Is Superman Required Viewing Before Supergirl?

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After Supergirl’s release, James Gunn’s DC Universe is now in full swing.The fresh take on the franchise kicked off (on the big screen) with Superman in 2025, which replaced Henry Cavill with David Corenswet, the new actor to play the Man of Steel. Gunn directed and wrote the film, which was his latest DC entry after moving from the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Now, the DCU continues with Supergirl. Milly Alcock, who previously made a brief appearance in Superman, reprises her role as Kara Zor-El, aka Supergirl, in the new film. David Corenswet also appears in Supergirl, and arguably his biggest scene in the film was released as part of its extensive marketing campaign.

Supergirl is a vastly different movie than Superman. The latter takes place entirely on Earth (bar Lex Luthor’s pocket universe), and focuses on a bright, hopeful, and joyful hero. Supergirl, meanwhile, is a film that highlights someone who doesn’t yet see themselves as a hero, and instead wants to escape the darkness of the universe by spending her time drinking on alien planets.

Still, both films are connected, and not just because the heroes appear in each other’s stories. Superman and Supergirl both build upon the destruction of Krypton and the unique take on Kal-El’s parents, as well as showcasing why David Corenswet is such a good iteration of this character. Therefore, Superman isn’t required viewing before Supergirl, but you may enjoy the new movie more if you do watch James Gunn’s film.

Supergirl Doesn’t Require You To Have Seen Superman

Supergirl and Krypto in the DCU — Kara Zor-El/Supergirl and Krypto in DC Studios’ Supergirl.

As stated, Supergirl and Superman are both distinct films with their own unique stories. Superman, for example, focuses on the title character in his third year of being a hero in Metropolis. What begins with Superman fighting the Hammer of Boravia eventually becomes a tense battle between the title character and Lex Luthor, who is intent on colonizing Jarhanpur, working with the Boravian leader to do so.

Supergirl, meanwhile, takes place almost entirely in space. The story is vastly different, too, as Kara is more focused on one villain (Krem of the Yellow Hills) rather than multiple, which Superman had to contend with (the Hammer of Boravia, Ultraman, The Engineer, Lex Luthor). In the new movie, Kara is chasing after Krem across the galaxy after the latter poisons Krypto with a dart, and Supergirl has only 72 hours to get him the anecdote.

Why You Should Still Watch Superman Before Supergirl

David Corenswet as Superman in the middle of the street looking concerned

Therefore, Supergirl can still be enjoyed without doing any homework beforehand. However, viewers would be missing out if they skipped Superman, and for many reasons. One is the fact that Superman gives David Corenswet the platform to shine with a movie of his own, as opposed to Supergirl, which he is only in for a few scenes. Corenswet is arguably the best Superman since Christopher Reeve, and he shows off why he’s some of the best casting in any superhero movie in recent years.

Additionally, Superman proves to be a much better entry point for the new universe than Supergirl. Superman begins with an opening text that lays out the basics of the world, including when metahumans arrived on Earth, how they impacted the planet, as well as telling fans how long Clark Kent is in his journey. That framework helps give the entire movie some added context, which again helps its position as the first live action DCU film.

That’s not to say that Supergirl is a poor entry point for fans. Supergirl is still highly entertaining and mostly enjoyable, even if it doesn’t quite fulfill its potential. Still, early criticism of the film has focused on Supergirl feeling too much like a Guardians of the Galaxy movie, so if fans are looking for something more unique, Superman might be your best bet.