#last kryptonian

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.

Clark genuinely cares about Krypto. He doesn't LIKE Krypto, but he's known Krypto since he was a puppy. This is a dog he begrudgingly cares about because that's family right there, and he's one of the only two living connections he has to Krypton, a home he never got to experience. Clark is truly distraught by Krypto's abduction. That's not a reaction where he's scared of what Kara will do - the way he acts in the Fortress and Lex's office is someone who's desperate to get something he cares about back from danger. He turns himself in to the government for that dog. On a meta level we can argue Kara wasn't ever mentioned until the end to keep the audience in the dark about Krypto being her dog, but in the narrative, it's pretty heavily implied that Kara is not the driving reason for Clark going through all of that for Krypto.

On a comedic level, though, I find it infinitely funnier that Clark doesn't have any fuckin' clue what lengths Kara is willing to go to. He sees the best in everyone, after all. I love the idea that he's instead thinking, "oh my gosh, she trusted me with her best friend in the whole universe. She's going to be so upset with me, and I can't betray her faith in me like this." Because let's be real, the worst thing he thinks will probably happen is Kara will stop talking to him... he's too hopeful to ever consider Kara might beat the ever living shit out of Lex and maybe even killing him. 😭

Idk, I just get this sense that Clark hasn't ever really been able to get to know Kara, and she's never let him try. I think she's shielding him from her anger because she sees him as too pure to deal with her trauma. I wouldn't be surprised if Clark knows she's rougher around the edges in battles but not much else. I think we'll see him be confronted by the lengths Kara is willing to go to in Man of Tomorrow in dealing with Lex and/or Brainiac. I just have this sense that they don't know each other. I think even Kara would be surprised by what Clark is willing to do.

And honestly, to me their fighting approaches aren't that different? As in, they'll both disrespect the shit out of whoever they're fighting. That windmill move Clark pulls on the Engineer is diabolical. It's a more tame version than what Kara does to Krem, but the Engineer hadn't even done anything that bad other than refuse the white flag when Clark offered it. He literally offers her the chance to stop fighting and purely because she refuses, he smacks her across the ground as a literal bludgeon. Clark and Kara are also very quick on their feet - we see this often through their respective movies. I think the only difference between them, really, is their fighting style, and how much their opponent is hurt by the end.

They said that because Clark arrived on Earth as a baby and never knew his planet's culture, he's more of an adopted kid. That's so wrong on so many levels. He wasn't born on Earth. He wasn't born in the United States of America. Just because his skin color is white doesn't erase the fact that he migrated to Earth. Of course he didn't make that decision, but nonetheless, it happened. Immigration LITERALLYYYYYYY means you were born in one place, and then moved to another, whether it was against your will or not, and no matter what your age was. He's an immigrant. That's SO not a debate.

And to say that he can fit in really well so he doesn't experience xenophobia because he's white is just so....... it's a huge misunderstanding of his identity. He's white PASSING. When he interacts with people as Clark Kent who don't know his secret, he literally puts on a persona of himself to assimilate into human culture. He WANTS to be human and in every way that matters he IS, but Clark Kent can't ever express his Kryptonian heritage to those who aren't aware of both identities. He acts a certain way so that no one suspects him of being an alien. He literally changes his voice for public Clark Kent. Is that not a direct allegory for immigrants trying to soften their native accents to seem like they belong? Superman is constantly othered. Not even always in a malicious way. It can be as simple as someone saying, "I didn't think you needed to eat." It's not intended to be harmful, but that simple statement is a person born on Earth furthering him from humanity. That's the literal definition of white passing. He doesn't get to be his full true self, because otherwise he'll no longer be seen as a white man, but as an alien.

If Clark EVER revealed he's Superman, he would literally struggle to land a job. He COULD, but let's be real, SO many people wouldn't consider hiring him. I'm sure Perry would want to let Clark keep his position, but it's more likely Perry's bosses would want to fire Clark. They've wanted to fire him for far less in some comics I've read. If anything, the government would look for ways to finally get him under their control, which brings me to my next point. His parents would be under major scrutiny because they forged documents to make him a citizen. They literally harbored an alien. WE know Ma and Pa were right to do it, but with the laws currently in place, that would probably get them thrown in jail. Anyone else Clark has been in contact with would be at risk for backlash, even those who didn't know his secret. While he may physically be safe, every other aspect of him is at risk, and it's why Daily Planet Clark Kent is different from Smallville Clark Kent. He's not a white man. He's white passing

Clark would no longer be treated like a regular person. There was a comic where Lois forced Clark to go into a diner as Superman to make a point, and everyone inside refused to treat him like a regular person. Clark tried to interact with them normally, but they only saw the symbol and the alien.

