The Supergirl Movie Poster Shows How James Gunn Is Building On Superman's Best Moments

This article contains spoilers for "Superman."

"Superman" has now successfully introduced James Gunn and Peter Safran's DC Universe to the big-screen. Maybe more importantly, though, the movie has also crafted a feeling among audiences that they should expect different things from each DCU project. Indeed, Gunn has repeatedly said each entry in this cinematic universe will feel different and there's no real "house style" to speak of. Now, the filmmaker has unveiled the first "Supergirl" poster on social media, and it seems to back up his claim in a big way.

In the first poster for "Supergirl," Milly Alcock's Kara Zor-El is shown defiantly leaning on a wall drinking a frozen convenience store beverage — one that's clearly not your average Slurpee — in front of a mural of the symbol adorned by her cousin Superman (David Corenswet). Of course, the "Superman" tagline of "Look Up" is scrawled over to say "Look Out" instead, which hints where "Supergirl" is going pretty succinctly. Alcock's casting has been touted by Gunn since the moment the trades reported that she was in the running for the role of Supergirl, and audiences have now gotten a small taste of what she's bringing to the table as Kara via her cameo in "Superman." The fact this poster leans even heavier into the whole rebellious angle makes all the sense of the world. It's a way of telling moviegoers we're not doing the whole awe-inspiring, "golly, gosh" thing this time around.

Look Out. 2026. pic.twitter.com/IdAvUNfcXx

— James Gunn (@JamesGunn) July 16, 2025

It's vital, then, that Alcock's interpretation of the character stands apart from David Corenswet's salt of the Earth interpretation of Kal-El — and so far, it looks like it will! This is also the first instance of Gunn really backing up what he's been posting about on Threads when it comes to this particular DCU project (which, as a reminder, he's not actually writing or directing). He's already generated a ton of goodwill for the DCU with "Superman," a movie that could've easily proven to be a deal-breaker, had it failed to take the titular hero in a campy or earnest direction that resonated with people. Instead, folks liked it, making them that much more open to the promise of something different with "Supergirl."

For a refresher, the audience doesn't meet Supergirl until the last 15 minutes of "Superman, when Alcock's Girl of Steel literally crashes into Supe's Fortress of Solitude while her cousin is rehabbing from a frenetic final battle with his clone Ultraman (also Corenswet, naturally). Kara asks Kal-El why he moved the door, itself a reference to the massive siege on the hideout earlier in the film, and Corenswet glides into a sort of loving annoyed pose on the medical table where he's surrounded by the Superman Robots. Supergirl also remembers that she left her dog with the hero, which explains why Superman's been saddled with Krypto this entire time while also hinting our favorite four-legged menace might be a part of Kara's solo movie too. The pup clearly loves his owner, and Kara is tickled, kind of literally, by Krypto affectionately roughhousing her before she storms out of there, calling Superman by his name.

The audience I saw "Superman" with in theaters had a huge reaction to this scene despite the lack of promotional material for "Supergirl" at the time. It's the sort of response that Gunn must've surely been hoping for, seeing as many people are probably only familiar with the Kara character thanks to The CW's "Supergirl" TV show (which starred Melissa Benoist as its namesake). Alcock's heroine isn't the milk-drinker that Corenswet's Superman is in this movie, either, and her solo DCU vehicle is poised to hammer home just how different these Kryptonian cousins are from one another. With the comic book "Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow" serving as the film's source material, it also stands to reason the DCU's "Supergirl" will focus on Kara coping with Krypton's destruction and the death of her family in some way. If nothing else, its poster does very little to dispel that notion.

Superman might've had a healthier response to the whole Krypton exploding thing, but that's only to be expected. After all, in DC comic books, he's usually more of a "Sentinel of Justice" than a superhero who's going to lash out because of his personal suffering. Supergirl, in comparison, has a far more convoluted backstory and a whole lot more in the way of family trauma to sort through (to say nothing of the pressure on her to live up to her cousin's legacy). That's a lot to handle, and "Supergirl" director Craig Gillespie would be smart to zero-in on some of those themes when Kara crosses paths with Jason Momoa's Lobo in the film (among other space-based characters).

While Gunn couldn't have asked for a better result when it comes to the reception to "Superman," there are some lingering right now as to what comes next for DC Studios outside of "Supergirl." Fortunately, between the response to Alock's Girl of Steel and other "Superman" fan-favorites like Mister Terrific (Edi Gathegi), things are looking up on that front. For this writer, the "Supergirl" poster and the way it directly challenges "Superman" helps throw another shovel of dirt on those fears, as it confirms the DCU won't merely be making DC's entire Super-family "Inspiring *™*.' Instead, it appears Gunn and Gillespie are working to create something truly different and maybe even surprising as the DCU prepares to take its next step forward.

That being said, this is obviously just a single piece of marketing. Indeed, the "Supergirl" trailer should give us a much better idea of what to expect from this film when it eventually drops. Still, there's a real sense of hope for the time being when it comes to the direction of the DCU. Alcock especially has a chance to define the Supergirl character for many years to come (much like Corenswet is now poised to do following his debut as Superman), which would be pretty amazing to see. Sometimes, all you need is a gust of wind in your sails to really get off on the right foot, and between "Superman" and the movie's poster, "Supergirl" is currently in a good position to fully take flight when it reaches theaters on June 26, 2026.