“He sees the good in everyone. And I see the truth.”
DC Studios released the first “Supergirl” trailer online Thursday, following a private Manhattan preview party hosted by co-CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran, director Craig Gillespie and star Milly Alcock. Both the trailer — and Sunday’s influencer-studded event — made a clear case for how Alcock’s Kara Zor-El will stand apart from her more optimistic cousin Superman.
Set to Blondie’s “Call Me,” the trailer picks up after Supergirl’s cameo at the end of Gunn’s “Superman” where she stumbles into the Fortress of Solitude to retrieve her super-powered dog Krypto. The new footage shows a bleary-eyed Kara blowing out a lone birthday candle in a dark room, wishing for better days ahead.
“Twenty-three will be the best year yet,” she mumbles to Krypto. “Let’s be honest, babe. It’s not a very high bar to clear.”
While it remains unclear what exactly has Kara down in the dumps, Gillespie teased at the event that her inner turmoil will define the film.
“This is really an anti-hero story,” he said onstage. “She’s got a lot of baggage and a lot of demons coming into this, which is very different from where Superman is in his life.”
From there, the trailer shows Supergirl bouncing through a string of grungy, intergalactic colonies populated by questionable humanoid aliens, evoking the chaotic, lived-in aesthetic of Gunn’s “Guardians of the Galaxy” films. The footage also offers a blink-and-you-miss-it first look at Jason Momoa’s Lobo, an inspired casting Gunn says he’s had top of mind from the get-go of his tenure at DC Studios. The cigar-chomping, motorcycle-riding anti-hero is expected to play a major role in the movie.
Alcock playing Supergirl was on Gunn’s mind even before his deal to run DC Studios was set in stone. Gunn revealed that he threw Alcock’s name in the hat during what he called a “fantasizing” phone call with Safran about the future of the cinematic universe.
“‘You know who’d be great as Supergirl?’” Gunn recalled asking Safran. “That little girl from ‘House of the Dragon.’ I think she’s really got something special about her.’”
Alcock, fresh off of watching the completed trailer, had a huge grin on her face when describing how she’s processing this moment. “It’s so weird, in the best way,” she said. “It’s really surreal seeing everyone’s work come together. It’s going to happen. Shit.”
Gunn, who made a name for himself in Hollywood by establishing imperfect characters in the superhero cinematic universes of both Marvel and DC, says he’s excited for fans to see the “punk” direction that Alcock’s character goes in.
“So many times female superheroes are so perfect,” Gunn explained. “She’s not that at all. She’s very imperfect, like male superheroes have been allowed to be for a while.”
Gunn also slyly alluded to the ongoing question of whether big Warner Bros. movies like “Supergirl” will continue to play in theaters after being acquired by Netflix.
“This is a story-based medium, we want stories to be in theaters that are cool and different from each other,” Gunn said. “This movie is not just a female clone of Superman. It’s its own thing entirely with a character who is equally worthy of this treatment.”
Gillespie (“Cruella,” “I, Tonya”) directs “Supergirl” from a script by Ana Nogueira, who is also penning the upcoming “Wonder Woman” reboot. The movie is based on the comic series “Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow” by Tom King.
Alcock is joined by Matthias Schoenaerts (“The Old Guard”), who plays the lead villain, Krem of the Yellow Hills; Eve Ridley (“3 Body Problem”) as Ruthye Marye Knoll, a girl who recruits Supergirl to bring Krem to justice for killing her father; and David Krumholtz (“Oppenheimer”) and Emily Beecham (“Cruella”) as Supergirl’s parents. Jason Momoa will also appear as the alien mercenary Lobo, and Krypto the Superdog will return once again.
“Supergirl” will release in theaters June 26.
