Supergirl and What’s Making Us Happy
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What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
This is Ira Glass. On This American Life, one thing we like is a good mystery. Sometimes about really big things, but most times, the little mysteries are the best.
Our lost and found is currently filled with pants. I don't know what, I've never seen this happen.
Wait, this is true?
This is true. Mysteries of every size, each week. This American Life, wherever you get your podcasts.
We've seen plenty of screen takes on Superman, but considerably fewer versions of Supergirl, his cousin. Now she's headlining a new movie, and it turns out she is kind of a dirtbag, in the good way.
Fearless and grumpy, Supergirl sets out on a quest to support a new pal's revenge journey, and to make a point that should really be clear by now. Never mess with a lady's dog. I'm Glenn Weldon.
And I'm Linda Holmes. Joining us today on NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour is Daisy Rosario. She's the senior supervising producer of audio at Slate, where she works with shows like Death, Sex and Money and I See Why Am I. Hello, Daisy. Hello, Linda. Hello, Glenn. Happy to be here. So good to have you. We briefly met this version of Supergirl played by Millie Alcock in 2025's Superman starring David Corenswett. Her name is Kara, she's Superman's cousin, and she also was born on Krypton. When this story begins, she's celebrating her birthday, getting very drunk with the only real friend she has, her dog, Krypto. She soon crosses paths with a young girl named Ruthie who has lost her family to an attack by a brutal villain named Krem.
They are played by Eve Ridley and Matthias Schoonertz. Ruthie wants revenge on Krem, and after he tangles with Krypto and leaves him injured, Kara needs to find him too. So the unlikely pair begins the hunt.
What makes the new Supergirl different from previous portrayals?
Along the way, they meet a wide variety of colorful characters, both human and not, including Lobo, a biker dude and bounty hunter played by Jason Momoa. The movie is directed by Craig Gillespie, whose varied resume includes I, Tonya, and Lars and the real girl. Maybe he just likes blondes. It's in theaters now. I'm going to start with you, Glenn. Obviously, you and I have spent a lot of time talking about Superman and his expanded universe. What did you think about this movie?
I mean, I liked it. I think it's a solid addition to the canon. I don't think it's a game changer. I don't think it's setting out to be a game changer. It's setting out to establish that in this relatively new version of the DC universe we're getting, it's not a monolith that has different notes that you can play in different genres. And there's a real... I'll be kind here. There's a simplicity to this story that comes straight from the source material, which is a book called Supergirl, Woman of Tomorrow by Tom King, illustrated by Bilkis Eberle. It's a Western in space. And the motivation could not be simpler. You shot Madame Dog. The central dynamic of it is very true grit. And to be fair, a lot of things like it, you know, Lone Wolf and Cub, Logan.
There's a lot of stuff that kind of follows this same central dynamic. I will say the book is a lot weirder than this movie is. It's got a little bit more grit in the gears than this movie does. And it does feel sometimes like the grit has been used to sand things down and make them a bit more, you know, four quadrant family friendly. And I realize that sounds like a complaint, but this is at the end of the day, a superhero movie. So if it misses kids, if it doesn't reach kids, it's not doing well. pretty essential job of superheroes. But the fact is that with simplicity, with really established conventions of genre, you get familiarity. You will know every story beat that hits before it comes. So what matters, you know, is going to be the details of the execution.
And I think Millie Alcock is great. She's given you layers. The villain, Krem, you mentioned, is a throwaway. He's a cartoon. Mm-hmm. He's trying to give you a lot, but there's not a lot of there there. And we get the introduction of the character of Lobo, who you mentioned, a character that I've known. I remember reading about in the 80s and 90s.
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Chapters
5 chapters
1
What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
0:00–1:53
2
What makes the new Supergirl different from previous portrayals?
1:53–5:07
3
How does Supergirl's quest for revenge unfold in the movie?
5:07–7:37
4
How does the film's direction affect its storytelling?
7:37–8:34
5
What are the main themes explored in Supergirl's story?
8:34–25:17