Supergirl (Kara Zor-El)

The second movie in the relaunched DCU, Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, has been given an official release date, and is set to fly into theaters in June of 2026...

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By MarkCassidy - May 14, 2024 08:05 PM EST

Filed Under: Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow

Source: THR

As expected, Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow will be the second DCU movie to release in theaters after James Gunn's Superman. Warner Bros. has just announced that our new Girl of Steel will take flight on June 26, 2026.

The studio also announced dates for New Line’s Mortal Kombat 2, which will hit theaters on October 24, 2025, and Barbarian director Zach Creggar's second feature, Weapons, which will arrive on January 16, 2026.

Craig Gillespie is set to direct Woman of Tomorrow, which will star Milly Alcock (House of the Dragon) in the title role.

This take on Kara Zor-El a said to be a "less earnest and more edgy version of the iconic superheroine" as Gunn looks to move away from "previous depictions of the Girl of Steel, particularly the long-running CBS/CW series fronted by Melissa Benoist."

Gunn recently revealed that he actually had Alcock in mind to play Supergirl since seeing her performance in HBO's Game of Thrones prequel series.

“Milly was the FIRST person I brought up to Peter for this role, well over a year ago, when I had only read the comics," the filmmaker posted to Threads. "I was watching House of the Dragon and thought she might have the edge, grace and authenticity we needed.”

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According to a brief synopsis, this story will follow Kara as she "travels across the galaxy to celebrate her 21st birthday with Krypto the Superdog. Along the way, she meets a young woman named Ruthye and winds up on a murderous quest for revenge."

It's worth noting that this is the premise of Tom King's Woman of Tomorrow comic, so the movie might well make a few changes.

Actress and playwright Ana Nogueira is currently working on the Woman of Tomorrowscript.

Gunn and Peter Safran announced the Supergirl reboot during their studio press day in January of last year, when the "Gods and Monsters" DCU slate was revealed. The project will be at least partially based on King’s acclaimed comic book series of the same name from 2022.

Said Gunn at the time, “In our series we see the difference between Superman who was sent to Earth and raised by loving parents from the time he was an infant, versus Supergirl who was raised on a rock, a chip off Krypton, and watched everyone around her die and be killed in terrible ways for the first 14 years of her life, and then came to Earth when she was a young girl. She’s much more hardcore, she’s not exactly the Supergirl we’re used to seeing.”

Milly Alcock (photo by Lia Toby via Getty) and Supergirl (photo via Warner Bros./DC)

Milly Alcock has been cast as Supergirl for upcoming Warner Bros. projects in the new DC Universe helmed by James Gunn and Peter Safran.

Reports published on Monday revealed that the House of the Dragon star screen-tested for Gunn and Safran earlier this week, and has been officially casted as the Kryptonian cousin of Superman for several titles. She’s expected to make her debut in a different DCU project, potentially the upcoming Superman: Legacy, before starring in her own film, Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow.

When exactly Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow will arrive is unknown, but according to The Hollywood Reporter, the film may begin shooting as soon as this fall. Though it has yet to lock-in a director, Ana Nogueira is writing the script.

The upcoming Supergirl film is based on an eight-issue miniseries by writer Tom King and artist Bilquis Evely, published by DC Comics in 2021 and 2022. The film was first announcedin January 2023 as part of Chapter 1 of the new DCU, dubbed Gods and Monsters. This past November, Gunn expressed his excitement for the adaptation, praising Nogueira — who appeared in the original Vassar workshop production of Hamilton — as “an amazing writer” whose screenplay is “above and beyond anything I hoped it would be.”

