The last few years have seen the DCU slowly but surely expanding into a continuity that encompasses both movies and TV. While the franchise has seen some peaks, it’s also experienced some valleys, with the latest on the latter front being Supergirl. Craig Gillespie’s superhero flick didn’t make much of a dent at the box office earlier this year and, while it does have its admirers, it also has a number of detractors. Surprisingly, one DCU actor just shared an honest take on the Milly Alcock-led film, and it’s not unreasonable.
Admittedly, I’m not surprised that a performer from a different DCU film would take the time to check out Supergirl. What does feel unexpected to me, however, is that they would share that opinion on social media. That’s exactly what was done by Neva Howell, the actress known for playing Martha Kent in this burgeoning franchise. Howell weighed in on the movie after spotting a post, which posed the question of “what went wrong” with Kara Zor-El’s solo film. That prompted Howell to share the following response on X:
I personally enjoyed the performances of Milly Alcock and Jason [Momoa]. I agree with many that Krem did not have [a] strong impact. For me, personally, the LONG, chaotic fight scenes in dimly lit areas were not my favorite.
To be quite honest, I don’t disagree with any of the points made by the Greedy People alum, and I actually enjoyed the film for the most part. For starters, Alcock and Momoa are indeed well cast and bring the necessary energy to their respective characters. Yet I also firmly agree with the assertion that Matthias Schoenaerts’ Krem of the Yellow Hills is a lackluster villain. I’d really hoped the film would avoid that character-based trap. And, finally, I agree that some of the fight scenes, including the bouts on Bilquis, could’ve been brightened a bit.
Supergirl’s reception was interesting to watch in real time, as plenty of strong opinions were shared about it. On the one hand, there seemed to be a considerable amount of hate for the film, with some social media users even bashing the movie ahead of its release. There have since been more nuanced takes on the film, with some of the responses ranging from mixed to somewhat positive. For her part, Alcock was prepared for the online backlash, having learned about handling such critiques from her House of the Dragon experience.
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Despite the fact that there have been some positive reactions to Supergirl, it’s hard to deny that it didn’t fare well financially. The film – reportedly made on a $170 million – $186 million budget – debuted with only $68 million worldwide during its opening weekend. As of this writing, the film has grossed $126.4 million globally. Despite the movie’s lackluster returns, execs have said they’re still excited about Man of Tomorrow and other upcoming DC films.
Speaking of MoT, that film will see Alcock reprise her role as Kara, who returns to Earth and reunites with her cousin, Kal-El/Clark Kent, at the end of her solo film. While the character’s first true DCU outing may not have gone so smoothly, I’m still glad that she’ll remain in the fold. I’ll also continue to appreciate any nuanced takes shared about the film, including the one Neva Howell shared.
Fans can catch Supergirl when it becomes streamable with an HBO Max subscription beginning on September 10. In the meantime, use that same membership to stream Superman as well as DCU-set shows.
