Introduction
Two of my kids and I went to see Supergirl 2026 last week. Given the online discourse, I expected an absolute trainwreck of a car crash of a travesty of a movie. Thankfully, I ignore most online discourse unless I want to troll some of the knuckleheads one way or another. Because, what I saw was an entertaining movie that kept my kids and I happy for almost two hours. Since most of the online discourse centers on how terrible the movie and its box office numbers are, I will take this time to counter each of the points I’ve heard so far.
Super Bisexual/Milly Alcock isn’t Hot Enough
While neither of these reasons warrants a response and I refuse to respond to either of them, I wanted to include them to show how ridiculous discourse around pop culture now is in this country. The first part of that subheading is a literal chyron on Fox News. So, keep that in mind as you read.
Superhero Fatigue
I keep hearing this term come up again and again and I never understand why this becomes a talking point eventually for all things popular. First, you have the early adopters who think that they are on the vanguard of whatever genre is being discussed. Then other people realize that this thing is really cool, either by discovering it themselves or being introduced by a friend. Finally, the thing becomes popular and everyone is sick and tired of it.
Maybe it’s because I grew up in the dark ages of comic book movies, but I never want them to stop making them. I will watch every single comic book movie they release, often multiple times. So, I don’t even know what people mean when they say super hero fatigue. All I see are a bunch of weirdo whiny people that can’t have a good time.
Supergirl 2026 is Not a Typical Super Hero Movie
This argument has merit. It has fights and explosions like a typical super hero movie. Itt focuses on stakes that are far lower than the average super hero movie. More on that in a bit. Also, it acts more as a character study of someone forced to grow up. With all of that being said, which is it? Is it super hero fatigue or is it not a typical movie? I guess Supergirl 2026 just got released in that magic space where it can occupy both. For me, though, that’s the great thing about comics. They can be whatever we want them to be. And I loved what this one wanted to be.
The Stakes are Too Low (A Sick Dog?)
I just said that comics can be whatever we want them to be. Supergirl 2026 wants to be a story of someone who grows up and realizes that they are not the center of the world. This happens when Krypto gets shot with a poison and Kara needs to find the person who did it to get the antidote. She is joined by a young woman who saw her family murdered by the same thug.
Much of the movie is Kara’s journey from selfish party girl to genuine hero. It also touches on the nature of grief and how it can fundamentally damage a person. Maybe it’s just because I’m an old guy and grief becomes much more regular in your life as you age, but I appreciated that part of the story. All of us can benefit from the discussion.
Not a Page for Page Translation
You get this all the time for book to movie translations. Supergirl 2026 apparently adapts the “Woman of Tomorrow” story from Tom King. Having never read this particular story, but being familiar with Tom King’s other work (besides Batman), I imagine it needed some adjustments to make it a better story. So, on a scale of 1 to 10 for how much this one would bother me, I give it an “Eh, who cares?” As long as the heart of the story is there, why does it have to be exactly the same?
Supergirl is a Lesser Character
People claim that the reason that the movie “bombed” at the box office is that they released it too early in the schedule. You reclaimed Superman in a big way last year, why follow it up with Supergirl 2026? Why not a rewrite of Wonder Woman? Try to fold Matt Reeves’ Batman into the mix? Adding Lobo, a character virtually impossible to make sympathetic didn’t help things. I also admit that there’s something to those arguments. However, I have my own theories as to why the movie “bombed.”
The Verdict (Supergirl 2026 is a fun movie and people need to stop already)
There are other theories out there why Supergirl 2026 didn’t land right with audiences. None of them hold any more water than the ones presented here in my opinion. It’s like The Mandalorian and Grogu. The movie entertained me, gave me and my kids another memory of having fun together in the cinema, and will become a staple rewatch once it releases into the home market. Yes, you’re wrong and I’m sorry that you simply can’t enjoy things.
