If there is one word I would use to describe Supergirl, it’s “fun.” The film, which hits the 2026 movie schedule this weekend, has a very James Gunn vibe. It’s not directed by Gunn or written by him; those credits go to Craig Gillespie and Ana Nogueira, respectively. Still, Supergirl feels more like Guardians of the Galaxy than anything in the pre-Gunn era of the (formerly) DCEU, and not just because of the brisk runtime. Gillespie and Nogueira definitely put their imprint on it, but the new DC Universe already feels more cohesive than anything DC has done before, outside of The Dark Knight Trilogy.
That Humor And Those Needle Drops
To be sure, Supergirl has some very poignant moments (though some people seem to disagree with that) and doesn’t shy away from some pretty heavy themes playing out with Milly Alcock’s Supergirl/Kara Zor-El. However, it’s also filled with great jokes and funny moments. In that respect, it feels very much in the style of Guardians or Peacemaker (the first DC show created by Gunn). Some of the humor is raunchy, and the language is definitely PG-13. I loved all of that. It made the emotional moments more powerful and kept the movie chugging along at a great pace.
Then there are the needle drops. One reason I really love Gunn’s work on comic book movies is how great he is at picking songs. Bringing back a somewhat overlooked track from a quarter century ago in Superman with “Punkrocker” by Teddybears, featuring Iggy Pop, was brilliant. While Supergirl doesn’t really reach that deep into the annals of pop culture, adding some bangers by great current artists like Wet Leg, Wolf Alice, and Halsey feels perfect.
Where Will The Future Projects Fall?
One of the things the MCU really got right when it was firing on all cylinders was keeping a cohesive vibe, no matter who was directing or writing whichever movie was coming out. The DCEU was all over the place in that respect. Gunn, Gillespie, and Nogueira seem to have made a conscious effort to focus on this in the new DCU. The sum of the parts should add up to something. How this will work going forward will be fascinating to see.
Up next for DC television shows is Lanterns, which will hit the 2026 TV schedule in August, and the next DC film to be released will be the body horror Clayface in October. Lanterns is being described as having a detective show vibe, while obviously a horror movie like Clayface is unlikely ot have many lighter moments, but I can’t wait to see how they fit in here. The 2027 movie schedule includes Man of Tomorrow, the sequel to Superman, written and directed by Gunn, so I do expect that to bring the same energy as these first two movies.
All in all, I can’t wait to see this universe continue to expand and evolve, and I’m trusting the hand of Gunn more and more.
