Did James Gunn Mess Up Supergirl’s DCU Origin Story? It’s Complicated

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In the twist of James Gunn‘s Superman, there has been much debate among fans regarding the authenticity of Jor-El’s message to his son, Kal-El. However, Gunn swiftly clarified that the message from Bradley Cooper’s Jor-El was indeed genuine, leaving some viewers puzzled as to how they could doubt its reality given the film’s explanations by Nicholas Hoult’s Lex Luthor and Edi Gathegi’s Mr. Terrific. Yet, fans have started scrutinizing this plot detail more closely, using Milly Alcock’s Supergirl character as a means to question the message’s integrity.

David Corenswet’s Superman is familiar enough with his cousin that he can watch over her unruly dog, Krypto, while she enjoys nights out on planets with red suns and parties. Clark might have inquired about Kara’s father’s message and whether it mirrored the thoughts of Krypton.

During a comprehensive interview, Rolling Stone inquired from James Gunn as to why Superman didn’t take the action, given that Supergirl supposedly possesses “a greater understanding of Krypton” compared to her cousin.

Gunn clarified that Supergirl couldn’t have assisted because, although not all Kryptonians are identical to Jor-El, she was too young to know anything about Superman’s parents since she is younger than him.

It seems you’re generalizing that everyone from Krypton is identical, which might not be accurate given her youth and lack of personal experience with him or his family.

Fans are expressing concern about the age difference between Gunn and Superman in relation to Kara, as it may explain why she didn’t reveal that not all Kryptonians resemble his father. This issue seems to be sidestepped in the narrative.

It might be that Gunn wasn’t precise or accurate in explaining his rationale for Kara being unable to assist, but his statement implies strongly that she wouldn’t be aware of Jor-El’s genuine identity and the reasons behind sending his son to Earth, as she would have been too young to have met him, if she ever knew her uncle at all.

How This Change Could Mess up Supergirl’s Tragic Origin

As a die-hard cinema enthusiast and DC Universe aficionado, I must admit that the possibility of Supergirl in the DCU adopting her Pre-Crisis origin has left me pondering. Instead of growing up as a teenager on Krypton before its annihilation and then surviving on a space-floating Argo City, as per the Post-Crisis origin, she might have been born in Argo City after Krypton’s destruction. Both origins culminate with her landing on Earth, but the character development is significantly different between these two stories.

In her original storyline (Pre-Crisis), she was younger than Superman when she came to Earth, while in her revised origin (Post-Crisis), she and her spacecraft were frozen, which prevented her from aging. This means Kara is older chronologically but biologically younger than her cousin, adding a layer of complexity to the character as she struggles to find her place in her Pre-Crisis storyline.

In my perspective as a movie reviewer, what leaves me scratching my head about James Gunn’s choice of words is that the upcoming film based on Tom King’s comic book, Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, heavily relies on the Post-Crisis origin to add depth to Kara’s tragic connection with Krypton. In this narrative, Kara was 13 when Krypton met its demise, spending an additional year on Argo – a floating, protected city that was slowly succumbing to Kryptonite poisoning along with its inhabitants. Before her departure to Earth, her dying father sent her away. This heart-wrenching backstory gives Supergirl’s journey a poignant and emotional undertone.

In some continuities like New 52, Supergirl, Kara Zor-El, not only knew but also interacted with Superman’s parents, and even held her baby cousin on multiple occasions. This directly conflicts with what Gunn stated. However, if the DC Universe’s Supergirl follows her Pre-Crisis origin, she would never have had the chance to meet her now-deceased relatives.

One possible explanation behind Kara’s Post-Crisis origin and her lack of knowledge about her uncle is that her parents kept her away from them due to Jor-El’s unusual views, which conflicted with the norms of Krypton. This is reminiscent of how Jor-El in the New 52 timeline grew apart from Kara’s father because of his controversial research.

In a complex predicament, Kara couldn’t disclose to Superman that not all Kryptonians were like Jor-El, a eugenicist, because doing so might alter the tragic backstory of Supergirl. However, Ana Nogueira faces the challenging mission of restoring Krypton’s positive image in the public eye through Supergirl, as Jor-El and his message previously portrayed them as invaders.

For a specific reason, Kara appears disheveled in Gunn’s “Superman” portrayal – unlike her cousin, she yearns for the lost planet of Krypton.

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2025-07-21 18:34