Supergirl Hits 61% on Rotten Tomatoes Ahead of Release

You can feel the buzz long before the posters take over the subway. Supergirl — the newest chapter in James Gunn's DC reboot — has already been screened by critics and the early reaction is a headline in itself.

Rotten Tomatoes currently lists Supergirl at 61% from 75 critic reviews. That number arrived in the days before the film's wide release, and it has become the first public barometer for a movie the studio is clearly positioning as a flagship for the new DCU.

What’s striking is how this version of Kara is rooted in a different mood than the cape-and-cocky blockbuster you might expect. The film draws from Tom King and Bilquis Evely's acclaimed Woman of Tomorrow, and early synopses describe a story in which Kara teams up with a young rebel—reported in early materials as Ruti Mary Noll—to bring down a figure known as Kareem of Yellow Hills, the villain linked to the murder of that girl's family. Darker notes. Tender moments. A road movie through space, some say.

Milly Alcock carries the film at its center. She’s the one critics keep circling back to, whether praising her quiet command or the ways the script lets the character be messy and human. And this Supergirl doesn't arrive alone: David Corenswet — introduced as Superman in last year’s DC reset — is back, Jason Momoa returns to the comic‑book arena but as a very different force this time (he plays the bounty hunter Lobo), and David Krumholtz reportedly turns up as Kara’s father, Zor‑El.

If you’re wondering how this stacks up historically, this is only the second live‑action Supergirl feature. The 1984 film starring Helen Slater still sits low in Rotten Tomatoes history with a 19% critic score and a 26% audience score. Times have changed. The tone has shifted. So have audience expectations.

Numbers on review aggregator sites are a snapshot, not a verdict. Expect movement. More reviews will arrive, and audience reactions — which hadn’t been recorded at the time these early tallies went up — could tilt perception one way or another. Festivals and press screenings create first impressions; the public decides the rest.

Supergirl opens in theaters on Friday, June 26, 2026. Whether you’re following the DCU rollout or curious about a more literary take on a classic character, this is the film that will tell us a lot about the direction of the new cinematic universe.