10 Must-Have Requirements For The New Supergirl Costume In James Gunn’s DC Universe Reboot

Now that Milly Alcock has officially been cast as Supergirl in the DCU, there is a lot of excitement surrounding Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow. Official details are pretty scarce right now, so there isn’t much to speculate about. However, one thing that is always a big question for any superhero is how their costume will look on the big screen. There have already been a few different live-action interpretations of Supergirl, so the DCU will likely want to do something a little different.

Luckily for the Supergirl: World of Tomorrow team, Kara Zor-El has had a lot of different looks in the comics since Supergirl first appeared in 1959. This gives the DCU’s costume designers a lot of different elements to pick and choose from. For Supergirl’s first appearance in the DCU, she will likely be sporting her iconic red and blue look. This means designers will also have to make sure they are finding ways to differentiate her costume from Superman’s.

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10 Supergirl Needs The Iconic S Logo

Family Crest Or Symbol Of Hope… It’s Essential Either Way

Most of Supergirl’s costume designs include the iconic S logo that she shares with Superman. The logo has been retconned into the DC Universe to be the family crest of the El family, so it would make sense for Supergirl to have it as well as Superman. The design is typically red, and most frequently has a yellow backdrop. Having the yellow does help sell the family crest angle and would differentiate the look from the recent Supergirl TV series. The family crest will also be a good way for Supergirl to eventually recognize Superman as her cousin.

9 Supergirl’s Costume Should Have A Blue Base

The Blue Brand Of The Kryptonian Superheroes Is A Given

One aspect that sometimes gets changed on Supergirl’s costume in DC Comics is the base color. Occasionally, she will wear white or even black instead of the traditional blue color. While these colors can work well in comic books, they might not necessarily look as good on screen. The blue costume, especially with other colors accenting it, is bright and recognizable. At least for her first appearance, it would make sense to have Supergirl in her most iconic costume. After that, subsequent movies can play around with how she looks if they want to.

8 A Red Cape Will Enhance Supergirl’s Movements

Supergirl’s cape does a lot to enhance the way she looks. Not only does it prevent her costume from being essentially just tights, it can also enhance her movements a lot while she’s fighting, adding a nice visual flair. It also looks great when she’s hovering in the air, and it’s blowing in the wind. This makes it easier to create interesting visuals than if the suit was just a form-fitting material.

A cape will also just give Supergirl a classic superhero look. Though there haven’t been any reveals of DCU costumes yet, Gunn’s casting decisions suggest he’s trying hard to stick to how heroes look in the comics. This would likely also extend to their costumes, meaning Milly Alcock will likely be rocking a cape when she eventually suits up as Supergirl.

7 Supergirl’s Suit Should Have Lines Or Texture Pattern

Finding The Balance Of Cool Versus Over-Designed Will Be Key

A lot of times in comics, Supergirl’s costume will just be all blue, with any visible lines being the result of shading. While this works perfectly fine on the page, on the screen just plain spandex would give the costume a very cheap look. To avoid looking like a store-bought Halloween costume, Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow‘s team would be smart to give the suit some texture.

This is pretty common practice in superhero movies. For example, the MCU’s Captain Marvel has a lot of seamlines on her costume that aren’t there in the comics. This keeps the costume looking visually interesting. The Supergirl TV series used red stitching on Kara’s costume to add some visuals, and it gave the blue part of her costume a texture pattern. Texture patterns are another good way to keep superhero costumes from just looking flat and boring.

Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow

Superhero

Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow is one of many DC movies being released by Warner Bros. under the supervision of DC co-heads James Gunn and Peter Safran. Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow was officially confirmed in January 2023 alongside other DC titles, including Superman: Legacy, Batman: The Brave and the Bold, and Swamp Thing.

Cast

Milly Alcock

Distributor(s)

Warner Bros. Pictures

6 A Golden Belt Is A Classic Accessory For Supergirl

Accessorizing Is About More Than Just Fashion

To break up her costume, Supergirl usually has a gold belt around her waist. The belt can help enhance a wide heroic stance, helping sell her super strength. In costumes where Supergirl wears pants instead of a skirt, the belt is also a good way to break up her body from having too much blue. The belt sometimes matches the yellow background of the El family crest, giving Supergirl some additional accents. A version with a yellow belt can be seen in Supergirl (1984) starring Helen Slater as Supergirl.

5 Supergirl’s Costume Should Cover Her Legs

Covering Supergirl Up Is About Practicality Over Aesthetic

Perhaps the part of Supergirl’s costume that changes most often is what’s below her waist. Sometimes Supergirl wears a skirt, other times pants. Some comics also show her wearing something more akin to a bodysuit, with the entirety of her legs exposed. Whether the movie goes pants or skirt, it would probably be best to avoid going for the bodysuit option. Though it can work in comics, it would be hard to pull off on a real person without exposing her too much.

The Supergirl CW series had Kara in both pants and a skirt, and both looks worked well. Wonder Woman also managed to pull off a skirt look for Diana without making it feel overly sexualized. As long as the movie keeps things practical and non-exploitative, then either option should be fine.

4 Supergirl’s Red Boots Are Perfect For Action Scenes

Forget The Early 1970s Pixie Shoes: Knee-High Boots Are A Must

Similar to Supergirl’s belt, her red boots are a good way to break up the blue on her costume. Having clear distinctions between different parts of a hero’s body can be helpful when the chaotic action scenes get started. Supergirl swinging a big red boot into a villain’s face is also a pretty strong statement, fashion or otherwise. Supergirl’s boots are also one of her most consistent traits in the comics. Even when she became a Red Lantern for a little while, she held onto the boots even when she didn’t have the El family crest..

3 Giving Supergirl’s Costume Yellow Trim Makes Her Look Unique

Kara’s Cape Should Have Its Own Unique Identity

Though not always a feature of Supergirl’s costume, she does sometimes have yellow trim on her cape. This adds an interesting highlight that goes well with her belt and El family crest. It is also a good way to make her more visually distinct from Superman. Though it isn’t confirmed if Superman will be in Supergirl: World of Tomorrow, it is safe to assume that he will meet Supergirl at some point in the DCU. When that happens, it would be nice to have some small differences between their costumes to keep them looking unique.

2 Supergirl Wearing Fingerless Gloves Gives Her A Brawler Look

Let’s Ignore The 1990s Animated White Gloves For Something More Badass

Some versions of Supergirl have included fingerless gloves to go along with her costume. These would be a good accessory for what some are interpreting might be a more angry or brutal version of Supergirl. Gunn has already said that the DCU’s Supergirl isn’t necessarily the one fans expect, and that she has gone through a pretty tough time getting to Earth. Giving her the gloves would help give her a tougher look, as they are often given to fighters or bikers in movies.

1 Supergirl’s Costume Needs To Have A Kryptonian Explanation

Family History Matters: Supergirl and Superman Need To Coordinate Properly

When Supergirl was originally designed for the comics, she was just designed to look visually similar to Superman. Modern superhero audiences like to have an in-universe reason why two characters would dress the same, especially if they have never met before. Making Supergirl and Superman’s costumes official Kryptonian outfits is an easy way to solve this issue. Even if the DCU versions of the characters have met, making the costumes be of Kryptonian origin also helps Supergirl retain a more independent identity, instead of looking like she’s just following Superman’s lead.