4 Years On, Supergirl Makes DC’s Superman Motto Change An Insult

James Gunn’s DC Universe isn’t afraid to take big swings. Instead of having its Superman be the perfect hero, never losing a battle as he protects the world from all kinds of dangers, he starts his big-screen career with a loss. In fact, the Man of Steel loses his fair share in the 2025 movie before picking himself up by his bootstraps and thwarting Lex Luthor’s plan to kill him. Superman doesn’t do it alone, though, having the Justice Gang help out and getting an assist from his trusty sidekick, Krypto. Unfortunately, the Superdog can’t stick around because he has to return to his real owner, Kara Zor-El, aka Supergirl.

While Milly Alcock’s hero only gets a moment to show off in Superman, a much larger platform is heading her way in the near future. Her solo movie, aptly titled Supergirl, releases in theaters on June 26, 2026, smack-dab in the middle of the summer movie season. To ensure people understand the film’s vibe, DC Studios is releasing marketing materials that offer insight into the character’s mindset. However, out of nowhere, her edgy promotional campaign takes a shot at a major part of Superman history.

Superman’s Motto Isn’t Off Limits for the DCU

Before the release of Superman, the character’s motto found itself at the center of a controversy. A tie-in toy featured the words “truth, justice, and the human way,” an obvious riff on Superman’s popular catchphrase, “Truth, Justice, and the American Way.” A specific section of the fanbase took exception to the fact that Gunn was putting his stamp on the lore, but what they didn’t realize was that the train was already in motion. Back in 2021, DC Comics announced that “the American Way” was being dropped from Superman’s motto and would be replaced by “a Better Tomorrow.” The change was marketed as a natural evolution for the character, since he protects the whole world, not just the United States.

Fascination with the change has been a long-running thing, despite the supposedly sacred mantra never actually appearing in DC comics for more than 50 years, and being dropped in other media for years at a time too. On top of that, the changed catchphrase never even made its way into Superman, so all the discourse was pointless. But Supergirl is trying to tell everyone how different it’s going to be from its movie cousin, and it’s using the motto to do it. By placing the phrase “Truth. Justice. Whatever.” on its first poster, the movie is taking shots at not only Superman but anyone who takes issue with the fact that the slogan has been changed. It also helps explain why a significant change was made to Supergirl before it hit theaters.

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Supergirl Doesn’t Want to Be the Woman of Tomorrow

The DCU isn’t trying to hide the fact that its Supergirl is a bit of a mess. She loves to party, shirk her responsibilities, and basically do anything that her only living relative finds unsavory. With that being the case, the powers that be don’t want to put too much on her shoulders. When Supergirl’s movie was first announced, it had a subtitle, “Woman of Tomorrow,” taken straight from the comic book it’s based on. But Kara doesn’t seem like someone who believes she can help build the future right now, as she’s still fighting demons following the destruction of her planet.

Instead, Superman will appear in the upcoming Man of Tomorrow, which is more than likely going to feature an appearance by the DCU’s other Kryptonian. That movie and Supergirl are sure to put Kara on the right path, and by the time they’ve come and gone, she might be ready to embrace the idea of a better tomorrow. Just don’t expect the real motto to appear on the poster for her sequel.

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