It's such a nuanced, beautiful film, and there are so many things you can pull apart. I'm still analyzing it. It is THE best woman led movie I've ever seen. Like, I enjoyed Barbie, but for me it has nothing on Supergirl 2026. I don't even know what I'd consider close to as good as this movie when it comes to woman-led movies. I can think of games and books, but not movies.

It bothers me so much that people are disliking it because they're stuck on the Woman of Tomorrow comic, which I personally found painfully just fine. Maybe it's because I saw the movie first, but WoT didn't do anything for me. I actually low key really hated the ending and didn't connect with anything from start to finish. It immediately lost me when only the father was killed, who was nameless, and Rutheye stumbled across his body. Im sorry, what. The movie actually had me choking on tears when Krem murdered her family. I thought the comic was SO superficial compared to the movie. Maybe I'm weird, but the comic was just not nearly as good in my opinion. I took WoT off my shopping cart (I read it on DC Infinite), and I have the Supergirl steelbook case pre-ordered. I'm even buying it digitally tomorrow because I cannot wait until September. ALSO, Supergirl 2026 is not an adaption of WoT. It's inspired by the comic. Thank god, honestly. Idk why the comic just doesn't do it for me, but it makes me so sad that people are using it to shit on the movie. Like, no, please understand the movie used the comic as inspiration, it's NOT an adaption 😭 and yes, I'm so serious that I prefer the movie's ending, because people who say it's a bad change simply didn't sit down to understand what the message was... because it's a woman led movie. I'm doubling down on that.

I made a long post breaking down what I liked better about then movie and why I prefer it so much more. I did actually do a deep dive on this.

People actually spent time trying to understand Superman 2025 and did deep dives on every aspect of it. With Supergirl, I've at most seen people say things like, "it's okay but it's getting hated on because it's a woman-led movie," "it's not a perfect movie, but it's good," "Kara Zor-El, you deserve better," "why is Lobo in this," etc. I see the difference. Literally one is being subtle. And to be clear, I don't have an issue with saying she deserves better. She DOES. But my point is I want people to analyze the movie itself, and to break down its themes and little moments. I don't want to see any caveat attached to that.

I did see someone say they won't watch the Supergirl movie because Tom King was involved, and it has nothing to do with sexism. YUP, it ABSOLUTELY does. You're still being sexist because if you saw Superman 2025 in theaters, then you were okay with him having some involvement with that movie... because the lead was a man. And if you read the comic and positively talk about it while knowing Tom King had more involvement in that.... come the FUCK on, now. He had more say over the comic than he did with the movie, and in fact his name is way more closely tied with WoT. Like, he's credited as a writer for the comic, and he's not even a producer for Supergirl 2026. Be so fucking real with yourself right now. It doesn't have anything to do with Tom King. Not watching Supergirl 2026 and not liking it is completely steeped in sexism.

There is so much sexism surrounding Supergirl 2026 and I just... ugh. It deserves as much love as Superman 2025 and the only reason it's not is purely because it's a woman led movie. That's it. People are so hyper critical of it without actually engaging with the story. "Why is Lobo in this he's so useless." First of all, welcome to Lobo's entire existence. Every comic I've read with him in it, he never feels like he serves any purpose. I just read one where he showed up just to insult Superman and that for once Lobo was not going to pummel him. Then he fucked right off. But regardless, people are so stuck on being upset with him in the movie that they don't actually explore what purpose he serves, and he serves many. For example, you cannot put a man in Kara's role because everything inherently changes. When Lobo asks the bar owners where the Brigands are, they turn him away entirely. But Kara? They lure her and Rutheye in. They do that because they're both women. If Kara had been a man, they would've turned the main character away. Lobo literally shows us the inherent gender difference. That's just one example of the narrative purpose he serves, and I do want to make a post fleshing this specific point out more.

I will genuinely be annoyed if I see people say, "oh man this movie is so good, why didn't I go see this in theaters? :((" and I'm going to sit there knowing the exact reason why.

