The new Supergirl is not your polished, perfect superhero story. Writer Ana Nogueira says Kara Zor-El is messy, grieving, and carrying a very specific kind of pain.
Unlike Superman, Kara remembers Krypton. She remembers her family, her home and what was lost. In this film, she’s on a galaxy-spanning journey that pulls from the comic Woman of Tomorrow, including Kara’s life after Krypton survives for a time as Argo, a floating city that slowly dies.
Nogueira says she first found her version of Kara in a scene that shows the hero waking up in a trashed ship, proud of her dog for being “half paper trained,” with dirty dishes in the sink and a tusk in her thigh from a fight the night before.
That, she said, felt like something she “hadn’t seen from her before.”
The emotional core, though, came from Kara’s relationship with her parents and the slow loss of Krypton. Nogueira said there is “a specific kind of pain” in something not ending quickly, but slowly disappearing.
She also talked fondly about working with James Gunn, the filmmaker behind Guardians of the Galaxy and co-head of DC Studios with Peter Safran. Nogueira says Gunn’s notes were rooted in character and emotion, not micromanaging, which also aligned with her style and vision for the script.
“He is very interested in the emotion of the character,” she said.
Nogueira is also writing the new Wonder Woman movie, though she stayed tight-lipped about what fans can expect. She did say she always starts with character first, not just the giant world-ending stakes.
As for Milly Alcock stepping into the role, Nogueira says her reaction was “relief.”
“She just sent in an audition tape like everyone else,” Nogueira said. “It was a moment of relief, like, oh, we can do this. This person exists and we’re going to be okay.”
For fans, Nogueira says she’s not focused on reviews. She cares most about whether audiences connect with the movie and the deep connections it has with the Comics.
“I really care about the fans loving it,” she said. “I hope that people see this movie and that they love it.”
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