Supergirl reopens DC’s Superman debate: Kara kills Krem

Supergirl is in theaters now, and it’s already stirred up an old DC argument: should anyone from the House of El kill? The movie ends with Milly Alcock’s Kara Zor-El stabbing Krem in the neck, which makes the comparison to Zack Snyder’s 2013 Man of Steel almost automatic. That film closed with Henry Cavill’s Superman killing General Zod by snapping his neck.

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The parallel isn’t subtle. Both scenes treat lethal force as the last option left, and in both movies that choice quickly swallows the conversation around nearly everything else. Superman and Supergirl usually live on the other side of that line. Restraint, compassion, and a deep reluctance to kill are central to how these characters are understood, which is why Man of Steel became such a flashpoint 13 years ago.

And Supergirl was headed in this direction from the beginning. Director Craig Gillespie and writer Ana Nogueira said they wanted a Kara who felt more traumatized and more hardened, and that choice carries straight through to the ending. It also means breaking from Tom King’s Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, where Krem is spared.

If you follow DC closely, this ending is one to watch, especially since Supergirl didn’t have much goodwill built up to absorb the reaction.

Reviews were lukewarm, with Rotten Tomatoes scores in the 50s, and Supergirl brought in about $126.4 million worldwide against a reported $170 million to $186 million budget. Then there’s the marketing bill, which topped $100 million.

Man of Steel, for all the outrage around it, at least converted controversy into ticket sales. Supergirl hasn’t. Weak openings were also reported in Japan and Brazil. Supergirl is in theaters now.