WARNING: This article includes SPOILERS from the Superman movie.James Gunn addresses the mᴀssive DC Universe plot twist established in the Superman movie, and why the Supergirl cameo didn’t fully tackle it. The Man of Steel is finally back on the big screen thanks to the DCU’s first film, and the Superman movie brought with it a huge surprise when it came to the House of El and Krypton’s interpretation in the DCU.
In the movie, Clark Kent learns that Jor-El and Lara had sent him to Earth with the intention of him ruling the planet rather than being its savior. While Kal-El is dealing with this revelation, Superman’s Kryptonian cousin, Supergirl, arrives briefly to pick Krypto up, though the two never discuss this matter or whether Supergirl had any idea about all of this.
During a new interview with Rolling Stone with Gunn, the Superman director was asked if there was a good reason why Milly Alcock’s Kara Zor-El never told Superman about Jor-El and Lara’s shocking motives for sending him to this planet, having spent more time on Krypton before its destruction. In response, Gunn shared the following explanation:
James Gunn: You’re ᴀssuming that everybody on Krypton is the same! And how would she know? She’s younger than him, so she wouldn’t know. She wouldn’t know anything about his parents.
Rolling Stone: Fair enough. Did you ever think about a bigger role for her in this film? Or was it always as we see it in the final cut?
James Gunn: Yeah, it was always that. When I took this job, Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow [the graphic novel that inspired 2026’s Supergirl] was, like, number one for me of the things I knew I wanted to do. Ana Nogueira just killed the script right away, and saw what I saw in how the comic could be adapted to film, where [Supergirl is] even rougher in the film than she is in the comic, I think.
Rolling Stone also followed up with the Superman director about whether or not there is a chance that there is something else going on with Clark’s Kryptonian parents. However, Gunn reiterated that the DCU twist behind Jor-El and Lara’s message will not somehow have a secret meaning or be retconned, as this is now a staple for this franchise:
Rolling Stone: Even among people who love the movie, there are some who also have enough of a lingering affection for Krypton and the idea of a benign Jor-El and Lara that they’re hoping that will somehow get retconned or revealed as a double-secret trick or something.
James Gunn: They’re s–t out of luck!
What James Gunn’s Supergirl Comments Mean
Based on Gunn’s Superman comments, even though they are cousins, that doesn’t mean that Alcock’s Supergirl would know anything about Lara and Jor-El’s goal for Kal-El. Given this DCU twist is intended to be one Clark alone has to deal with here, this makes sense for the story, and ensures Supergirl’s cameo can remain a brief and straightforward one.
Even though the Superman post-credits scenes didn’t add any more context to Lara and Jor-El’s surprising message, future DCU films will more than likely continue to explore that. Whether or not that will be tackled from Kara’s perspective in the Supergirl movie remains to be seen, but based on Gunn’s comments, people should not just ᴀssume that she has all the answers for Clark.
Our Take On James Gunn’s Supergirl Comments
Gunn’s vision for Superman and Supergirl makes their respective journeys in the DCU incredibly exciting, since it’s clear DC Studios is letting Clark and Kara have their own unique arcs. That said, it would be fascinating to see how the two cousins handle Krypton’s history together, as the last surviving members of the House of El.
It also says something about Gunn’s writing for Superman that it has fans responding like this, sparking a lot of big discussions about what this means for Krypton’s significance in the DCU. But for now, time will tell how the DCU will continue to explore the big Krypton twist after the events of Superman.
Source: Rolling Stone