There were some really good things about it, and some things that I felt were really weak.

I want to add the caveat I've only seen the movie once, and I'm SURE "grievances" l have will disappear. The first time I saw Superman, I thought it was a 7/10. Every time I watched it my rating increased and now I think it's a solid 12/10. This analysis is genuinely based on my first impression of Supergirl, and I'm sure my mindset will change with more viewings.

Update: I've seen the movie four times, and all these criticisms I have are basically non existent. I'm only keeping the post up because I think it's a great example of how this movie cannot be judged on initial impressions. Supergirl 2026 is a 12/10 for me. No notes. So everything below is simply preserving what my first thoughts were.

Let me start with the good. I ADORE Kara and Milly is PERFECT for this role. Throughout the movie I thought about how I'd seen other male characters be given a similar archetype, and how she was done SO much better. Her dynamic with Rutheye was so much more compelling than counterparts like the new True Grit. Tbf, I saw that movie once in theaters when I was in my teens.

I was NOT expecting such a prominently dark plotline, and I'm not really sure I can think of a blockbuster movie where they also platform such a dark topic. Maybe as a subtle subplot, or an implication, but not as a primary, explicit plot. Not to mention, I cannot believe it was given to a WOMAN-led movie. It couldn't have worked with a male lead. Honestly, the moment I clocked what the secondary main plot was, I thought to myself, "this is why men are shitting on it. This is why they won't actually say what they don't like."

The villain was creepy as FUCKKKK. His calm and cool demeanor is just... it makes his context with the overall plot even more horrifying. My stomach was churning and my skin was crawling.

I LOVE how this movie showed that Kryptonian powers from a yellow sun are actually terrifying and powerful. Where Superman mostly kept us in the POV of Clark using his powers, Supergirl gave us moments showing what those look like from an outsiders' POV. It really makes you appreciate both characters and how they approach how they use these powers. Like wow, Clark is really truly restraining himself on an insane level.

I wish I could go into more positives about the movie, but I'd have to get specific... so unfortunately I have more criticisms than I do praise... but that's only due to what I can avoid spoiling.

HEADS UP: I'm keeping this post up, but I no longer stand by the criticisms below. I've since seen the movie three times and now I have a far better understanding of it. I honestly don't have any criticisms anymore, but I honestly don't see the point in deleting any of this.

But, unfortunately, the more I think about the movie as a whole, I find a couple moments kind of weak. This section is going to be longer, but I swear it's only because it's easier to be vague about the downsides than it is about the upsides. I have PLENTY of good things to say about this movie... but I went to an early screening, so... I'm trying to be vague.

I can't decide if it's just because I need to watch the movie again because what I expected was barely touched on, or wasn't ever touched on, in Supergirl, or if the script/post-production editing made the movie feel chopped and incomplete. I ADORE Kara, but her character arc going from point A to point B felt... literally out of nowhere. She viewed the world one way, and then suddenly she was stepping in a new place mentally. I've been thinking a lot about what/where the defining moment was... I have no idea. I think I know what the moment is supposed to be, but...... ehhhh?? If that was the moment, there was ZERO introspection. I can't tell if I just need to watch the movie again to see if I missed the defining moment, or if that's simply because of creative choices.

The villain, while a terrifying presence, is just your average, run of the mill villain. I think what gives him most of his gravitas is the actors', well, acting, and the context for everything he says and does. But take out the plot I mentioned earlier, and he really doesn't stand out much. The plot gives him SO much weight.

Lobo was just there. He literally felt tacked on, and honestly I was hoping he'd actually be more central to the story. Take him out, and besides some world building, he doesn't serve any real purpose. If they wanted to use him as a mirror to Kara, to show the other side of what being godlike could look like, then sure, I can understand that, and they succeeded. I just wish he'd had more of an important role to play in the plot.

