Could We Be Getting Our First Anti-Hero Supergirl?
DC Studios is turning to a director with the perfect combination of knowledge for the unique project.
Up until now, DC Studios has wisely focused on bringing in female talent for Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow so far: playwright Ana Nogueira will pen the script, and Kara Danvers herself will be played by House of the Dragon Season 1 star Milly Alcock. However, the studio recently announced that the film will be helmed by a male director — which seems like an odd choice at first glance, but one look at the filmmaker’s resume suggests that this he may be uniquely attuned to shepherd this Supergirl into a new era.
According to Deadline, Craig Gillespie is in talks to direct the upcoming Supergirl feature. Gillespie has an extensive history directing woman-led projects, helming the vastly underrated prequel Cruella and the Tonya Harding biopic I, Tonya. Gillespie also has experience in television, directing episodes of shows like Pam & Tommy and The United States of Tara.
Director Craig Gillespie is in talks to direct Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow.
That’s not the only thing that makes Gillespie a great (if male) choice for the role. An unfortunate truth of blockbuster filmmaking is that it often involves a lot of studio involvement. Still, Gillespie is used to that, as he’s directed multiple commercials including the Verizon Super Bowl commercial featuring Beyoncé early this year.
Gillespie seems to be drawn to projects about misunderstood women, be they puppy murderers (Cruella) possible hitman clients (I, Tonya), or even silicone (Lars and the Real Girl.) This seems to signal that his take on Kara Danvers will have a similar edge. Will this be the first time we see Supergirl as a true anti-hero?
Even heroes can get fed up sometimes.
Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow borrows its title from a comic run that shows Kara not as the bright-eyed heroine we usually see, nor the smartphone-toting modern woman we occasionally get. Instead, she’s disillusioned with her role, exhausted by her burden of constantly serving others.
There was no guarantee that the movie would take this element from the comics, but with Gillespie on board, it seems like the natural choice, to show a foul-mouthed Supergirl that may not be America’s Girl of Steel but still gets the job done in the end. Women are always expected to be super, so hopefully we will be able to see a Supergirl who struggles under the weight of that expectation — nothing could be more relatable.
