Is Supergirl on the Rise in the DCU?

Credit: Supergirl

It’s funny to think that the upcoming Flash movie might be able to replace Superman with Supergirl if the story is to change due to a couple of other elements that many feels are bound to appear. That’s kind of interesting given that the word that Henry Cavill is coming back to the DCU could reinvigorate the idea of Superman in the franchise. It might be that people are taking this the wrong way since stories change all the time and things have to evolve in order to keep a franchise running. But the general idea that Supergirl might be able to use as a replacement for Superman feels inaccurate since like it or not, Supergirl is a popular character, but she’s not the hero that has helped to carry the franchise for so long. To state that she needs to be given the chance to show that she can be a major player for the DCU on screen is obvious, that’s something that has been needed for years. But coming out with a statement that she might replace Superman is enough to make a lot of fans defensive, even if they’re ready and willing to see what might happen. 

credit: DCU

There’s nothing saying that both characters can’t coexist in the DCU. 

They’ve coexisted in the comics and the animated features that have come along over the years so there’s nothing to say that they can’t coexist in the movies as well. Supergirl and Superman both have their strengths and weaknesses, and they have their character flaws as well. When trying to push this character though it’s been seen that Supergirl is being lifted up in ways that allow her to be seen as greater than Superman, which is kind of interesting since this feels like a commonality among many DC characters, that they have to be as strong as possible, intelligent as possible, and basically one step away from godhood even though they do what they can to blend in with humanity. Superman is already the gold standard of DC Comics, and Supergirl has been lifted up over the years in numerous ways, but the fact is that Superman has been around longer and is the person that people look up to the most. 

The need to push Supergirl and have Superman take a backseat isn’t entirely negative until it continues in this vein. 

Continuing with this thought, Supergirl is easily one of the characters that need to be pushed in the DCU, insofar that she gets her own movie, that she’s included in the ensemble casts, and that she’s able to make some changes in her own way. But so long as things come naturally and aren’t forced, it’s great. It’s when the changes are made simply because of her and because she’s desired as a major star that the franchise would go off the rails. Positioning any single character in a franchise to be the lightning rod that all others look up to is a risky maneuver, and the reason why it worked in the MCU is that Robert Downey Jr. perfected his role. The reason why Supergirl shouldn’t be allowed to replace Superman in any regard is that Superman is one of the two main characters in the DCU that have managed to help guide the franchise at this point, and Supergirl hasn’t yet proven that she’s a character who can take on that responsibility. 

credit: DC Comics

Supergirl is a great character to bring into the DCU.

There’s no resistance to this character, let’s make that clear. She’s a great character, she can do pretty much everything that Superman can do, but she’s not as strong as he is and any time they’re pitted together it becomes a debate as to who can defeat who. The point is kind of moot since they’re both heroes, and they’re both bound to do the right thing at the end of the day. But including her in the DCU would be a great idea, so long as it’s understood that she’s not greater than her cousin, but she is as close to his level as one needs to be. 

Bringing her in via another movie makes it feel as though the DCU is being cautious. 

In fact, bringing her in the way that’s been done thus far on TV is also cautious as it feels as though the DCU is testing the waters to see how people react to this character. Rest assured, people have responded to her in a much more favorable manner than they’ve responded to other female characters, such as Batwoman, which makes it easy to think that it’s past time to bring her all the way in and keep her there. If the Flash movie is looking to replace Superman with Supergirl, it would be a serious mistake, even if it’s just temporary or gossip.