The needle drops... sucked. I wasn't expecting them to use THE most famous songs ever. But I was expecting better songs. I think Greg and Ana did a great enough job of showing us how different this movie and character are from James Gunn's Superman, but they tried to use the needle drop trope, and it fell flat in comparison. They wanted to use more obscure music like James Gunn does, but his selection of music is actually good. And somehow they always fit the scene they're in. Five Years Time in Superman is a great song, AND it does an awesome job of showing how EFFORTLESS the entire fight is for Mr. Terrific. It's setup perfectly with Lois' panicked expression off to the side of the screen. In Supergirl, I didn't like any of the songs. At all. And besides maybe the first, second, and last needle drop, I didn't get why they were there at all. And again, none of the songs were good. I saw them use Bad Reputation for a makeup ad for Supergirl, and I thought for SURE we'd get more songs like that. I mean, even if it's popular, I would've LOST IT in a good way if they started playing So What by P!nk. I think Greg was trying to set himself apart with music selection, and it fell flat. None of the music really even felt like what Kara would listen to, either. The last song was okay, and the more I think about it the more I'm feeling neutral with its inclusion. I think by the time that song in that moment popped up, I was burned out by the previous needle drops I didn't care for.

They needed to spend way more time on Krypton.

This is going to be a more explicit spoiler in terms of formatting and content, so heads up.

They have flashbacks of Krypton, and they should've been spread out more, rather than clumped as one montage sequence, and been made longer. Especially because the goddamn marketing spoiled too much. I didn't watch the trailers, but I still saw clips fans posted. It's impossible to avoid spoilers on social media. It felt like they needed more, to actually give more weight to the loss of Krypton. I wanted to be emotional, and I wasn't. I was emotional because of Kara's reactions, not to the actual loss.

They needed more scenes with Clark, and make the ones that exist longer. I get there's the choice to let things be implied rather than show the audience everything, but........... we're TOLD their conflicting dynamic during one scene, and we don't EVER see it play out on screen. They expect us to just believe it. Marketing revealed WAY too much with Clark, that I thought for sure there'd be some big pivotal scene showing us WHY they're so awkward and distant. But nope. I'm also even more confused why Kara dumped Krypto on Earth before the events of Superman, tbh. They needed more scenes between Kara and Clark. It was a TRUE missed opportunity to explore how their lived experiences affect their relationship and how they interact. He also felt tacked on, and I wish there just had been... more. More showing, less telling.

I don't think it's a BAD movie. I think it's solid. The other thing to remember when comparing Supergirl to Superman, each movie had completely different goals and needs. Superman had to earn back audience trust, make Superman the central DCU character, be damn near perfect as the first installment, establish Lois and Lex as main characters who'll have a grander impact on the universe, give SOLID character arcs, and setup threads for the rest of this universe. It literally had to carry the universe on its back. Supergirl gets to ride off that high and be a character study. It gets to set itself apart entirely from everything Superman is. That's really what Supergirl is - a character study. And it does a pretty solid job. Like, when I compare it to MCU movies, I definitely like it more than basically every MCU movie out there. Kara is so much better than basically every MCU character, it's not even close.

I don't think Supergirl is perfect, but it's better than every MCU movie in my opinion. I don't think any MCU movie has ever been this daring and touched had such profound character work. And let's be real, if the lead was a man, no one would be shitting on it. It would be getting 7-10 out of 10 across the board. It's a solid movie that has its flaws. It may be one that requires one or two rewatches to really pick up on the subtleties.

Overall, I'm so happy James Gunn gave this movie space to exist, as the SECOND INSTALLMENT, no less. Come on, the MCU can barely stomach pushing out solo woman led movies and in almost 20 years we only have, what, three? And the plots they're given are mostly trying to prove to men why they should exist. Supergirl is wholly and totally unapologetic. It does exist. She does exist. Kara Zor-El is important. Suck it up. And we got a solid movie out of it, too.

I'm also glad Supergirl wasn't a perfect movie. It gives me a lot to think about, and it shouldn't have to be perfect to justify existing. We've had so many critically-acclaimed painfully mediocre movies with male leads. One Battle After Another? Anyone? I couldn't even get through the first five minutes. Give me solid, messy movies with women leads.

I'm coming back to this hours later after reading Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, which I held off on until I saw the movie. I kept seeing people say that Krem was better in the comics, Kara and Rutheye's grief were handled with more nuance, and that the comic was superior in general. I'm sorry, but I full heartedly disagree. 😭 I kept waiting to get that gut-wrenching feeling I felt every time Krem was on screen, and by the last page I said out loud, "that's it?" He felt so generic and non-threatening compared to the movie counterpart. I thought Kara's grief and trauma was so much more compelling and fleshed out in the movie too. I also thought Rutheye's story changes were better than in the comic.