In January 2023, Gunn gave fans an indication of what they could expect from upcoming titles, and described the new take on Supergirl as “a much more jaded character” than Superman, due to her upbringing on a harsh, volatile “chunk of Krypton.” In that message, he said the movie would be a “big, science-fiction, epic film.”Now, news of Alcock’s casting confirms that she has beaten several other contenders for the role, including Supergirl voice actress Meg Donnelly. Alcock started her acting career in 2014 and rose to prominence due to her portrayal of the young Rhaenyra Targaryen on HBO’s House of the Dragon, which premiered in 2022. The series’ second season was named by Consequence as one of the 25 most anticipated TV shows of 2024.Previously, Supergirl has been portrayed by Faye Dunaway (for the 1984 film Supergirl), Melissa Benoist (for the CW series), and Sasha Calle (for last year’s The Flash).

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DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn has revealed Superman: Legacy will go into production imminently while sharing an update on the overall state of the DCU one year after its roadmap was announced.

In a series of posts on Threads, Gunn admitted that some parts of Chapter 1: Gods and Monsters have "shifted around" due to the philosophy of only moving forward when a great script is ready. But the DCU's opening film and TV show, Superman: Legacy and Creature Commandos, are seemingly unaffected.

"One year ago today [co-CEO] Peter Safran and I introduced our DC slate for the first time," Gunn said. "Today, Superman Legacy is about to start production, episodes of Creature Commandos are being finished that will release later this year, at least two more projects are gearing up to go in the next couple of months, amazing scripts keep coming in, and incredible talent are being attached to new projects, planned and unplanned."

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It's unclear which two projects are currently nearing production, though Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow is perhaps likely as House of the Dragon actress Milly Alcock has been cast in the leading role, and is so far not expected to appear in Superman: Legacy.

It's also possible these projects aren't from the originally announced roster, however. Gunn and Safran announced five films (Superman: Legacy, The Authority, The Brave and the Bold, Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, and Swamp Thing) plus five TV shows (Creature Commandos, Waller, Booster Gold, Lanterns, and Paradise Lost) on January 31, 2023, but Gunn suggested some of these might have been usurped on the schedule.

"Some things have shifted around: some projects now earlier, others later, and other new projects are being developed," he said. "Like I said from the beginning, we are going to put things in production based on when we have a great script, and nothing else. And luckily we’ve had some great scripts take us by surprise."

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Creature Commandos will kick off the DCU when it premieres later in 2024 as an animated show about Amanda Waller creating a black ops team out of monstrous prisoners. The series will star Frank Grillo as Rick Flag Sr., David Harbour as Eric Frankenstein, Indira Varma as The Bride, Maria Bakalova as Princess Ilana Rostovic, Zoe Chao as Nina Mazursky, Alan Tudyk as Dr. Phosphorus, Sean Gunn as Weasel and G.I. Robot, Steve Agee as John Economos, and Anya Chalotra as Circe.

Superman: Legacy will come after, sticking to its July 11, 2025 release date despite the writer and actor strikes which brought Hollywood to a standstill in 2023. It will tell the story of a young Superman as he looks to balance his Kryptonian and Kansan heritage, though definitely won't be an origin story.

Lots of other DC characters will appear in the film, such as Nathan Fillion as Green Lantern, Edi Gathegi as Mister Terrific, Isabela Merced as Hawkgirl, Anthony Carrigan will play Metamorpho, and María Gabriela as The Engineer. Gunn confirmed these actors would play the roles in other DCU projects too, only starring beside David Corenswet as Superman and Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane as supporting characters.

James Gunn Confirms Superman: Legacy Cast Will Appear In Other DC Projects - IGN News

Little is known about the other projects beyond Milly Alcock's casting in Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, though a couple of directors have been confirmed. Logan and Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny director James Mangold is writing Swamp Thing as a "simple, clean, gothic horror movie", while The Flash director Andy Muschietti will lead Batman: The Brave and the Bold.

As for the projects which might have overtaken the original roster on the release schedule, Peacemaker Season 2 is one likely candidate. The next season will likely be a revamp with a subtitle instead of an explicit continuation of the story, since Season 1 won't be part of the DCU, but Gunn is expected to begin working on it as soon as Superman: Legacy is finished.

