In the new movie Superman, James Gunn surprised audiences with a brief but big appearance from Milly Alcock’s Supergirl. Many thought it was just a promo for her solo movie Supergirl in 2026 but Gunn has now revealed the real reason behind the Girl of Steel’s surprise cameo.
Gunn told Entertainment Weekly that the cameo’s main purpose was to show more of Superman himself, especially his boundless empathy. And yes, it does introduce us to Kara Zor-El.
“The main reason Kara showed up in my opinion is because Superman would put his life on the line to save a dog that belonged to him, like we all would, but he’s also looking after the dog for someone else,”
Gunn said. “The dog is a pain in his ass. He didn’t want to bring that dog with him. She’s stopped being reckless. He doesn’t want to have to babysit a dog. Every two seconds he has to save the planet. And yet he goes to the ends of the earth for that dog. That’s one of the most emotional moments in the movie for me.“
In the scene in question, Supergirl shows up at the Fortress of Solitude to rescue Krypto while drunk and proves the “pain in the ass” dog was hers the whole time. Superman’s heroic attempt to save the dog is followed by this twist and it highlights Clark Kent’s decency and willingness to go above and beyond for others even when it causes him trouble or discomfort.
Gunn pointed to an earlier scene in the movie where Lois Lane says “It’s just a dog” and Superman replies “Yeah, not even a good one, but it’s probably scared”. This shows the extent of Superman’s empathy and compassion and the subsequent reveal.
Besides showing Superman’s personality, Supergirl’s cameo also gives us a glimpse into the DCU’s take on Kara Zor-El. Her messy and reckless attitude which Gunn described as “a total mess” suggests a much more complicated and possibly troubled history than her cousin. This is in line with earlier statements from Gunn that this Supergirl, based on the Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow comic series, will have a “much more difficult” background than Superman who grew up on Earth with loving parents.
Milly Alcock gives us a great preview for her solo movie by being imperfect but fascinating. We also get to see their dynamic during the Krypto scene and it sets up their adventures in Supergirl (2026).
