Supergirl (animated film)

Supergirl is an upcoming animated superhero adventure fiom written by Lauren Montgomery and James Tucker, from an screenplay co-written with Chesire Castro Smith, with Warner Animation Group and DC Films producing. Based on the DC Comics charafter of the same name, the film would be the second entry in the DC Theatrical Animated Universe, and would star Stephanie Beatriz in the title role, with Henry Cavill, Kari Wahlgren, Corey Burton, Phil LaMarr, and Clancy Brown starring in supporting roles.

Development on an animated Supergirl film would begin by late 2024, with Montgomery and Tucker announced as directors in early 2025, and the film's cast being announced througth late 2025 and early 2026, with several cast members reprising their roles from previous DC media. As an homage to the Fleischer Superman shorts, the film would be made with hand-drawn animation, with animation services being provided by Rough Draft Korea. The filmmakers would draw inspiration from the The Supergirl from Krypton and Superman: Brainiac storylines for the film's plot, and would consult with therapists in order to provide an accurate representation of trauma.

Supergirl would be released on December 25, 2027, and would receive a generally positive critical reception, particularly for its tone, voice acting, action sequences, writing, direction, animation, and potrayal of trauma and PTSD. The film would also earn 890 million dollars at the box office, against a budget of 87 million dollars.

Synopsis
For years, it was assumed that Superman was the only survivor of the House of El following the destruction of Krypton. However, a new survivor is discovered in the form of Kara Zol-El, Superman's older cousin, who spent years in suspended animation, floating in space after the planet's demise. Having watched the destruction first hand before freezing, Kara has to recover from her experience, come to terms with the loss of her family and home, and adapt to life on Earth. And when Superman¿s greatest enemies, Lex Luthor and Brainiac, form an alliance to take down the Man of Steel, Kara must step up to the challenge and become Supergirl in order to save not only her last remaning family, but the people of Earth as well.

Voice cast

 * Stephanie Beatriz as Kara Zor-El / Supergirl: One of the last Kryptonians and Superman's cousin, who spent years in suspended animation before awakening on Earth. Beatriz said she wanted to give Supergirl a voice that "sounded tough, badass, tomboyish, and rude" but also "displayed a lot of hidden pain underneath her words". Co-director Lauren Montgomery said that Supergirl is "a hurt girl who learns to live with those wounds", while co-director James Tucker said they wanted to "interwine" her struggles with her new powers with her emotional turmoil to give the plot more emotional depth and urgency to the character.
 * Henry Cavill as Kal-El / Clark Kent / Superman: One of the last sons of Krypton and Supergirl's cousin, who protects the people of Earth as Superman while living under the disguise of Clark Kent. Cavill reprises his role from the DC Extended Universe Montgomery said the character would be "less tragic" than Cavill's live-action potrayal and more in line with traditional versions of the character, while Tucker added that the film would neverthless show aspects of his previous version, particularly his feeling of loneliness as one of the last known Kryptonians, to give his interactons with Supergirl more emotional weight, describing the relationship between both as "the heart of the film"
 * Kari Wahlgren as Lois Lane: An intrepid reporter and Superman's girlfriend, who is one of the few people aware of his secret identity.
 * Phil LaMarr as Jimmy Olsen: A Daily Planet reporter and Sueprman's best friend, who is also aware of his secret identity. LaMarr said the film would potray Olsen as "more than a comic relief", and display how important Kent, Lane, and Olsen are for each other. Montgomery said the film would also explore "how it feels to be Superman's bestie".
 * Corey Burton as Brainiac: An AI from Krypton programmed to collect data from other planets, who seeks to study and destroy them to prevent the infromation from growing obsolete. Burton reprises his role from the DC Animated Universe.
 * Clancy Brown as Lex Luthor: An unscrupulous buisnessman with world-conquering ambitions and Superman's archenemy. Brown reprises his role from the DCAU. Tucker said the film would diverge from Luthor's previous cinematic potrayals and instead potray him "as the calculated mastermind" from the comics.

Additionally, Nicole Sullivan, who previously voiced Supergirl in DC Superhero Girls, would voice Kara's mother. Tara Strong would reprise her role from Superman: Brainaic Attacks as Mercy Graves, Luthor's assistant. Dee Bradley Baker would provide the vocal effects for Streaky, a cat Lois gives to Supergirl. Travis Willgham voices Krypton's alert system at the start of the film. Brainiac 5 appears as Brainiac's second-in-command, with a post-credits scene hinting at a more accurate potrayal in future films.

Trivia

 * Directors Lauren Montgomery and James Tucker previously helmed the direct-to-video films Superman/Batman: Apocalypse and Superman: Brainiac, respectively, whose source materials serve as inspirations for this film.
 * When asked about why they wanted Cavill to voice Superman, the directors said it was because they "wanted to give him another chance".
 * It is hinted that Superman has met and fought General Zod and his associates before the film's events, as he is refered as "The [presumed] last member of the House of El", while Supergirl and Superman are called some of the last Kryptonians at the start of the film,
 * The film is set a few years before the events of Batgirl.