The latest superhero film to crash and burn is Supergirl, directed by Craig Gillespie and produced by James Gunn. Despite having a talented young actress in Milly Alcock as Kara Zor-El, the movie falls flat due to poor writing, tone, and lack of context.
James Gunn’s decision to choose an acoustic guitar song like “The Middle” by Jimmy Eat World for the film’s climax is a jarring moment that highlights the problem. The scene is meant to be triumphant but feels deflating instead. The script by Ana Nogueira fails to illuminate what drives its characters, making it hard to invest in their stories.
Supergirl shares similar issues with other female-led superhero films like Wonder Woman 1984 and Eternals. Hollywood’s recent attempts at creating a strong female lead have been met with disappointment due to the lack of care and consideration in production. The culture war surrounding these films has also led to online backlash, which can affect box office performance.
The cancellation of Batgirl, another DC Studios project, highlights the risks involved when prioritizing profits over quality content. It’s time for Hollywood to take a step back and reassess their approach to creating successful female-led superhero films.
DC Studios now faces uncertainty with Paramount Skydance taking over Warner Bros., leaving only one stand-alone female superhero project in production. The future of female comic-book heroes is uncertain, but it’s clear that the industry needs to learn from Supergirl’s mistakes.
Source: https://variety.com/2026/film/columns/supergirl-stinks-hollywood-failing-female-superheroes-1236798145