Supergirl trailer launch live: all of the build-up, news, and rumors before the DCU movie’s teaser is released

Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it’s the launch day for Supergirl‘s inaugural teaser trailer!

With DC Studios officially confirming that Supergirl‘s first trailer will be released on Thursday, December 11 at 9am PT / 12pm ET / 5pm GMT, the countdown is on to its arrival. And, if it wasn’t obvious, we’ll be covering the build-up to its world premiere, the teaser’s reveal, and then breaking it down everything it shows us post-launch.

If you’re as excited as we are for the next DC Universe (DCU) movie’s first official footage to drop, you’ll want to stick us throughout the day – and, potentially, tomorrow, too – for the biggest news, latest rumors, and other coverage on it.

So, grab some food, sit back, and let’s wait for the teaser’s unveiling together.

Look out – it’s Supergirl trailer launch day!

Key art for Supergirl showing Milly Alcock's Kara Zor-El standing in front of a graffiti-style poster of her logo and film title name

(Image credit: DC Studios/Warner Bros. Pictures)

Happy Supergirl trailer release day, everyone!

I’m Tom Power, TechRadar’s senior entertainment reporter and master of ceremonies for today’s unveiling of the highly-anticipated DC Universe (DCU) movie’s first teaser.

We’re still five hours away from our first proper look at the superhero film, so I’ve got plenty of airtime to fill before it premieres. Luckily for you and me, there’s lots – and I mean lots – to talk about in the meantime. So, strap in, because things are about to get busy.

A super day to be a Supergirl fan

A screenshot of the Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow graphic novel, which shows the titular hero with her arm raised

2026’s Supergirl movie is heavily inspired by the ‘Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow’s graphic novel (Image credit: DC Comics)

So, how are we feeling today? I’m very excited – and, truth be told, I have been since DC Studios released the first albeit brief teaser for Supergirl on Monday and confirmed its first official trailer would drop sometime this week.

We didn’t have to wait long to learn what day it would drop, either. Yesterday (December 10), DC announced Supergirl‘s first trailer would take flight today – i.e. Thursday, December 11. It’ll premiere at 9am PT / 12pm ET / 5pm GMT / 9:30pm IST, too.

For those of you based in Singapore, Australia, and New Zealand, you’ll have to get up early tomorrow if you want to watch it soon as it lands. Indeed, the aforementioned 9am PT launch means it’ll arrive at 1am SGT / 4am AEDT / 6am in these nations.

What will wee see in Supergirl’s first teaser?

I can’t say for sure. However, Monday’s the 10-second teaser, plus another 15-second montage that went live on Supergirl‘s various social media channels yesterday, have given us a sense of what to expect.

The latter video, which you can watch above, contains bite-sized clips of the likely extended footage we’ll see in the forthcoming trailer. It certainly gives off an air that it’ll have more attitude than this year’s Superman film but, until the teaser is with us, there’s no telling how much of its story it’ll, well, tease.

Still, I’ve drawn up a wish list of three things I want Supergirl‘s first trailer to contain – and one I don’t. So, check that out if you’re curious to see what my predictions are for it.

Plotting out its story

Milly Alcock reading the Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow comic book

‘Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow’, is one of the best comic book series I’ve read in years (Image credit: James Gunn/Twitter)

Of course, there are a couple of things we know about Kara Zor-El’s first big-screen adventure in over 40 years.

For starters, it’s drawn heavily from ‘Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow’. That’s the comic book series from Tom King, Bilquis Evely, and Matheus Lopes that fans and critics alike have raved about since the first of its eight issues was released in June 2021.

I won’t start getting into the finer details of the graphic novel’s plot here because, well, spoilers. However, DC Studios has revealed the movie’s story synopsis. So, if you want a very brief overview of its narrative, here you go: “When an unexpected and ruthless adversary strikes too close to home, Kara Zor-El, aka Supergirl, reluctantly joins forces with an unlikely companion on an epic, interstellar journey of vengeance and justice.”

