Superman's own Ma Kent has reviewed Supergirl, and she did not like the villain or the dark fight scenes
Neva Howell, Ma Kent in 2025’s Superman, has weighed in on Supergirl, praising Milly Alcock but flagging one bit that didn’t land.
Right, Supergirl's finally landed, and if you thought it might be spared the usual DCU complaints, think again. The latest round of feedback comes not just from critics but from the inside—specifically, from Neva Howell, who plays Ma Kent in the new Superman flick. She didn't exactly mince her words about Kara's solo outing, and honestly, when the studio's own supporting cast is this candid, it's almost more entertaining than the film itself.
I agree with many that Krem did not have strong impact. For me, personally, the LONG, chaotic fight scenes in dimly lit areas were not my favorite,
Howell put that up on X (formerly Twitter), laying out what did and didn't do it for her in Craig Gillespie's take on the Girl of Steel. She did, however, enjoy Milly Alcock and Jason Momoa's performances—so it's not all doom and gloom. And let's face it, when a seasoned actress points out that the primary villain (that's Krem of the Yellow Hills, for those not up on their DC lore) was a bit of a damp squib, it's hard to argue. Even fans agree: Krem's a bit of a non-event.
The film, the cast, and the fallout
As for the story, it's got Kara (played by Milly Alcock) tracking across the galaxy with Ruthye (Eve Ridley), both on the hunt for Krem, who's knocked off Ruthye's dad and taken a shot at Krypto. You do get Jason Momoa involved as well, but the main baddie is played by Matthias Schoenaerts. The rest of the cast includes David Krumholtz, Emily Beecham, and David Corenswet (yep, your new Superman), with Diarmaid Murtagh, Ferdinand Kingsley, Emily Piggford, and Wil Coban filling out the ensemble. So, plenty of names; shame about the villains.
- Directed by: Craig Gillespie
- Script by: Ana Nogueira
- Based on: Tom King and Bilquis Evely's Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow
- Produced by: James Gunn and Peter Safran
- Runtime: 108 minutes
Supergirl opened in cinemas on 26 June 2026— and promptly pulled in a mixed bag of reviews. It holds a 53% Tomatometer on Rotten Tomatoes, which no amount of multiverse shenanigans is going to fix. If you're wondering about the box office, it didn't exactly set the world alight: about $126 million globally, which isn't great when you consider the $170 million budget.
$126 million at the box office leaves Supergirl floundering behind its production budget.
At least there's another chance to catch it soon—Supergirl hits HBO Max streaming on 10 September, ASL version included. Maybe it'll find more love in the comfort of people's living rooms, especially if you're one of those who's tired of squinting through yet another murky, endless CGI punch-up.