Ana Nogueira, the writer of Supergirl, explains how the character came together for her. She also explains how she’s different from Superman.
Nogueira spoke with Variety about meeting with DC Studios officials to discuss a Supergirl movie after making her Off-Broadway playwrighting debut in 2016 with Empathitrax. Fan-favorite author Tom King sent Nogueira a collection of Supergirl comics, which helped her see the character as a fully realized person. “She watched Krypton completely be destroyed. I was always like, ‘I can’t get my head around the version of the character that is so sunny,” Nogueira explained. “When I read it, I was like, ‘There she is.”
Milly Alcock, who plays Supergirl in the DCU, debuted earlier this year in Superman, which starred David Corenswet. In a post-credits scene, Kara Zor-El makes her on-screen debut as a visibly hungover (or perhaps still drunk) Supergirl who crashes into Superman’s Fortress of Solitude. Instead of looking for help in fighting a new enemy, she’s just looking for her dog Krypto, who was crucial to the events of Superman and whom she had left in the care of her Kryptonian cousin.
James Gunn, the writer-director of Superman and co-head of DC Studios, outlined the main distinctions between Supergirl and David Corenswet’s Man of Steel back in July, focusing on their different worldviews and mindsets. “We will see the difference between Superman,” Gunn said, “who was sent to Earth and raised by loving parents from the time he was an infant, versus Supergirl, raised on a rock, a chip off of Krypton, and who watched everyone around her die and be killed in terrible ways for the first 14 years of her life and then come to Earth. She is much more hard-core and not the Supergirl we’re used to.”
Supergirl, which is scheduled to be directed by Craig Gillespie, is rapidly evolving into a film that differs from Superman in almost every aspect. The official Supergirl synopsis was released online in September, providing fans with a preview of what to expect from the movie when it opens the following year.
“While celebrating her 21st birthday, Kara Zor-El travels across the galaxy with her dog Krypto, during which she meets the young Ruthye Marye Knoll and goes on a murderous quest for revenge,”
It’s pulling straight from the 2008 miniseries Supergirl: The Woman of Tomorrow, which Tom King and Bilquis Evely co-wrote. Eve Ridley plays Ruthye Marye Knoll, and Matthias Schoenaerts plays the fearsome Krem of the Yellow Hills, while David Krumholtz and Emily Beecham play Supergirl’s parents. Jason Momoa plays the intergalactic mercenary and bounty hunter Lobo.
This Supergirl is very different from previous live-action performances. Helen Slater (1984) was earnest and classic but limited by the film. Laura Vandervoort (Smallville) was grounded and relatable. Melissa Benoist (CW) balanced hope and vulnerability. Sasha Calle (The Flash) offered a darker, intense take. Milly Alcock promises a raw, gritty, and comic-accurate portrayal.
How do you think the tone of Supergirl compares to Superman? Let us know in the comments!
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