Supergirl (2026): Milly Alcock's DCU Debut, Release Date, Cast and Rotten Tomatoes Score

The Girl of Steel is finally getting her own movie, and she lands in theaters this week. "Supergirl," the second feature film in James Gunn and Peter Safran's rebooted DC Universe (DCU), held its world premiere in Brooklyn on June 22, 2026, and opens in cinemas across the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and Australia on June 26, 2026, with preview screenings the night before. Milly Alcock, best known to many viewers as the young Rhaenyra Targaryen in HBO's "House of the Dragon," takes the cape as Kara Zor-El, and her casting has been one of the most-searched movie stories of the month.

The film is trending for a few reasons at once. Alcock is a rising star, the DCU is still young enough that every new release feels like a referendum on the whole project, and the first wave of reviews has produced a genuinely divisive Rotten Tomatoes score that fans keep refreshing. This post pulls together what is confirmed and what is not: the exact title, the comic it adapts, the full principal cast and their roles, the director and writer, the theatrical release date and the streaming plan, and the current Rotten Tomatoes numbers. Where a detail is still unannounced, such as the official HBO Max streaming date, we say so plainly rather than guess.

What "Supergirl" is: the DCU context and the comic it adapts

First, the title. Although the project was developed and widely reported for years as "Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow," DC Studios shortened the theatrical title to simply "Supergirl." According to Wikipedia and Rotten Tomatoes, the on-screen and marketing title is "Supergirl," while "Woman of Tomorrow" remains the name of the source comic. If you have seen both names used online, that is why.

The movie is an adaptation of the 2021 to 2022 DC Comics miniseries "Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow," written by Tom King with art by Bilquis Evely. That eight-issue run is a cosmic, road-trip revenge story rather than a traditional metropolis-set superhero tale, and that framing has carried over to the film. According to Popverse and Wikipedia, the plot follows Kara Zor-El as she crosses the galaxy alongside a young alien girl named Ruthye, who is seeking vengeance for her murdered father, with the bounty hunter Krem as their target.

In terms of continuity, "Supergirl" is the second film in the DCU, the shared universe that officially launched with the animated series "Creature Commandos" and continued with Gunn's "Superman" in 2025. According to Wikipedia, it falls under the franchise's first phase, branded "Chapter One: Gods and Monsters," and is distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures with DC Studios producing. As Popverse notes, Gunn's "Superman" set this up directly: Alcock's Kara appears in that film's final scene, crashing into the Fortress of Solitude, and Krypto the dog is revealed to actually be hers. So while "Supergirl" works as a standalone story, it is plugged into a larger plan.

Cast and characters: who plays who

The headline, of course, is Milly Alcock as Kara Zor-El, also known as Supergirl. According to Wikipedia, Rotten Tomatoes and Popverse, the principal cast around her includes:

• Milly Alcock as Kara Zor-El / Supergirl, Superman's Kryptonian cousin and the film's lead.
• Eve Ridley as Ruthye Marye Knoll, the young alien girl on a quest for vengeance who becomes Kara's traveling companion.
• Matthias Schoenaerts as Krem of the Yellow Hills, the antagonist at the center of Ruthye's revenge mission.
• Jason Momoa as Lobo, the chaotic intergalactic bounty hunter. Notably, this is a different DC role for Momoa, who previously played Aquaman in the earlier, separate DC film slate.
• David Krumholtz as Zor-El, Kara's father.
• Emily Beecham as Alura In-Ze, Kara's mother.
• David Corenswet as Kal-El / Clark Kent / Superman, reprising the role he originated in Gunn's 2025 "Superman."

Corenswet's involvement connects the two films directly, though all reporting frames "Supergirl" as Kara's story rather than a Superman team-up. The pairing of Alcock and Ridley, the seasoned star and the young newcomer, sits at the emotional core of the movie according to the early reviews. Momoa's Lobo has also drawn a lot of pre-release attention, both because of the actor's profile and because Lobo is a fan-favorite character making his live-action DCU entrance here.

Director and creators: who made it

"Supergirl" is directed by Craig Gillespie. According to Wikipedia and Deadline, Gillespie is an Australian filmmaker best known for "I, Tonya" (2017), which earned Allison Janney an Academy Award, and Disney's "Cruella" (2021) with Emma Stone, as well as "Lars and the Real Girl" and the 2023 finance drama "Dumb Money." His track record leans toward character-driven films with strong central performances, which several critics have connected to the praise for Alcock's work here.

The screenplay is written by Ana Nogueira. According to Variety, Deadline and Wikipedia, Nogueira is an actress and playwright, and "Supergirl" is her first produced feature screenplay. She has since become a key writer inside Gunn's DC Studios, with reporting confirming she is also attached to write an upcoming "Wonder Woman" film and has been linked to a "Teen Titans" project. The film is produced under the DC Studios banner, with James Gunn and Peter Safran overseeing the DCU as a whole. Tom King and Bilquis Evely, the comic's creators, receive source-material credit for the "Woman of Tomorrow" storyline the film adapts.

Release date and where to watch: theaters now, streaming later

Here is the part most readers want. "Supergirl" opens theatrically in the United States on Friday, June 26, 2026, with some theaters running preview screenings on Thursday, June 25. The Brooklyn world premiere took place on June 22, 2026. So as of the date of this post, the film is either in previews or just hitting wide release, depending on your local showtimes. The only confirmed way to watch it right now is in a cinema.

