Kara Zor-El is a mess and she’s perfect: “Kal-El sees the good in people, I see the truth”
Summer belongs to the Kryptonians
The minute that Kara (Milly Alcock) appeared in Superman this summer, I was sold. And now that trailer for Supergirl is here and my messy queen is everything I wanted and then some. Written by Ana Nogueira and directed by I, Tonya director Craig Gillespie, this teaser trailer is a perfect glimpse into who Kara is.
Kara Zor-El, as established in 2025’s Superman, is a bit of a party animal. She goes to planets with a red sun in order to get drunk and actually feel the effects of alcohol. Meaning she leaves her dog Krypto with her cousin Clark (David Corenswet) to go have fun. Honestly? My kind of hot mess. And in the new teaser, which I was lucky enough to see at a special event for Supergirl in New York, is for the less than perfect cousins.
Within the first few moments, we get to see Kara clearly hung over, Krypto trying to be the best dog, and a less than perfect superhero persona and it is glorious. Supergirl is based on Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, written by Tom King and illustrated by Bilquis Evely. And, as the comic explored, the partying might be tied to Kara’s birthday…
The difference between Kara and Kal has always been that Kara was way more aware of what happened to Krypton. Mainly because Jor-El and Lara Lor-Van sent Clark to Earth as a baby. But from what we know about the comic and the bit the teaser shows, it seems as if Kara’s more “hardened” persona is rooted in her past trauma and loss of her planet.
Sometimes, you want to party and rock out to girl ballads
While it isn’t in the trailer, one of my favorite moments from the New York event was when the song “Dancing On My Own” by Robyn played. Much like any project that has James Gunn involved (one way or another,) I was very much tuned into what music was playing. It was a mix of 80s girl rock songs and more recent pop hits. To be fair, the Robyn song was released in 2010 but you get it.
It did set the tone for me though. The entire time I watched the teaser trailer, I knew that she was going to embody that feeling of “screw it” that many women feel from time to time. It is both overwhelming and freeing at the same time and also a sign that we probably need someone we can talk to, which is what this teaser suggested about Kara to me. She needs a break, a friend, and mission all at the same time.
Yes, there are nods to other DC characters and storylines mixed into this teaser but I was more focused on how much of who Kara is it showed us. She’s not perfect and that’s why she’s perfect to me and I cannot wait to see what Milly Alcock brings to the character.
Supergirl hits theaters on June 26, 2026.
(featured image: Warner Bros.)
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