Takin’ a break

A screenshot of Zor-El sitting down in Tom King's Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow comic book series

Everyone needs to rest at some point, Kara… (Image credit: DC Comics/Warner Bros. Discovery)

Alright, time for this UK native to take a quick lunch break. I’ll run you through more of my Supergirl coverage, as well as some other news and rumors, upon my return.

Feel free to talk amongst yourselves or, if you want to get a head start on things I’ll discuss later on, check out my dedicated Supergirl guide for more on its cast, story, and potential DCU impact.

Who’s playing Kara Zor-El in Supergirl?

Milly Alcock poses for a photography at House of the Dragon season 1's UK premiere

Milly Alcock will be recognizable to anyone who’s seen House of the Dragon and/or Sirens (Image credit: Lia Toby)

Aaaaaand I’m back. Now, what was I going to talk about next… ah, yes, the lead star of Supergirl: Milly Alcock.

One of two finalists, Alcock won the race to play the DCU’s version of Kara Zor-El in January 2024. Meg Connelly, who’s voiced Supergirl in various DC animated offerings, was also in the running – and, in an alternate reality, she might have been picked.

Anyway, if you’re wondering where you might have seen Alcock before, she got her big break (in the US, anyway) playing the child/teenage version of Rhaenyra Targaryen in House of the Dragon, HBO’s live-action take on George R.R. Martin’s Game of Thrones prequel novel.

Since then, the Australian actor has appeared in Netflix drama Sirens and made a scene-stealing cameo as Supergirl in Superman. Where the latter is concerned, Alcock’s cameo in Superman was all I needed to have full confidence in her take on Supergirl, too.

Anyway, the rest of her C.V. comprises projects from Down Under, including The Gloaming, Upright, Reckoning, and Fighting Season. In short: the 25-year-old had plenty of experience to call upon after landing this role.

‘I thought ‘What have I done?”

Milly Alcock's Kara Zor-El wearing a brown coat and sunglasses in 2026's Supergirl movie

After being chosen, Alcock didn’t believe she was the right person to play Supergirl (Image credit: DC Studios/Warner Bros. Pictures)

That’s not to say Alcock fully believed she was the right fit for one of DC Comics’ beloved superheroes. Indeed, speaking earlier this month, Alcock revealed why she panicked after being cast as the DCU’s Supergirl.

“I thought, ‘what have I done?'” she recounted in an interview with Forbes magazine. “I really struggled to believe I could do it. I even called the director [Craig Gillespie] saying ‘I don’t know how to be that person. I’m just me’.

“Eventually, I realized the only way through was to trust myself,” Alcock added. “I always believe life is right on time. Things happen when they’re supposed to, whether you feel ready or not.”

For what it’s worth, James Gunn has gushed about Alcock’s performance as Supergirl, with the DC Studios co-chief telling The Howard Stern Show: “Milly Alcock, who plays Supergirl, might be the best bit of casting I think I’ve ever done in my entire life. She’s absolutely stunning in the movie”. High praise indeed from an industry veteran who’s worked with plenty of actors throughout his career.

Who’s joining Milly Alcock as part of the Supergirl cast?

‘Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow’ might be primarily billed as a space opera by some readers, but it’s also an intimate drama-cum-character study with only a handful of notably named individuals.

So, which other actors are going to appear as part of the DCU Chapter One movie’s cast? My Supergirl cast and character guide discusses the stars who’ll show up, which characters they’re playing, and where you may have seen them before. If you want a quick rundown on its tight ensemble, though, read the list below:

  • Milly Alcock as Kara Zor-El/Supergirl
  • Eve Ridley as Ruthye Marye Knoll
  • Matthias Schoenaerts as Krem of the Yellow Hills
  • Jason Momoa as Lobo
  • David Krumholtz as Zor-El
  • Emily Beecham as Alura In-Ze
  • Ferdinand Kingsley as Elias Knoll

Lobo’s role in Supergirl, explained

A screenshot of Lobo smiling and smoking a cigar in a DC comic book

The intergalactic mercenary known as Lobo was originally supposed to appear in ‘Woman of Tomorrow’ (Image credit: DC Comics)

We don’t know whether Supergirl will be a direct, page-for-page adaptation of ‘Woman of Tomorrow’, but one of 2026’s most exciting new movies will feature a small but highly significant change to the story depicted in the source material?