For streaming, the honest answer is that no official date has been announced. As DC's parent company, the film is expected to eventually arrive on HBO Max (the Warner Bros. Discovery service), most likely after a window on premium video on demand. According to streaming-tracker outlets, including reporting summarized by The Streamable and IMDb, analysts have predicted an HBO Max debut sometime in September 2026 based on the roughly 70-day theaters-to-streaming gap that Gunn's "Superman" followed. We want to be clear that this is an estimate and an unconfirmed prediction, not an announcement. Warner Bros. and DC Studios had not set an official "Supergirl" streaming date as of June 25, 2026. We will update this post when a date is confirmed.

To summarize the where-to-watch picture: in theaters now in the US, UK, Canada and Australia; expected on premium video on demand and then HBO Max later in 2026, with the exact date still to be confirmed.

Reviews and the Rotten Tomatoes score

The Rotten Tomatoes conversation is a big part of why "Supergirl" is trending, so let us handle it carefully. As reviews have rolled in around the premiere, the Tomatometer has sat in the high 50s. According to Rotten Tomatoes and aggregated reporting from outlets including Yahoo Entertainment, Men's Journal and Superman Homepage, the critics score has hovered in roughly the 56 to 58 percent range across roughly 130 to 137 reviews, with an average critic rating near 5.7 out of 10. Because reviews are still being counted around the release window, that exact number is live and may shift a point or two after this post publishes. On Metacritic, the film carries a 50 out of 100 from around 42 critics, which the site labels "mixed or average."

That places "Supergirl" in "Rotten" territory on the Tomatometer, behind earlier DCU entries that scored higher, such as "Superman" and the "Peacemaker" and "Creature Commandos" series, according to comparisons noted by Rotten Tomatoes and trade coverage. The Rotten Tomatoes audience score, sometimes called the Popcornmeter, was not yet posted at the time of writing, which is normal for a film that is only just reaching wide audiences. We are not going to invent an audience number, so check Rotten Tomatoes directly for the verified audience rating once it goes live.

On the substance of the reviews, the consensus is genuinely split, but there is one point of near-agreement. According to multiple outlets, including Yahoo Entertainment and Superman Homepage, critics have broadly praised Milly Alcock's performance, describing her Kara as fresh and emotionally grounded even when they were lukewarm on the film around her. The criticism has tended to focus on tonal inconsistency and the script, with one widely quoted negative review (Variety) calling the film flat. In short, the early takeaway from critics is "great lead, uneven movie," and the divisive score reflects that.

Frequently asked questions

Is the movie called "Supergirl" or "Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow"?

The official theatrical title is simply "Supergirl," according to Wikipedia and Rotten Tomatoes. "Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow" is the name of the 2021 to 2022 Tom King and Bilquis Evely comic that the film adapts, and it was the working title during development before DC Studios shortened it.

When does "Supergirl" come out?

It opens in US theaters on June 26, 2026, with preview screenings on June 25. The world premiere was held in Brooklyn on June 22, 2026, according to Wikipedia. It releases in the UK, Canada and Australia in the same late-June window.

Who plays Supergirl?

Milly Alcock plays Kara Zor-El, also known as Supergirl. She is widely known for playing the young Rhaenyra Targaryen in HBO's "House of the Dragon." This is her first time leading a major superhero feature.

What is the Rotten Tomatoes score for "Supergirl"?

As of June 25, 2026, the critics Tomatometer has been sitting in roughly the 56 to 58 percent range across about 130 to 137 reviews, with an average rating near 5.7 out of 10, according to Rotten Tomatoes. The number is still updating as reviews come in, and the audience score had not yet posted, so check Rotten Tomatoes for the current verified figures.

Is "Supergirl" part of the new DC Universe?

Yes. According to Wikipedia, it is the second film in the DCU overseen by James Gunn and Peter Safran, part of "Chapter One: Gods and Monsters." David Corenswet appears as Superman, and the character was set up in the final scene of Gunn's 2025 "Superman."

Where can I stream "Supergirl"?

You cannot stream it yet. As of June 25, 2026, it is only in theaters. It is expected to reach premium video on demand and then HBO Max later in 2026, but no official streaming date has been announced. Predictions of a September 2026 HBO Max arrival are analyst estimates, not confirmed dates.

What to watch next

If "Supergirl" has you in a DC mood, here are related titles in the same universe and orbit, with where each one streams:

• Superman (2025), James Gunn's DCU launch film starring David Corenswet, which directly sets up Kara's arrival. Streaming on HBO Max.
• Peacemaker (Seasons 1 and 2), John Cena's irreverent DCU series from James Gunn. Streaming on HBO Max.
• Creature Commandos, the animated series that officially kicked off the DCU continuity. Streaming on HBO Max.
• Man of Steel (2013), the previous-era Superman origin film for fans who want more Kryptonian backstory. Available to rent or buy on major video-on-demand platforms, with streaming availability that rotates, so check your service.
• Aquaman (2018), if you want to see Jason Momoa in his earlier, separate DC role before his DCU turn as Lobo. Available on HBO Max and major rental platforms, with availability that changes over time.

That is the full picture on "Supergirl" as it reaches theaters. We will keep this updated as the Rotten Tomatoes audience score lands and as an official HBO Max streaming date is confirmed. For more new-release breakdowns and where-to-watch guides, browse our blog, or head back to The Movies Finder to track the film and build your watchlist.