Supergirl, starring Milly Alcock as Kara, sees the titular heroine embark on a journey of self discovery.

The second movie in James Gunn’s rebooted DC Universe, Supergirl explores the tragic origin story of Kara Zor-El, in stark contrast to the wholesome childhood of her cousin, Superman (David Corenswet).

Kara is addicted to drowning her sorrows and avoiding responsibility, but learns to embrace heroism after embarking on a quest for revenge alongside Ruthye (Eve Ridley).

What Is The Plot Of ‘Supergirl’?

Warning: Spoilers Ahead

Kara is introduced as a reckless party animal, who spends her time seeking out planets orbiting red suns, to weaken her superpowered metabolism and become intoxicated.

Unlike her cousin Superman, dedicated to the protection of Earth and all its inhabitants, Kara doesn’t want to be responsible for anyone’s safety.

When she first meets Ruthye Marye Knoll, a young girl whose family was slaughtered by a clan of space pirates, the Brigands, Kara initially rejects Ruthye’s plea for help.

Ruthye seeks revenge against the Brigands leader, Krem of the Yellow Hills (Matthias Schoenaerts), but Kara isn’t interested in using her powers for good.

Kara is only drawn into Ruthye’s vengeance quest after her dog, Krypto, is poisoned by Krem during a raid on her ship. Krypto will die unless he receives a specific antidote held by Krem.

Kara’s selfish, John Wick-esque motivation for assisting Ruthye eventually turns into a hero’s journey, with Kara forced to confront her own trauma and figure out what she really stands for.

Jason Momoa returns to the DC Universe as the bounty hunter Lobo, who is slightly edgier, more selfish than Supergirl, but proves an invaluable ally.

Kara learns that Krem’s Brigands are a few shades darker than the average comic book supervillain—they’re a gang of rapists who regularly kidnap women and imprison them as “brides.”

Despite this, Kara insists that Ruthye hold back from killing Krem, seeking to protect the young girl’s innocence—at least, whatever remains of it.

Kara forcing Ruthye to stand down allows Krem to escape and temporarily gain the upper hand, leading the two down a very dangerous path.

When Kara manages to defeat the Brigands and free the imprisoned women, Ruthye again attempts to kill Krem.

Kara manages to convince the young girl that vengeance will not ease her suffering, and Ruthye relents, choosing not to stain her own hands with blood.

Kara then steps up to murder Krem, delivering Ruthye’s revenge while sparing the girl from being further traumatized.

The Origin Story Of ‘Supergirl,’ Explained

Supergirl delves deeper into one of the unexpected twists of James Gunn’s Superman, which takes a page from Invincible, revealing Superman’s biological parents as fascists who wanted their son to rule Earth as a dictator.

That twist implies that Kryptonians view their superpowered race as inherently superior to others, but Supergirl reveals that this is not the case.

Kara’s parents, Zor-El (David Krumholtz) and Alura In-Ze (Emily Beecham) are Kryptonians who only want their daughter to survive, not dominate other alien races.

Zor-El is a Noah-like figure who sees the destruction of Krypton coming and manages to save the city of Argo using a powerful forcefield.

Hence, Kara grows up beside her Kryptonian family, unlike Superman, who was raised by the kindly Kents, a superpowered alien in a human world.

However, Argo City is plagued by radiation from exposed Kryptonite, and Kara is forced to watch her Kryptonian family suffer poisoning, and her mother die.

Hence, Zor-El sends Kara and Krypto to the safety of Earth, sparing her a slow death.

This tragic childhood is why Kara spends so much time in a deliberately weakened state, under the glow of red suns—she drinks to forget her trauma, and doesn’t want her powers to get in the way.

In Supergirl, Kara’s adventure teaches her to embrace the responsibility of heroism, to spare others the suffering that she and her family experienced.

Kara sees herself in Ruthye, healing her own inner child by protecting Ruthye’s innocence.

Is There Going To Be A ‘Supergirl’ Sequel?

The final scene of the film sees Kara return to Earth alongside Superman, who is relieved to see her settle down (and rely on her as a helping hand).

It’s a simple ending, with no post-credits scene, setting up Kara as an invaluable companion to Superman, now comfortable in her red cape.

A direct Supergirl sequel has not been announced (and seems unlikely, based on the negative reaction to the film), but James Gunn’s Superman sequel, Man of Tomorrow, is scheduled for a 2027 release.

The sequel will see Superman forced to team up with his arch nemesis, Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult) to confront an even greater threat—Brainiac (Lars Eidinger).

It’s not yet confirmed if Kara will join the fight against Brainiac, but Supergirl clearly sets her up as a companion to Superman, so it seems safe to assume that she will have a role to play.

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