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Iron Man is an unlikely inspiration for DC Studios' Supergirl

How the first film in the MCU helped inspire the second film in the DCU

An image from the Supergirl teaser
Image credit: DC Studios

We got our first look at Milly Alcock as Supergirl last year in James Gunn’s Superman, but she takes center stage this month in her own movie. Fans already know not to expect the wholesome tone of her cousin. In fact, it was a Marvel movie that helped inspire the director of Supergirl, as Robert Downey Jr.’s first outing as Iron Man served as the unlikely mold for DC Studios’ Supergirl.

“I have a very specific tone I’m attracted to,” Supergirl director Craig Gillespie explained in a recent interview. “I always loved the first Iron Man: flawed, complex, and conflicted. They sent me the Ana Nogueira script [for Supergirl], and in two scenes, I was like, ‘I’m in.’”

What drew Gillespie to Supergirl was how it treated its subject. Like the movie that kicked off the MCU, it was all about the character. “It was exactly what I hoped for; it’s all character. She went from an incredibly, incredibly dark scene to this irreverent character scene, all in the first 15 pages… [Supergirl] has got a lot of trauma, a lot of demons; she’s unapologetic. You get to have a character that can be punky and edgy and not take off those rough edges.”

With its origins in the comic book series Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, we know that this Supergirl film will dive into the pain that Supergirl carries with her as she travels the galaxy. Just like Iron Man, it gives both the light and dark of the character a chance to shine.

Supergirl is out in cinemas on June 25, 2026.


Trent Cannon

Trent Cannon: Trent is a freelance writer who has been covering anime, video games, and pop culture for a decade. (He/Him)

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