The Ultimate Supergirl Guide: Trailer Breakdown, Easter Eggs, and the History of the Woman of Tomorrow
The DC Universe is being reborn, and if the first trailer for Supergirl is any indication, it is going to be loud, messy, and unapologetically bold. Directed by Craig Gillespie (Cruella, I, Tonya) and produced by DC Studios co-CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran, the film starring Milly Alcock is set to crash into theaters on June 26, 2026.
But this isn’t just another superhero movie. It is a faithful yet rebellious adaptation of one of the most acclaimed modern comic books, Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow. For fans who only know Supergirl as Superman’s cheery cousin, this trailer was a shock to the system. For die-hard comic readers, it was a love letter filled with hidden details.
Here is your comprehensive breakdown of the trailer, the Easter eggs you missed, the deep comic book lore behind the film, and the complete history of the Girl of Steel.
Part 1: The Trailer Breakdown & Easter Eggs
The trailer is a masterclass in setting a tone. It abandons the traditional orchestral swells of superhero cinema for the punchy, punk-rock energy of Blondie’s “Call Me.” Here is what you might have missed in the footage.
1. The Opening: Squalor and Superman’s Shadow
The trailer opens with Krypto the Superdog sniffing around a messy room before relieving himself on a newspaper. This isn’t just a gross-out gag; it’s a narrative device.
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The Newspaper: The paper Krypto pees on is The Daily Planet. If you pause, you can see the headlines. The main headline celebrates Superman (David Corenswet) for saving a nuclear power plant. A much smaller, sidebar headline mentions Supergirl saving a cat from a tree.
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The Easter Egg: This is a direct nod to Superman: The Movie (1978), where Christopher Reeve’s Superman saves a cat. It highlights Kara’s frustration: her cousin gets the glory for saving the world, while she is treated like a sidekick. It establishes her inferiority complex immediately.
2. Why is Supergirl Drunk?
We see Kara doing shots in an alien bar. Casual viewers might be confused—can Superman getting drunk?
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The Science: Under a yellow sun (like Earth’s), Kryptonians are invulnerable and cannot get intoxicated. However, the trailer shows Kara on an alien planet. In the comics, she specifically travels to planets with Red Suns. Under a red sun, Kryptonians lose their powers and become effectively human. This allows Kara to feel the effects of alcohol, which she uses to numb the trauma of losing her entire civilization.
3. The “Call Me” Needle Drop
The song “Call Me” by Blondie is more than just a vibe.
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The Meaning: The lyrics about “coloring me your color” and “call me for a ride” hint at the mercenary nature of the story. Kara is adrift, waiting for a purpose. When the young alien girl Ruthye approaches her, she is essentially “calling” on Supergirl for a job.
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The Outfit: Kara is wearing a black leather jacket and a T-shirt. In the comics, she often wears a band T-shirt. In the trailer, she is actually wearing a Blondie T-shirt, making the song choice a meta-reference to the character’s own taste in music.
4. Enter Ruthye and the Quest
The young girl with the sword is Ruthye Marye Knoll (played by Eve Ridley).
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The Narrator: In the Woman of Tomorrow comic, the entire story is narrated by Ruthye, not Kara. She speaks in a very formal, archaic dialect (e.g., “The gods are not that kind”). The trailer confirms the movie keeps this unique dialogue style.
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The Sword: The sword Ruthye carries belongs to her father. In the story, the villain Krem murders her father and leaves the sword in his chest. Ruthye retrieves it and vows vengeance.
5. The Villain: Krem of the Yellow Hills
We get our first look at Matthias Schoenaerts as the villain, Krem.
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The Change: In the comics, Krem looks like a scruffy human. In the trailer, he has purple skin and facial markings.
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The Deep Cut: The purple skin might be a reference to a specific subplot in the comics involving “Purple Town,” a segregated community on a prejudice-filled planet. Alternatively, it serves to make him look more alien and distinct from the human characters.
6. The Big Reveal: Jason Momoa as Lobo
The trailer’s biggest surprise is Jason Momoa chomping on a cigar.
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The History: Fans have fancast Momoa as Lobo—the unkillable, motorcycle-riding, intergalactic bounty hunter—for a decade. Even while he played Aquaman, Momoa hinted he wanted to be Lobo.
