Published Sep 10, 2026, 8:57 PM EDT
Felipe Rangel is a Movie and TV Journalist ScreenRant. He has been writing about movies and TV since 2021. Felipe joined ScreenRant in 2022, working across different teams, covering everything from breaking news to features to reviews and more.
Felipe is a writer who is an avid film and TV fan, with superhero movies and series being his biggest passion. He graduated from college in 2019, having studied Journalism. Before college, he spent a month studying at the Oxford English Centre. His superhero knowledge expands to the comics, with his undergraduate thesis being "Politics Reflected In American Comics."
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Supergirl is about to enter a new era in the DC Universe, and it can only go up now for the heroine. House of the Dragon star Milly Alcock reportedly beat High School Musical: The Musical: The Series actress Meg Donnely for the role. That was a major feat, as Donnelly voiced Supergirl in DC's animated Tomorrowverse timeline, playing Kara in multiple movies.
As such, Alcock showed she was right for the role from the get-go, beating an established Supergirl actress for the part. After that, Kara made her debut in the DCU Chapter One at the very end of 2025's Superman movie. It set the DCU version of Supergirl to have a different personality from the main canon version of Kara, edgier and with an even more tragic backstory.
Sadly, 2026's Supergirl movie could not repeat the success of James Gunn's Superman. The film had many exciting factors going for it, with Alcock as Supergirl, Krypto, and David Corenswet's Superman reprising their roles from the latter's solo movie, as well as the debut of Jason Momoa's Lobo in a space-set story that adapted the iconic Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow comics.
Metropolis · Daily Planet Edition
Superman
Trivia Challenge
🌏OriginsLast son
☠VillainsKneel!
⚡PowersInvincible
🎥FilmsBelieve
💫LegacyHope
UP, UP AND AWAY! →
01
Before he was Clark Kent, Superman was born Kal-El on a distant planet doomed to destruction. His parents Jor-El and Lara placed him in a rocket ship as an infant, sending him across the cosmos to Earth. What is the name of Superman’s home planet?
AThanagar BKrypton CApokolips DOa
✓ Correct! Krypton was a scientifically advanced planet that exploded due to its unstable core. Jor-El, Superman’s father, was the only scientist who foresaw the catastrophe and managed to save his son by launching him toward Earth in a small spacecraft.
✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is Krypton. Thanagar is Hawkman’s homeworld, Apokolips is Darkseid’s domain, and Oa is the headquarters of the Green Lantern Corps. Krypton’s destruction is the defining event of Superman’s origin story.
NEXT →
02
Superman’s greatest love is a fearless, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist who works alongside Clark Kent at the Daily Planet. She’s known for her relentless pursuit of the truth and for being one of the few people who sees both the hero and the man. Who is she?
ADiana Prince BLana Lang CLois Lane DCat Grant
✓ Correct! Lois Lane has been Superman’s primary love interest since her debut in Action Comics #1 in 1938. A brilliant investigative reporter, she’s as iconic as Superman himself — tough, smart, and unafraid to chase the biggest stories in Metropolis.
✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is Lois Lane. Diana Prince is Wonder Woman, Lana Lang is Clark’s high school sweetheart from Smallville, and Cat Grant is a gossip columnist at the Daily Planet. Lois Lane is Superman’s iconic partner.
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03
Despite being nearly invulnerable under Earth’s yellow sun, Superman has one famous weakness — a radioactive mineral from the remnants of his destroyed homeworld. Exposure to it drains his powers and can even kill him. What is this substance called?
AKryptonite BVibranium CNth Metal DRed Sun Ore
✓ Correct! Kryptonite is the irradiated remnants of planet Krypton. Green Kryptonite is the most common and deadly variety, but there are many other types — Red Kryptonite causes unpredictable behavior, Gold Kryptonite can permanently strip his powers, and Blue Kryptonite affects Bizarro.
✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is Kryptonite. Vibranium is from Marvel’s Black Panther universe, Nth Metal is tied to Hawkman, and Red Sun Ore isn’t a real DC substance. Kryptonite is the iconic green-glowing mineral that is Superman’s ultimate weakness.
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04
In 1978, a then-unknown actor donned the cape and made the world believe a man could fly. His portrayal of Superman became the gold standard for superhero films and he starred in four Superman movies. Who is this legendary actor?
