After Superman‘s success, fans are understandably excited about Supergirl, the major flagship release for James Gunn‘s DCU. This isn’t to say the discourse surrounding the movie has been all rainbows and sunshines, as some have accused its trailer of feeling reminiscent of Gunn’s Guardians movies. Gunn himself has now drawn parallels between this movie and the Guardians of the Galaxy during the Variety Awards Circuit Podcast.
I love Milly Alcock in the movie. It’s a space fantasy which is, like Guardians in a way
He’s not wrong, as both are big-budget space operas, and like the Guardians movies, it appears Supergirl will also embrace a certain quirkiness. However, the conversation isn’t exactly black and white, especially given that Gunn, who helmed the Guardians trilogy, wasn’t involved in either the writing or the directing process
Supergirl Isn’t a One-to-One Adaptation of Woman of Tomorrow
Beyond drawing parallels with the best MCU trilogy, Gunn further clarified that the Milly Alcock-led space opera won’t be religiously following Tom King‘s acclaimed Woman of Tomorrow run, and this isn’t surprising.
King’s acclaimed run comprises several mini-stories that collectively form one overarching narrative. It only makes sense that they would take some creative liberties to adapt the story for a three-act structure. Interestingly, the movie restored King’s original vision by incorporating Lobo, whom the author initially envisioned to include in the comic run.
Based on the Tom King book. It doesn’t follow it religiously, but it has a lot of the core of that there
That said, the adaptation does sacrifice one notable element of the source material, its visual identity. King’s Woman of Tomorrow is defined by its bright and expressive artstyle, whereas Supergirl, while undeniably cinematic, appears to be far more muted and washed in comparison. But given the themes of this story, this shift may be intentional on the director’s part to reflect Kara’s internal turmoil.
Is the Supergirl–Guardians Discourse Overblown?
Coming back to the debate surrounding Supergirl and Guardians, it’s undoubtedly overblown, which isn’t surprising. Following Gunn’s previous association with Marvel, coupled with certain factions’ animosity toward the director over DCEU’s cancellation, the comparison was inevitable.
Guardians of the Galaxy | Credit: Marvel Studios
While it’s true the Supergirl teaser does feel reminiscent of the Guardians, it’s important to note that Kara is a far more jaded character, and Gunn has stressed it’ll remain true to King’s solemn and emotionally heavy tone.
And for skeptics who have already written the movie off as a Guardians clone, despite it being months away from release, the argument falls apart when considering that Gunn wasn’t involved as either writer or director. It was written by Ana Nogueira and directed by Craig Gillespie, and given Gunn’s adherence to prioritizing writers and directors over a rigid house style, one can expect this to feel like a Craig Gillespie movie first and foremost.
What are your expectations from this movie? Comment below!
Supergirl will release on June 26, 2026.
This post belongs to FandomWire and first appeared on FandomWire
