DC’s ‘Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow’ Could Bring ‘True Grit’ to Space

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Even though Superman is still six months out from its release date, development of the DC Universe’s second film is already picking up steam. Earlier this week it was announced that former Aquaman Jason Momoa will take on a new DC Comics role, with the Hawaiian star set to portray a personal favorite character, alien bounty hunter and anti-hero Lobo, in the film Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, which will reportedly begin production on January 13.

Momoa joins a cast that includes House of the Dragon’s Milly Alcock as the titular character, also known as Superman’s cousin, Kara Zor-El, with the film set to adapt the acclaimed comic book miniseries of the same name. The Lobo character does not appear in the Woman of Tomorrow comics, so the casting suggests that some changes will be made to the story, but fans can still look to the comics’ own surprising inspirations for insight into what to expect from the film. The writer of the comic, Tom King, who now also works in the inner creative circle at DC Studios, has frequently described Woman of Tomorrow as being inspired by the Western films True Grit, and despite the comics’ outer space setting and other fantastical elements, the influence of the more gritty stories shines through.

‘Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow’ is DC’s Cosmic ‘True Grit’ Homage

The first version of True Grit, itself an adaptation of a 1968 novel of the same name, was directed by Henry Hathaway and released the following year. In 2010, a remake directed by the Coen Brothers was released. Both versions take place in the late 1800s and follow teenager Mattie Ross (Kim Darby in the original film, Hailee Steinfeld in the remake), who hires U.S. Marshal Reuben “Rooster” J. Cogburn (John Wayne and Jeff Bridges), to hunt down and capture Tom Chaney (Jeff Corey and Josh Brolin), the outlaw who murdered Mattie’s father. For much of their mission, the pair are joined by Texas Ranger LaBoeuf (Glen Campbell and Matt Damon), who initially clashes with Mattie before developing mutual respect with her. Both versions of the film are critically acclaimed and accrued large numbers of accolades, with Wayne, Steinfeld, and Bridges all being nominated for Academy Awards for their respective performances (Steinfeld at the age of 14), and Wayne winning the award for Best Actor.

Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow also follows a young woman, alien Ruthye Mary Knolle (to be played by Eve Ridley in the film), whose own father was murdered by Krem of the Yellow Hills (Matthias Schoenaerts), a corrupt agent of the planet’s king. Ruthye hopes to hire a mercenary to help her track Krem so she can kill him. When one of her would-be employees strikes Ruthye and attempts to steal the sword Krem used to kill her father, he is dispatched by Kara. The heroine had traveled to the alien planet so its red sun would decrease her superpowers, allowing her to get drunk on her 21st birthday. Impressed by the power and skill Kara shows even while intoxicated, Ruthye attempts to hire her, but Kara refuses to join her mission until Krem also shoots her pet, Krypto the Superdog, with an arrow. Kara then agrees to help Ruthye catch Krem, but tries to convince the younger girl that the lethal brand of vengeance she hopes for is not justice. However, as their mission takes them across the far reaches of space, leading them to encounter an assortment of tragedies and atrocities, both girls influence one another, with their convictions to their respective moralities beginning to waver. In addition to their nearly identical situations, Ruthye is characterized in similar ways to Mattie, especially by displaying a similarly high vocabulary and formal manner of speaking, though the latter eventually begins to shift towards slang in Ruthye’s case, possibly due to Kara’s influence.

‘True Grit’s Enduring Story Provides Insight Into ‘Supergirl’

After the Woman of Tomorrow film was announced, King revealed that he had originally pitched a version of the story in which Lobo played a role of almost equal significance to Kara’s. He credits his editors with advising him to remove Lobo and “make Supergirl the Rooster Cogburn character,” which he believes was crucial to making the series the success it was. Given this, it may seem unusual that the filmmakers would choose to add Lobo back into the mix, but there are plenty of ways the ostentatious character can be integrated into the plot without losing the heart of the story. With Kara likely still set for a role similar to Cogburn’s, Lobo could take on a part like LaBoeuf’s. This would invert some of the dynamics of True Grit in interesting ways.

Although LaBoeuf and Cogburn also come to respect one another, the Coen Brothers film emphasizes that the former is much more of a traditionally moral hero character, with Mattie at one point even telling him that she feels she hired the wrong man in Cogburn. While Alcock’s Kara will almost certainly be tempted by vengeance like her comic counterpart is, the character’s noble altruism will presumably also be highlighted, which will separate her from the gruff, more reluctant brand of heroism shown by Cogburn. In this case, the crude and wild, but occasionally honorable Lobo would make a natural substitute for the stoic LaBoeuf. That being said, Lobo could also easily fit into a simpler, possibly antagonistic role in the film, instead replacing some of the minor outlaws and other villains that support Krem throughout the comic. But however Momoa’s character fits in, the possibility of seeing a space-based superhero film that doubles as a True Grit homage is one of several aspects of Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow that make it one of DC’s most intriguing upcoming projects.

Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow will be released in theaters June 26, 2026.

Hathaway’s True Grit is available to rent or purchase on Prime Video.

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The Coen Brothers’ version is available to stream on Paramount Plus.

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“}]] The DCU’s second film could be a hit with John Wayne and Coen Brothers fans.  Read More