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The Connection: Interestingly, comic writer Tom King originally pitched Woman of Tomorrow as a team-up between Supergirl and Lobo (a “True Grit” in space). DC editors told him to cut Lobo and focus on Supergirl. James Gunn has now reintegrated Lobo into the movie, bringing the original pitch full circle.
7. Krypton and the White Robes
Flashbacks show the destruction of Krypton. We see characters in white robes attending a funeral.
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The Reference: This visual of white, glowing robes pays homage to the depiction of Kryptonian elders in Richard Donner’s Superman (1978) and the funeral procession seen in the classic Death of Superman era comics. It emphasizes that Krypton was a sterile, ancient, and ritualistic society, contrasting with Kara’s current messy life.
Part 2: The Source Material – Woman of Tomorrow
To understand this movie, you must understand the book it is based on. Published in 2021-2022, Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow is widely considered one of the greatest Supergirl stories ever told.
The Creative Team: Written by Tom King (an ex-CIA officer known for writing trauma-focused superheroes like Mister Miracle and The Vision) and illustrated by Bilquis Evely, whose art brings a fantasy, storybook quality to the sci-fi setting.
The Plot: Unlike standard superhero tales of saving a city, this is a Space Western. It is heavily inspired by the novel and film True Grit.
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Kara as Rooster Cogburn: Just as the grizzled marshal helps a young girl in True Grit, a jaded Supergirl reluctantly agrees to help Ruthye.
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The stakes: They are chasing Krem across the galaxy on a bus (yes, a space bus). The journey is slow, painful, and focuses on the bonding between the two characters.
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The theme: It explores the difference between Superman and Supergirl. Superman represents Hope; he had a happy childhood. Supergirl represents Trauma; she is a survivor of genocide. The story asks: Can you move on from the past, or must you let it destroy you?
Key Quote: “Superman was sent to Earth to be a god. I was sent to protect him. By the time I got there, he didn’t need me. He could fly. He could shoot fire from his eyes. He was happy. What was I for?”
Part 3: A History of the Girl of Steel (1959–2026)
Supergirl has had a turbulent history, often treated as a secondary character or erased from existence entirely.
1. The Birth (1959): Supergirl (Kara Zor-El) was created by writer Otto Binder and artist Al Plastino in Action Comics #252 (May 1959).
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The Origin: She was born in Argo City, a chunk of Krypton that survived the explosion. When the ground turned to Kryptonite, her father Zor-El sent her to Earth.
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The Secret Weapon: For years, Superman made her hide in an orphanage as his “secret weapon,” forbidding her from revealing herself.
2. The Death (1985): In the 1980s, DC Comics wanted to simplify their universe. They felt there were too many Kryptonians.
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Crisis on Infinite Earths: In issue #7, Supergirl died saving the multiverse from the Anti-Monitor. The image of Superman holding her broken body is one of the most iconic covers in comic history. DC then erased her from memory, making Superman the only survivor of Krypton for nearly 20 years.
3. The Imposters (1988–2003): During her erasure, DC tried to fill the void with other “Supergirls” who weren’t Kryptonian:
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Matrix: A shapeshifting protoplasm created by Lex Luthor.
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Linda Danvers: An earth-born angel who merged with Matrix.
4. The Return (2004): Writer Jeph Loeb and artist Michael Turner finally brought back the original Kara Zor-El in Superman/Batman #8. This modern version was angrier, more powerful, and struggled to control her abilities—serving as the direct inspiration for the current movie version.
5. Live Action Legacy:
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Helen Slater (1984): Starred in the first Supergirl movie. Though the film flopped, Slater remains a beloved icon.
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Melissa Benoist (2015–2021): Led the CW TV series Supergirl for six seasons. Her version was very close to Superman—optimistic, sunny, and hopeful.
6. The James Gunn Era (2026): This new version, played by Milly Alcock, rejects the “sunny” personality. Gunn has described her as “hardcore.” She is not here to be a role model; she is here to survive.
Conclusion
The Supergirl trailer promises a film that is visually stunning and emotionally complex. By adapting Woman of Tomorrow and adding the chaotic energy of Lobo, DC Studios is signaling that they are willing to take risks.
This isn’t just a movie about a girl who can fly. It’s a movie about a girl who lost everything, hit rock bottom in a space bar, and decided to stand up and fight back. As the trailer says, she sees the truth. And on June 26, 2026, the world will see it too.