Supergirl's Redemption Will Continue In 2027 After Becoming A Major Streaming Success

Published Sep 15, 2026, 5:50 PM EDT Cooper Hood is the Associate Editor for all new movie releases, in theaters and on streaming. In addition to writing articles about these titles and upcoming releases, he also oversees content planning for each, ensuring that ScreenRant continues to cover major releases for months after their release. He has written various reviews for ScreenRant that appear on Rotten Tomatoes, coordinated Oscars and San Diego Comic-Con coverage, appeared on CNN to talk about Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning, and done select interviews with talent over the years. Milly Alcock's Supergirl got a tough break when Supergirl hit theaters, but her redemption arc is poised to extend into 2027. DC Studios introduced audiences to Alcock's Kara Zor-El at the end of Superman. Her cameo directly set up the events of her solo movie, with the hope that it would give the DC Universe consecutive box office hits. That isn't the fate audiences gave the movie, as Supergirl bombed in theaters over the summer. It made just $126 million after costing DC and Warner Bros. over $170 million to make. Interest dropped after Supergirl's negative reviews, which cut out the film's legs. Rather than venture to a theater to see a highly criticized movie, audiences chose to wait until streaming. Supergirl made its streaming debut on HBO Max on September 10, 2026. In the days since then, the DCU movie has jumped to the top of HBO Max's streaming charts. According to FlixPatrol, Supergirl is the No. 1 movie globally on HBO Max, dethroning Practical Magic. It holds the top spot in 54 countries, including the United States, as of September 15. While WB, DC, and HBO Max have yet to reveal any firm viewership figures for Supergirl, the movie has been redeemed as a streaming hit. It's exactly what the studios, James Gunn, and Alcock needed after the film's disastrous box office performance, and it's just the start of Supergirl getting a boost in the DCU. Supergirl Deserves Its HBO Max Success After Bombing At The Box Office After a turbulent summer in theaters, it's great to see Supergirl find success on streaming. The movie might not be perfect, but it does have its enjoyable elements. An argument could even be made that the criticism and negativity surrounding the film were amplified because it simply put a female hero front and center. Supergirl deserved to be a bigger box office hit, rather than be subjected to the dogpiling that often comes when a film fails at the box office. Success on HBO Max is a good consolation prize for Supergirl. The chart-topping interest is a way to show DC and WB that audiences are interested in the character. They just didn't turn out for it in theaters. Whether that was due to the poor reviews, an underwhelming marketing campaign, people saving their money for other summer blockbusters, or something else is unknowable. But Supergirl clearly can demand people's interest. The streaming success is especially deserved for Alcock. She is the best part of Supergirl, but the film floundering at the box office meant extra negativity towards her. There was some fear that DC could look to diminish her role in the DCU if the studio took Supergirl's performance as a sign audiences had no desire to see her. HBO Max subscribers have proved otherwise, helping solidify Alcock's Supergirl as a piece of the DCU's future. Man Of Tomorrow Will Make Milly Alcock's Supergirl Even Better Regardless of how Supergirl fared in theaters or on streaming, it was already confirmed that Alcock would reprise her role once more. Kara Zor-El is set to return in Man of Tomorrow, James Gunn and DC Studios' 2027 blockbuster follow-up to Superman. The upcoming DCU movie is poised to show Supergirl in a completely different light, one that should result in the character becoming even better by the end. Supergirl's exact role in Man of Tomorrow's story is still under wraps, but Supergirl's ending puts her in a fascinating position. She's no longer running from her responsibilities as a superhero and has made Earth her home. It should be great to see this more hopeful side of Kara and the dynamic with Superman. Furthermore, she won't have the whole movie resting on her shoulders, giving Supergirl a chance to be a memorable supporting piece instead. One of the ways Man of Tomorrow can accomplish this is by showing the full display of Supergirl's powers. She'll presumably be on a planet with a yellow sun the whole time, which will help. Encountering a threat as dangerous as Brainiac creates a necessity for Kara's abilities to be dialed in if the heroes want a chance to win. It's fair to expect one or two moments in Man of Tomorrow that show off everything the Girl of Steel is capable of. Alcock's DCU return coming under Gunn's direction should also help things. He knows how to do these blockbuster superhero movies well and get the most out of almost every character. There's even a great history with strong female characters. Gunn clearly felt that Supergirl was necessary to tell Man of Tomorrow's story, so that should result in a compelling use of her, which can then lead to a grander appreciation for Alcock's portrayal. Will Supergirl Have A DCU Future Beyond Man Of Tomorrow? Man of Tomorrow won't be the end of Supergirl's DCU tenure, either. DC Studios has not confirmed any DCU movie plans beyond 2027's event film, but there is a larger roadmap internally. Executive producer Lars Winther told The Hollywood Reporter this year that they already know what the next DC movie will be and that Alcock's Supergirl "will be a big part of that." That confirms that Alcock will come back as Supergirl after Man of Tomorrow for what sounds like another substantial role. Speculation about what that next DCU movie will be has brought up a Wonder Woman reboot and Teen Titans as two possibilities. Supergirl's writer Ana Nogueira is attached to both projects, so her familiarity with Kara makes the character's return more plausible. With Man of Tomorrow and this other mystery DCU movie appearance confirmed, Alcock has a bright future as Supergirl still to come. She would likely return for the next Superman-led movie. If Jason Momoa's Lobo gets a spinoff from Supergirl, it would make sense for her to appear in his film, too. The possibilities are endless for how DC Studios can use Supergirl as the DCU expands. The full extent of her future will just come down to how well her year-long redemption goes. Man of Tomorrow could leave audiences viewing Supergirl as one of the franchise's best characters, which would put pressure on DC Studios to keep using her. That seems to be the trajectory she is on after Supergirl's streaming success, rather than the franchise pushing her to the side due to muted reception. Release Date June 26, 2026 Runtime 108 minutes Director Craig Gillespie Writers Ana Nogueira Producers James Gunn, Lars P. Winther, Nigel Gostelow, Peter Safran Franchise(s) DC Universe