AHenry Cavill BBrandon Routh CTom Welling DChristopher Reeve
✓ Correct! Christopher Reeve’s portrayal in Superman: The Movie (1978) is widely regarded as the definitive live-action Superman. His performance perfectly balanced the heroic confidence of Superman with the endearing clumsiness of Clark Kent, setting the template every Superman actor has followed since.
✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is Christopher Reeve. Henry Cavill played Superman in the DCEU starting with Man of Steel (2013), Brandon Routh starred in Superman Returns (2006), and Tom Welling played young Clark in TV’s Smallville. Reeve was the original big-screen Superman.
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05
Superman’s greatest enemy isn’t a superpowered alien — he’s a brilliant, ruthless human billionaire who believes Superman is a threat to humanity’s potential. This bald-headed genius has been Superman’s archenemy for over 80 years. Who is he?
ABrainiac BLex Luthor CDarkseid DDoomsday
✓ Correct! Lex Luthor is the ultimate foil to Superman — where Superman represents hope and selflessness, Luthor represents ambition and ego. Despite having no superpowers, his genius-level intellect and vast resources make him Superman’s most persistent and dangerous adversary.
✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is Lex Luthor. Brainiac is an alien android who collects cities, Darkseid is the god-like ruler of Apokolips, and Doomsday is the monster who famously killed Superman. But Lex Luthor is the definitive archenemy — Superman’s dark mirror.
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06
After crash-landing on Earth as a baby, Kal-El was found and adopted by Jonathan and Martha Kent, a kind farming couple. They raised him with strong moral values in a small rural town. Where did Clark Kent grow up?
AGotham City BMetropolis CSmallville, Kansas DCoast City
✓ Correct! Smallville, Kansas is the quintessential American small town where Jonathan and Martha Kent raised Clark with heartland values of honesty, compassion, and humility. It’s the foundation of who Superman is — not the powers from Krypton, but the character instilled by his Kansas parents.
✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is Smallville, Kansas. Gotham is Batman’s city, Metropolis is where Clark moves as an adult to work at the Daily Planet, and Coast City is Green Lantern’s home. Smallville is where the Kents raised Clark on their farm.
NEXT →
07
As Clark Kent, Superman disguises himself as a mild-mannered reporter working at Metropolis’s most famous newspaper, alongside Lois Lane and photographer Jimmy Olsen. Their editor-in-chief Perry White runs the newsroom. What is the name of this newspaper?
ADaily Planet BDaily Bugle CMetropolis Star DGotham Gazette
✓ Correct! The Daily Planet, with its iconic globe on the rooftop, is one of the most recognizable fictional newspapers in pop culture. Working there gives Clark Kent both a cover identity and a way to stay informed about threats to the city and the world.
✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is the Daily Planet. The Daily Bugle is Spider-Man’s Marvel universe newspaper, the Metropolis Star and Gotham Gazette are lesser DC publications. The Daily Planet — with its spinning globe — is Superman’s journalistic home.
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08
This Kryptonian military commander was banished to the Phantom Zone for treason before Krypton’s destruction. He escaped and came to Earth seeking vengeance, famously demanding that others “Kneel before” him. His iconic portrayal by Terence Stamp cemented him in pop culture. Who is this villain?
ABizarro BParasite CMetallo DGeneral Zod
✓ Correct! General Zod is one of Superman’s most terrifying foes because he has all of Superman’s powers but none of his morality. Terence Stamp’s portrayal in Superman II (1980) made “Kneel before Zod” one of the most quoted villain lines in film history. Michael Shannon later reimagined the role in Man of Steel (2013).
✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is General Zod. Bizarro is a flawed clone of Superman, Parasite drains powers through touch, and Metallo is a cyborg with a Kryptonite heart. General Zod is the Kryptonian military leader whose cry of “Kneel before Zod!” echoes through decades of Superman stories.
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However, Supergirl ended up with a measly 53% critics' score on Rotten Tomatoes based on 373 reviews, earning the disappointing Rotten label on the review aggregator. At only a decent 72%, Supergirl's audience score was also nothing to write home about. Additionally, Supergirl became a box office bomb that cast a shadow over the DCU's start. Thankfully, Kara can now fly past all of that as a new era for Alcock's Supergirl is upon us.
