The 4 Main Heroes Of James Gunn’s DC Universe Were Just Revealed & There’s 1 Major Surprise That's A Huge Difference From The DCEU

The new DC Universe has had its main heroes revealed, and a character who had a minor role in the old DCEU will be central to James Gunn’s plans for the franchise. While the DCU started with the animated Creature Commandos, a team made up of obscure characters from DC Comics, the series had a dream sequence showing several heroes that will be coming to the franchise in the future. Some of the confirmed DCU canon characters we know about include the Trinity, Starfire, Robin, Peacemaker, and several others, making the franchise’s cast quite interesting.

Characters like Frank Grillo’s Rick Flag Sr. will be key to the DCU, appearing in multiple projects and tying together the franchise’s overall story. The DCU’s Chapter One has many movies and TV shows announced so far, with at least half of the chapter’s offerings still a secret at the moment, as per Gunn. With David Corenswet’s Superman movie, DC will introduce the franchise’s biggest hero and multiple other DCU heroes, and now, it has been revealed who are the characters who join the Man of Steel as the faces of the DCU going forward.

The 4 Main Heroes Of The DCU Have Been Revealed

Three Of Them Already Have Solo Movies Announced

Since James Gunn’s Superman movie opens the DCU’s cinematic side, it was always expected that Superman would be one of the main heroes of the franchise. That was recently confirmed when Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav took the floor at the studio’s Q1 earnings call (via ComicBookMovie). According to the executive, there are four main heroes that he views as “big ᴀsset builders and big differentiators” for the DCU, being key to Gunn’s 10-year plan for the shared universe. Zaslav claims those four DCU heroes are David Corenswet’s Superman, Milly Alcock’s Supergirl, Batman, and Wonder Woman.

Superman’s status was expected, and I feel like the same can be said for Batman and Wonder Woman. After all, the heroes from DC Comics’ iconic Trinity are some of the most popular and well-known heroes on the planet. Batman already has a solo movie announced, with James Gunn working closely with a writer on The Brave and the Bold. Wonder Woman’s case is a little more complicated, as the character is being developed but has no project announced. The only true surprise on the list is Alcock’s Supergirl, especially due to how the DCEU handled the Girl of Steel.

Supergirl Did Not Have A Huge Role In The DCEU

Kara Zor-El Has A Single Appearance In The DC Movie Franchise

Before James Gunn’s DC Universe, there was the DCEU. The franchise started in 2013 with Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel. I find it interesting how both shared universes chose to begin with a Superman movie. However, when it came to Clark Kent’s extended family, it was not until a decade later that the DCEU chose to bring in Supergirl. And when the franchise chose to do so, it was not exactly how I had hoped. Instead of having Sasha Calle star in a Supergirl movie or appear alongside Henry Cavill’s Superman, she debuted in The Flash.

Supergirl’s suit was also remarkably different from her classic costume, being more reminiscent of the Lara Lane-Kent Supergirl from the Injustice universe.

Adding to that, Supergirl did not come from the main timeline of the DCEU, but the Flashpoint timeline created by Ezra Miller’s Barry Allen when he went back in time to save his mother in The Flash. That means Supergirl was taking the role Superman played in the Flashpoint storyline in DC Comics, which resulted in the DCEU’s version of Kara Zor-El having a very different backstory from the one we have grown used to for the character. Supergirl’s suit was also remarkably different from her classic costume, being more reminiscent of the Lara Lane-Kent Supergirl from the Injustice universe.

While there were plans for Calle’s Supergirl to continue in the DCEU, they were eventually scrapped when James Gunn and Peter Safran rebooted the franchise with their new DC Universe, casting Milly Alcock as the DCU’s Supergirl. So, as it stands, Supergirl’s role in the DCEU was confined to a single movie, The Flash, which was far from ideal. Besides taking Superman’s Flashpoint story, The Flash‘s biggest use of Supergirl was having her die over and over again with the two Barry Allens unable to save her. Supergirl deserved more, and the DCEU did not give her that.

James Gunn’s DCU Is Already Showing How Important Supergirl Is

The Girl Of Steel Has A Strong Presence In The DCU’s Chapter One

While the DCEU waited a decade to put Supergirl onscreen and did so with an alternate universe version of the character in a supporting role, James Gunn’s DCU is changing things with an approach to the Girl of Steel that I believe is more fitting. Kara Zor-El already has a movie announced for her to lead, with Milly Alcock recently revealing in interviews that she has finished filming Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, which will fly into theaters on June 26, 2026. Instead of taking a Superman story, the DCU’s Supergirl stars in the adaptation of one of her best tales.

Milly Alcock’s Supergirl Appearances In The DCU
Project	Role
Creature Commandos	Cameo
Superman	Cameo (Reported/Unconfirmed)
Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow	Lead

Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow comes a year and a half after the DCU started with Max’s Creature Commandos. That is a way shorter wait than the DCEU’s Supergirl had between the franchise’s start and her debut. Milly Alcock’s Supergirl could even appear on the big screen before her solo movie. Alcock is reportedly set to make a cameo as Supergirl in James Gunn’s Superman movie. While DC has not confirmed the reports, Krypto has been set up as a key part of Superman, and since he is crucial to Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, Kara could come pick up the dog.

Why Supergirl Having A Top Spot In The New DC Universe Makes Sense

The DCU Will Focus On Superhero Teams With A Neat Twist

Supergirl and Superman flying over Metropolis in Superman the animated Series

While I was surprised by how Warner Bros. Discovery’s CEO, David Zaslav, claimed that Supergirl was one of the DCU’s main heroes alongside Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman, I think it makes sense for the franchise. Gunn has talked about how Superman is crucial for the DCU. Judging by the members of the Justice Gang — the Green Lantern Guy Gardner, Hawkgirl, and Mister Terrific — Superman will be the different character among the DCU’s other heroes, perhaps even inspiring others to be more heroic. To that extent, having Supergirl play a major role in the DCU makes sense.

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If Superman is going to have such a huge part to play in the franchise and inspire other heroes, then there is no one better to represent that than Supergirl, Clark Kent’s cousin and the hero most closely ᴀssociated with him. The DCU is focusing on superhero “families,” which also helps explain Supergirl being a pillar of the franchise. Batman’s The Brave and the Bold movie will include members of the Bat-Family with a focus on Damian Wayne, Bruce’s son. Multiple Green Lanterns will appear in HBO’s Lanterns, and so it goes. As such, Supergirl’s DCU role makes sense.