WARNING: Contains Spoilers for James Gunn’s Superman (2025)!

Warning: This is your last chance to turn around before encountering spoilers for James Gunn’sSuperman(2025). If you’re one of the many DC fans who saw the movie this weekend, chances are you were grinning from ear to ear by the time the credits rolled. While the ending delivered big, many fans may have missed just how clever it truly was or the subtle hints it dropped about the future.

As those who watchedSuperman(2025) know, the movie ends with a short but excitingcameo from Milly Alcock’s Supergirl. The scene takes place in the Fortress of Solitude shortly after Superman and the other heroes have saved the day.

Supergirl stands holding a sword aloft. Behind her is a young woman’s face, Krypto the Super-Dog, a spaceship, and a large red sun.

While most viewers were likely admiring her costume or laughing at Krypto’s overly enthusiastic greeting, some may have missed Superman’s revealing comment about her return,a comment that is a direct nod toSupergirl: Woman of Tomorrowby Tom King.

Supergirl’s Drunken Debut inSupermanIs a Clever Nod to DC’s Best Kara Zor-El Story

Kara’s Red Sun Bender Mirrors Her Comic Book Arc inSupergirl: Woman of Tomorrow

Supermansees Kara Zor-Elreturn to Earth to collect Kryptoafter spending time in a red-sun solar system.Adult viewers likely picked up on the fact that Supergirl appeared intoxicated, based on her staggering, slightly slurred speech, and general drunk vibe. This is something Superman soon confirms.

While speaking to one of the robot guardians in the Fortress of Solitude,Superman explains that Supergirl traveled to a planet under a red sun to escape her high metabolism and get drunk.This is something Kryptonians cannot do under a yellow sun like Earth’s, since their powers are activated, and such effects are blocked.

Supergirl holds the arm of a young woman as they run. Behind them, bubbles rise, holding the grinning fishlike faces of an alien species.

…Supergirl will be a character who struggles with self-identity and is coping in deeply problematic ways…

Kara visiting red-sun solar systems just to get drunk may have sounded familiar to longtime Supergirl fans, especially those who have read Tom King’sSupergirl: Woman of Tomorrow.That story is widely considered the best Supergirl tale to dateand has been confirmed by James Gunn asinspiration for his upcomingSupergirlmovie, which is set to release in summer 2026.

Supergirl and a young woman in a cloak and holding a sword sit at an alien bus stop. Odd figures, alien figures of fellow travelers sit and stand with them and their luggage; a sign points out station directions in an alien language.

This Supergirl cameo pulls directly from the comics in this way.Woman of Tomorrowbegins with Kara drowning her sorrows in a hole-in-the-wall bar on a red planet, coping with feelings of aimlessness and a lack of purpose. And it seems thatGunn will be bringing this sense of lack of purpose to Supergirl’s character in the DCU as well.

Supergirl’s DCU Debut Isn’t Just Drunk Shenanigans, It’s a Bold Statement of What’s to Come

James Gunn Stays True to the Comics While Teasing a Wildly Different Supergirl

The fact that Kara’s drunken cameois actually based on one of the most prevalent Supergirl stories ever published shows that this scene was included for more than just laughs. It teases that Gunn will most definitelyremain faithful to some of the most iconic Supergirl lore that Tom King establishedin hisWoman of Tomorrowseries.

Furthermore, this cameo also supports Gunn’s earlierstatement that Milly Alcock’s Supergirl will bea"total mess.“This moment serves as fans’ first introduction to Kara Zor-El in the DCU and is already laying the groundwork byemphasizing that her background and experiences will be very different from Superman’s.

Superman Deflecting Bullets in Comic Art by Jorge Jimenez

Because of this, fans know not to expect Kara to be the responsible, self-confident, and purpose-driven hero that her cousin is. Instead,she will be a character who struggles with self-identity and is coping in deeply problematic ways, much like she did in King’s series. This is exceptionally exciting news for fans ofSupergirl: Woman of Tomorrow.

However, it is worth noting that this cameo suggests theSupergirl(2026) film will likely be pulling select elements from King’s story rather than delivering a direct adaptation. The clearest indication of this comes fromone major deviation that readers of the comic likely noticed right away: Krypto.

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Supergirl’s Movie Will Likely Take a Different Path fromWoman of Tomorrow(Here’s How)

Those who have readKing’sSupergirl: Woman of Tomorrowknow thatKara didn’t visit the red sun galaxy alone, but actually had Krypto with her.So the fact that Krypto is shown on Earth with Superman while Supergirl is bar hopping on red sun planets already highlights a major deviation between the cameo and the comics.

In the comic,Krypto plays a major role as the catalyst that convinces Supergirl to go on an adventureto help a young alien girl seek justice against the man who killed her father. It is when Krypto is critically injured by that same man that Supergirl agrees to help the girl.

With Krypto not involved in Kara’s red planet journey,it seems unlikely that Gunn will adapt the main plotline ofWoman of Tomorrowfor his movie. It is far more likely that he will use bits and pieces of lore from the series for inspiration rather than making the movie a direct copy of the comic.

While some fans want to see a faithful adaptation of King’s comic, most will probably be excited that Gunn is offering a fresh story featuring familiar elements. However, only time will tell what exact direction Gunn will take with his upcomingSupergirlmovie.