10 Biggest Takeaways Rewatching Supergirl On HBO Max

Published Sep 11, 2026, 11:24 PM EDT Since 2019, Kevin Erdmann has been one of Screen Rant's Senior Staff Writers, covering all kinds of Superhero and Star Wars media with Easter egg breakdowns, theory pieces, breaking news, and more. A huge Star Wars & MCU fan, Kevin also loves Batman (because he's Batman), but could talk for hours about why Nightwing is DC's greatest hero. With 8 years of total experience covering entertainment and pop culture, Kevin has gotten the chance to interview top creatives and talent, and has also attended major media events like Disney's D23 convention. Majoring in Cinema Studies with a minor in Comics and Cartoon Studies from the UofO, Kevin lives in Oregon with his wonderful wife, adorable dog, and sinister cat who is no doubt currently plotting his demise. Warning! This post contains SPOILERS for Supergirl Supergirl is now streaming on HBO Max, giving the DCU's most recent movie a new chance to make an impression after its theatrical run. Despite the success of James Gunn's Superman movie last year, Craig Gillespie's Supergirl struggled at the box office quite a bit. While there are moments worth revisiting in the new movie, a rewatch of Supergirl reinforces some of its biggest problems as well. Receiving her own movie after her DCU debut via a cameo at the end of Superman, Actress Milly Alcock played Kara Zor-El, Superman's Kryptonian cousin who operates very differently from the Man of Steel. Featuring key characters like Jason Momoa's Lobo while adapting one of Supergirl's most critically acclaimed comics, the new Supergirl movie had a lot going for it ahead of its release. However, the film also features more than a few missteps. Keeping that in mind, here are some of the biggest takeaways following a rewatch of the DCU's Supergirl on HBO Max. Milly Alcock Is Still A Great Supergirl The biggest reason to revisit Supergirl is still Milly Alcock, who easily provides the best performance in the entire movie. Bringing Kara Zor-El to life with a level of grounded attitude and grunge, it all feels perfectly organic for this version of the character, especially considering the heavy influence of the Woman of Tomorrow storyline from the comics. Even when the plot itself is clearly struggling alongside the movie's challenging pacing, the movie's greatest strength remains Supergirl herself and Alcock's performance. The way that she carries the loss of Krypton in ways her cousin never will gets translated incredibly well, and the same goes for her struggle to adapt to life on Earth. The result is a Supergirl that's very compelling, one whom most DCU fans would like to see more going forward despite the movie's clear issues. Jason Momoa Finally Playing Lobo Is Fun Like Milly Alcock playing Kara, Jason Momoa's performance as Lobo remains one of the easiest parts of Supergirl to enjoy. As good as he was as Aquaman in the prior DCEU, seeing Momoa play the DC role he was born to play is very satisfying, and it's been a long time coming. Not only does he have the perfect look for the part, but Momoa's pre-existing fandom for "The Main Man" guaranteed that he could do a great job bringing him to life in the DCU, a fact that's very much proven in the movie itself. While it might have been nice to have seen more of Momoa's Lobo, the hope is that his role in Supergirl is just the beginning for the DCU's predominant intergalactic bounty hunter. Exploring The DCU's Krypton Is Fascinating (With A Catch) On the one hand, the extended flashback to Kara's origins and life on Krypton brings all the movie's momentum in the present to a grinding halt. On the other hand, exploring the DCU's version of Superman and Supergirl's doomed home world is quite fascinating, allowing audiences to truly feel what Kara experienced and lost with an entire life lived on Krypton and Argo City, unlike Kal-El, who was sent to Earth as a baby. Additionally, it arguably makes the twist with Superman's Kryptonian parents even stranger, as it seems it was only Jor-El and Lara Lor-Van who wanted their son to become a conqueror, and not an overarching part of Kryptonian culture. Superman's Cameos Are Some Of The Movie's Best Moments Although David Corenswet's Superman only has a small role in Supergirl, his appearances only make him more charming, proving that Corenswet was the perfect cast for the new Man of Steel. Likewise, Superman's two brief appearances in the movie do a great job showing the differences between the two Kryptonian cousins. While Kal-El is enduringly good and full of hope/optimism, Kara is more cynical and