's simply the truth of their existences, and it's such a breath of fresh air to get that kind of representation for a woman and a man