Another option is a currently untitled Arkham series that was once a spin-off from Matt Reaves separate The Batman universe. "We love Matt as a director and producer so he'll be producing stories both within his The Batman universe and within the DCU," Gunn said in December 2023.

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Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow (2026) will be released on May 10, 2026.

Plot

It follows Kara Zor-El's story and her darker origin before she finally made her way to Earth.

Cast

• Meg Donnelly as Supergirl / Kara Zor-El / Kara Danvers

• Dwayne Johnson as Krypto the Superdog

• Sam Worthington as Krem of the Yellow Hills

• Chad Michael Murray as Zor-El

• Alice Eve as Alura Zor-El

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The character will first appear in James Gunn's 'Superman: Legacy' before headlining her own movie, 'Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow.'

Milly Alcock and Meg Donnelly DAVE BENETT/GETTY IMAGES; DAVID LIVINGSTON/WIREIMAGE

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The search for Supergirl is one step closer to completion.

Screen tests for the role took place yesterday, according to several sources, with the field now narrowed to two actresses.

Milly Alcock, best known for her work on HBO’s Game of Thrones spinoff House of the Dragon as Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen, and Meg Donnelly, who starred in Disney Channel’s hit musical franchise Zombies and who voices the character in recent and current DC animated movies, both tested in Atlanta, per sources. DC Studios bosses James Gunn and Peter Safran were present.

Supergirl is a key part of Gunn and Safran’s plans as they piece together their slate for DC Studios. Warner Bros. Discovery hired the duo in late 2022 to reset the path for Warners’ movies focused on DC Comics characters.

Supergirl, who would headline her own movie, Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, after being introduced in Gunn’s own Superman movie, Superman: Legacy, is a key component of that plan.

The feature, still in development, is connected to a comic book miniseries written by Tom King that was published in 2021 and 2022 and sought to redefine the character as something more than just a girl version of Superman.

“Superman is a guy sent to Earth and raised by loving parents, where Supergirl, in this story, she is a character raised on a chunk of Krypton,” Gunn explained in a video released on social media when the slate was revealed in January 2023. “She watched everybody around her perish in some terrible way, so she’s a much more jaded character.”

Actress and playwright Ana Nogueira is writing the script. The project does not currently have a director. In the comics, Supergirl (also known as Kara Zor-El) is cousin to Superman, who in Legacy will be played by David Corenswet. Sasha Calle played the character in last summer’s The Flash, but Gunn and company are going in a different direction.

The search for Supergirl has been an ongoing process. Other actors who had been in the mix earlier were Cailee Spaeny, the star of Priscilla, and Emilia Jones, the star of CODA.

Plus, the live-action How to Train Your Dragon movie rounds out its cast.

Ryan Coogler and Michael B. Jordan’s vampire movie is close to finding a home. Robert McCamon’s post-apocalyptic novel Swan Song is being turned into a TV series. Dune Part 2 gets the mandatory floating heads poster. Plus, what’s to come as La Brea enters the endgame. Spoilers now!

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Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow

THR reports that House of the Dragon’s Milly Alcock and Zombies’ Meg Donnelly are the last two actresses in the running to play Kara Zor-El, a.k.a. Supergirl, in James Gunn’s new DC universe.

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Ana Nogueira is set to write “Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow,” which is being developed by DC Studios. The film, centering on Superman’s cousin Kara Zor-El and her superdog Krypto, has yet to be attached to a director.

An actor and playwright, Nogueira had been hired by Warner Bros. to write a “Supergirl” movie in 2022. The original project was conceived as a spinoff of “The Flash,” which featured Sasha Calle as the character. However, the project was scrapped when James Gunn and Peter Safran took over leadership on the upcoming slate of DC Comics adaptations.