jaded (while still aspiring to do good at the end of the day). As such, it's very cool to see not only how their personalities differ and contrast, but also the teases showing how they can complement each other in future DCU team-ups (like in Man of Tomorrow). Supergirl Has Some Major Pacing Issues As alluded to in the above Krypton section, one of Supergirl's biggest problems is its overall pacing, an issue that arguably becomes more obvious on rewatch when you've seen the movie before. As revealed through various reports, Supergirl's final cut apparently faced core differences of opinion between Gillespie and DC Studios, with dual cuts being created to determine which was best via various test screenings. For whatever reason, the result is still a movie that feels like it doesn't fully have enough time to meaningfully cover everything it wants to cover (at least not well), while simultaneously feeling like it drags in certain sequences. This also really hurts when the movie is clearly taking such direct inspiration from a beloved comic like Woman of Tomorrow, as so much from the original story wasn't even featured (and what was there often carried far less weight/spectacle than what's seen on the page). Krem Is One Of The Weakest Comic Book Movie Villains Ever Without a doubt, Krem of the Yellow Hills is one of the movie's most disappointing elements. Although Matthias Schoenaerts gives the character a reasonably threatening presence, he's just not nearly interesting enough. He also looks and acts nothing like the Krem in the original Woman of Tomorrow comic, with a live-action depiction that feels incredibly derivative and two-dimensional. Supergirl's Final Battle Is Still So Bland Although Kara Zor-El finally gets an opportunity to unleash her full power in Supergirl's ending, the dusty brown, dark, and flat setting is a huge bummer. Sure, those kinds of surroundings work well for CGI, but man, is it boring and all kinds of dull for a sequence that should be the most vibrant of the entire film, with Supergirl finally wearing her costume and using her abilities. It never fully feels like a final fight worthy of the character, and that only becomes more apparent on a re-watch. Supergirl's Final Needle Drop Isn't THAT Bad The movie's final needle drop has received plenty of criticism and memes online, though I feel like it's not as egregious or disastrous as some suggest. Could there have been better songs than Kelty Greye & KidMotel's cover of "The Middle"? Absolutely. Seeing as how it was used all over the trailers and marketing, Blondie's "Call Me" would have been perfect. However, I don't think the song used is all that bad, and I'm even willing to argue that a more vibrant sequence/setting would have made it easier to receive. Supergirl's Ending Truly Does Misunderstand Woman of Tomorrow Credit: MovieStillsDB I didn't like it when I first watched it, and I like it even less on rewatch: Supergirl should not have killed Krem at the end of the final fight. In the Woman of Tomorrow comic, the entire point of the story is Kara working to convince Ruthye that revenge won't take her pain away. While Kara convinces Ruthye of the same in the movie, she then kills Krem herself. Things are far more nuanced on the page, with Krem being placed in the Phantom Zone for hundreds of years until he was released by Kara, seeking remorse for all that he had done before being knocked out by an elderly Ruthye. Apparently, Supergirl's scriptwriter Ana Nogueira misread the ending of the comic, believing that Ruthye kills Krem (though I don't know how the misunderstanding could have happened all the way to the final cut of the film given Tom King's ongoing involvement with James Gunn's DCU). Regardless, the result is that the ending of Supergirl very much weakens the ending of the original comic, which is very disappointing. Supergirl Was A Bad Start, But Kara Zor-El Still Deserves A DCU Future Although the Supergirl movie is far from perfect, I found myself still rooting for Milly Alcock's future as Kara Zor-El in the DCU by the end of this recent rewatch. She has so much potential that deserves to be explored in future projects, and it's exciting that she's confirmed for an appearance in 2027's Man of Tomorrow. While her first movie may have failed to launch, we still have a great Supergirl in the DCU who deserves to have her story continue. Supergirl is now streaming on HBO Max from DC Studios. Release Date June 26, 2026 Runtime 108 minutes Director Craig Gillespie Writers Ana Nogueira Producers James Gunn, Lars P. Winther, Nigel Gostelow, Peter Safran Franchise(s) DC Universe