The alteration in question? Lobo’s inclusion. The fan-favorite bounty hunter was, according to ‘Woman of Tomorrow’ writer Tom King, originally going to be part of the graphic novel. However, speaking to comicbook.com, King revealed he was omitted at the request of his editors.

With Jason Momoa set to portray Lobo in Supergirl, will the comic book flick include those cut story elements? Again, that’s unclear, but Gunn has teased the vital role that Lobo will play in Supergirl.

“[‘Supergirl:]Woman of Tomorrow’ is a bunch of little stories,” Gunn told the Official DC Studios podcast in June. “And, we needed to create one through-line, one three-act, more traditional story. So, Lobo helps us to do that.

“I love Lobo,” he continued. “I always thought he was a great character to adapt and, maybe, in some way, the biggest comic book character that’s never been in a film. So, I think it was a cool thing to do [include him in Supergirl].”

What is Supergirl’s release date? And wasn’t it called Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow?

A DC Comics panel showing Kara Zor-El quickly movie behind Krem in Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow

So, err, who wants to tell Supergirl that the title of her latest film was changed? How about you, Krem? (Image credit: DC Comics)

Two great questions I really should’ve addressed from the outset…

Let’s start with that all-important launch date: Supergirl will fly into theaters on June 26, 2026. That not only means it’ll arrive almost one year after Superman, but also be one of the biggest movies of the summer (or, if you live in the southern hemisphere, winter).

As for the other question: yes. Initially, it had the same title as its comic book series namesake. Considering it’s heavily inspired by the graphic novel, that makes sense.

However, Gunn has since revealed why Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow is no longer its name. In June, the DCU’s co-overlord said: “Even though I was the one that gave it that title, I just wasn’t sure [it was the right one].

“First of all, I’m sick of the superhero title, colon, other-name thing. Also, it seemed to be looking back when we’re looking forward, even though it does have to do with legacy in the movie itself. And everybody was like, ‘Oh, yeah, no, change it.'”

About that Supergirl age rating, Mister Gunn…

Excited though I am for Supergirl, my biggest worry is what its age rating will be.

Speaking to a roundtable of journalists, whom I was among, in mid-August, Gunn heavily implied Supergirl will carry a PG-13 rating. That’s the equivalent of a 12/12A in the UK, and either a PG or M rating in Australia.

Now, I’ve read ‘Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow’ – I’m currently re-reading it to refresh my memory about what happens – and, without spoiling anything significant, it’s not a family-friendly tale. In fact, it goes to some pretty dark places, is violent on occasion, and features a Kara Zor-El who swears. A lot.

Now, if it directly adapts the aforementioned comics, it’s still possible that Supergirl could carry an R-rating stateside. I think that’s incredibly unlikely, though – after all, Gunn and company will want to get as many bums on seats when it’s released. Why would prevent some of your target audience from seeing it if it’s classified as an adult-only movie?

If Supergirl is rated PG-13, I really hope it doesn’t omit swathes of its more mature content. Otherwise, it’ll lose part of what makes ‘Woman of Tomorrow’ so great.

One hour to go!

An image of Milly Alcock sitting on a chair with her back to camera on the set of Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow

Supergirl’s first official image was revealed in January 2025 (Image credit: James Gunn/Instagram)

Alright, we’re about 60 minutes away from the trailer’s debut, so let’s start dialling in on the footage it might contain.

I have no insider information on what we’ll be shown, but I’d be surprised if we didn’t catch a glimpse of an immediately recognizable location from ‘Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow’. In fact, Supergirl‘s first official image showed Kara in said place that’ll be very familiar to DC Comic fans. A scene featuring this backwater establishment in the teaser is a good opportunity to tie back to the first-ever public shot that was revealed. It’s a bit late to say this, but: make it so, DC.

Read more @ TechRadar

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