What Went Wrong With Supergirl's Box Office
With two movies so far, Gunn's DCU has a clear hit in 2025's Superman, and a major bomb in 2026's Supergirl. The latter had a reported budget of $170 million. In Hollywood, the rule of thumb is that a movie needs to make between 2x and 2.5x its budget in order to break even, as that sum accounts for marketing spend and other expenses. Based on that, Supergirl was looking at a breakeven point in the range of $340 million to $425 million.
That seemed like a pretty reasonable target for Supergirl, especially given how Corenswet's Superman had brought in $618.7 million a year before. Supergirl could have ended its run with as much as $200 million less than 2025's Superman, and it would have been somewhat fine for the DCU's second movie. However, Alcock's solo film ended its theatrical run with an abysmal $126.4 million, falling considerably short of even hitting the lower end of its projected breakeven point. Supergirl's box office performance was so bad that DC had to address it.
To that end, DC Studios co-CEO Peter Safran responded to Supergirl bombing at the box office in a statement to The New York Times. According to the executive, "Supergirl didn’t meet our box office expectations." That said, Safran pretty much defined the movie as a bump in the road, as DC continues to be extremely confident in its long-term strategy for the franchise. Supergirl's negative box office was a result of the character not being as popular as Superman — Helen Slater's Supergirl movie only grossed $14.3 million domestically — reviews skewing negative, a controversial needle drop, a generic villain, and fans not liking changes from the comics.
Supergirl Can Finally Become A Hit Now That It's On HBO Max
While there is no denying that while in theaters, Supergirl failed, that does not have to be the legacy that the DCU movie leaves behind. Alcock's DC movie will now get the perfect chance to redeem itself. Supergirl was finally released on HBO Max in the United States and all over the world this Thursday, September 10. This will put the movie in front of millions of viewers who never made it to theaters to watch it in the first place. As a result, Supergirl is not only expected to be a top streaming performer, but also an instant HBO Max global streaming sensation.
Supergirl has two projects currently ruling streaming to base itself on, and both make it look like Alcock's movie is on its way to a major form of redemption. One of those is Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu. Like Supergirl, the Star Wars movie was a box office disappointment, though the space opera got much closer to breaking even than the DC movie. From the moment Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu landed on Disney+ on September 2, the Star Wars release became the most-watched movie on Disney+ worldwide, according to FlixPatrol.
The other project that teases Supergirl's streaming dominance comes from the same streaming service that Kara Zor-El has landed on. That would be Lanterns, the new DC and HBO live-action series focused on the Green Lanterns Hal Jordan, played by Kyle Chandler, and John Stewart, played by Aaron Pierre. Lanterns put the DCU back on top after Supergirl became a box office bomb, with the sci-fi detective series routinely becoming the most-watched TV show on HBO Max worldwide as new episodes are released weekly. There is a clear interest in the DCU on HBO Max, and Supergirl quenches that thirst.
Supergirl Still Has A Bright DCU Future
By becoming a global hit on streaming, Supergirl should start an exciting new era in the DCU. Leaving behind her solo movie, Kara will already return next year, as Alcock is confirmed to play a key role in 2027's Man of Tomorrow. The Superman sequel is also written and directed by Gunn, with Corenswet returning as Superman to team up with his cousin, Alcock's Supergirl, Pierre's John Stewart, the Justice Gang, and even Nicholas Hoult's Lex Luthor. All of those characters will come together to fight Lars Eidinger's Brainiac, a character Supergirl has shared a lot of history with in comics and adaptations.
After that, Supergirl does not have any confirmed appearances in the DCU, but they are likely to come. Gunn would not let a single box office bomb stop Alcock from playing Supergirl after the actress' performance in the movie was still deemed a fan-favorite aspect and celebrated even in the negative reviews. What should happen is DC will put a pin on Supergirl sequels and start using the character in a supporting role, similar to what is happening with Xolo Maridueña's Blue Bettle, whose solo movie also bombed, but will reportedly return in Man of Tomorrow.
Supergirl is not going anywhere, and her solo movie becoming an HBO Max streaming sensation could position Kara to appear in more upcoming DCU projects, being the key event to start a new era for the character.
Release Date June 26, 2026
Runtime 108 minutes
Director Craig Gillespie
Writers Ana Nogueira
English (US) ·