Supergirl Writer Just Confirmed the Most Exciting Part About DCU’s Next Movie

As the DC Universe rounds into shape, DC Studios co-head James Gunn has emphasized the importance of tonal variety, looking to avoid a situation where there’s homogenous house style all projects need to adhere to. Taking a similar approach to the comics, DC Studios envisions each film and TV show having its own unique feel, helping it stand apart from what’s come before. So far, the strategy has paid dividends, with Superman and Peacemaker earning critical acclaim while carving out their own path. Fans are very excited to see what comes next, and it sounds like Supergirl is going to mix things up with regard to tone as well.

Speaking with Variety, Supergirl writer Ana Nogueira explained how she had difficulty cracking the movie’s story until she was introduced to Tom King’s Woman of Tomorrow comic. “She watched Krypton completely be destroyed. I was always like, ‘I can’t get my head around the version of the character that is so sunny,’” she said. Once Nogueira checked out King’s “rougher and grittier and edgier and funnier” source material, it finally clicked. “When I read it, I was like, ‘There she is.’”

Supergirl Will Help the DCU Continue to Feel Fresh (and That’s Important)

Nogueira’s comments serve as confirmation of what was evident in Supergirl’s cameo at the end of Superman. Despite her familial connection to Kal-El, Kara Zor-El is cut from a different cloth. She enjoys traveling to planets where she can get drunk, drowning her troubles in copious amounts of alcohol. The differences between the two Kryptonian cousins are understandable when considering their separate life paths. Whereas Kal-El was raised as Clark Kent by a loving family and learned the value of helping others, Kara became an emotional wreck after watching her home be destroyed. It makes sense she’d be more jaded and cynical than her cousin, who has an optimistic outlook on life and tries to see the best in everyone.

Centering a film around a protagonist Gunn himself has described as a “total mess” is an exciting proposition since it will continue the DCU’s mission statement of embracing different tones. There’s a reason why the first Supergirl teaser poster boasts the tagline “Look Out” (a riff on Superman‘s “Look Up” mantra). Kara is a hero, but she’s more rough and tumble than Superman. Kal-El went out of his way to save a squirrel during a kaiju attack on Metropolis. Kara might be a bit more callous with her actions, not caring as much who gets hurt as long as she gets the job done. That could be her mindset during the early part of Supergirl in particular, when she’ll likely be dealing with her personal trauma. Exploring the darker side of Kara’s past in full could establish a strong foundation for an emotional arc where she overcomes her demons on a journey of self-discovery.

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Supergirl director Craig Gillespie hasn’t helmed a comic book movie before, but he sounds like an ideal fit. In previous works like I, Tonya, Cruella, and Pam & Tommy, he’s dealt with stories and characters that are a little rough around the edges. His history with this kind of material should benefit Supergirl; over the course of his career, Gillespie has found a way to craft compelling and entertaining narratives that revolve around controversial figures and think outside the box. If anyone can make the DCU’s Kara Zor-El a captivating combination of grit and humor, it’s him.

The DCU has gotten off to a great start with the successes of Superman and Peacemaker. If the franchise is to keep that forward momentum, utilizing different tones is vital. As this year has shown, superhero movies are not the ironclad box office locks they were in the 2010s. Captain America: Brave New World and Thunderbolts* underwhelmed, illustrating that audiences aren’t going to show up in droves to a comic book adaptation just because it’s the latest superhero thing. It’s on the filmmakers to make each project feel fresh and exciting, giving viewers a reason to check it out. An edgy, punk rock take on Supergirl could make Gillespie’s film one of the biggest hits next summer.

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