Gunn and Safran revealed that “Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow” would be part of DC Studios’ first line-up of features, which will reboot the continuity beginning with Gunn’s “Superman: Legacy” in 2025. Describing the upcoming “Supergirl” film, Gunn cited Tom King’s comics as an inspiration and called the new film character “a very different type of Supergirl” and “much more hardcore.”

“We see the difference between Superman, who was sent to Earth and raised by loving parents from the time he’s an infant, versus Supergirl, who was raised on a rock chip off of Krypton, and watched everyone around her die and be killed in terrible ways for the first 14 years of her life,” Gunn shared.

Nogueira’s acting credits include “The Vampire Diaries,” “The Michael J. Fox Show” and “The Blacklist.” As a playwright, she is known for penning the 2022 off-Broadway play “Which Way to the Stage” and is currently working on an adaptation of Alice Sola Kim’s “Mothers, Lock Up Your Daughters.”

The news was first reported by the Hollywood Reporter.

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Although the DCEU kickstarted it all with 2013's Man of Steel, Henry Cavill's Superman has only actually appeared twice since then - plus four faceless cameos. Now, in the absence of Cavill's Man of Steel, Warner Bros. is preparing to introduce a new Kryptonian hero with Sasha Calle's Supergirl in The Flash.

After production issues and the recent controversy surrounding Ezra Miller, The Flash has been the victim of many delays that have now pushed it to June 2023. Based on the debut trailer, Barry Allen will meet Supergirl in the universe in which he crosses paths with Michael Keaton's Batman to recruit their help.

Moving forward from the Multiverse-altering effects of The Flash, Supergirl is reportedly placed to be at the center of the new DCEU, and as such, has been reported to have her own solo project in development. But in the wake of Batgirl's shocking cancellation at HBO Max, that appears to be in danger too.

DC's Supergirl Movie May Be Dead

Rolling Stone recently published a report to explain why Warner Bros. decided to cancel Leslie Grace's Batgirl which also offered an update of Sasha Calle's Supergirl. Calle will debut as the Girl of Steel in 2023's The Flash and was expected to spin off into her own movie, but that may now be in trouble.

According to the popular outlet, other DC films stand a chance of being "squashed," with insiders claiming the Supergirl project isn't expected to move forward at Warner Bros., despite currently being in development at the studio.

Reports circulated in 2021 that Warner Bros. intended to film Supergirl in the next three years - placing production plans sometime before 2024. Rumors have suggested DC was planning to use Calle's Supergirl in place of Superman in the DCEU going forward, but that may no longer be the case.

When Will Supergirl and Superman Return

Henry Cavill's Man of Steel has been absent from the DCEU for five years and Sasha Calle just saw a rather disappointing update regarding her Supergirl movie, so the future doesn't appear bright for the Kryptonians. The reported cancellation of two female-led spin-offs in a matter of days isn't a good sign, but perhaps Warner Bros. is looking to establish a more traditional DCEU status quo.

Previous reports indicated Batgirl, Supergirl, and Wonder Woman were set to lead the DCEU as an all-female trinity. Perhaps with Warner Bros. under new management, the studio is now eager to pivot focus back to The Dark Knight and Man of Steel, instead of using Batgirl and Supergirl in their places.

After all, Ben Affleck just signed on to reprise Batman once again in Aquaman 2, and there have been some intriguing reports as of late with regard to Henry Cavill's Superman. Maybe the goal is to get these actors back in the spotlight, even if the road to that goal appears rather messy.

Although that's not to say Affleck and Cavill coming back for the long run is at all certain, there's every chance DC will simply look to recast these actors. With Warner Bros. Discovery making massive changes on the DC front, a full-scale reboot may even be on the cards to simplify the situation and start fresh, possibly making The Flash Calle's only Supergirl appearance.

It's impossible to predict what the future holds, especially as Warner Bros. continues to make sweeping changes to its DC plans. The Flash is currently scheduled to hit theaters on June 23, 2023, but even that is far from certain in this current climate.