Supergirl: American Alien

***Supergirl: American Alien*** is a 2022 American superhero film based on the DC Comics character Supergirl. Produced by DC Entertainment and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, it is a sequel to *Supergirl* (2019) and the 36th film in the DC Cinematic Universe (DCCU). The film was directed by Greta Gerwig, who co-wrote the screenplay with David S. Goyer, and stars Melissa Benoist as Kara Danvers, Evan Peters, Jenna Dewan, Ana de Armas, Daniel Kaluuya, Sam Witwer, Matt Damon, and Sam Elliot. In the film, Danvers deals with rising anti-alien sentiment in America, and uncovers a conspiracy within the government in the process.

A sequel to *Supergirl* was confirmed in July 2019, with Goyer and Benoist announced to be returning in November. Gerwig was hired in April 2020. The rest of the cast was confirmed by August, and principal photography had begun by early November at Warner Bros. Studios, Leavesden, concluding in April 2021.

*Supergirl: American Alien* was released in the United States on March 4, 2022, as part of Phase Four of the DCCU. The film received critical acclaim and grossed over $901 million worldwide, becoming the fifth-highest-grossing film of 2022. A third film, *Supergirl: The Last Stand*, was released on March 7, 2025.

## Plot

Lucy Lane leads a team of government agents to take down an underground Kryptonite testing research group. However, during the fight, Lucy is exposed to one of the prototypes, which sends her into a coma. Kara Danvers, the civilian identity of Supergirl, visits Lucy after hearing of the accident and discovers she now has Kryptonian-like abilities. Sam Lane, Lucy's father and the Secretary of Defense, wishes to search for a way to undo the accident, but Lucy decides to begin training to become a superhero. Elsewhere, Lena Luthor, who secretly knows Supergirl's identity, plots to take her down, using Pete Ross, a Senator running for President, as one of her pawns. She is funding Project: Man of Tomorrow, a government plan to find a new face for America's hero, after Superman's death. Ben Lockwood, a small-town vigilante, is enlisted for the project as "Agent Liberty". Lena is also funding Ross's campaign, and they decide to include Lockwood as the face for America's future.

In London, Manchester Black and a group of other super-powered vigilantes known as The Elite take down a crime boss and publicly execute him. The rise in vigilantism since Darkseid's attack has frightened some into believing they are out of control. Supergirl attends a fundraiser in London, where The Elite show up and Manchester voices his disapproval of Supergirl. She attempts to reason with the group, but they leave. Lena begins publicly developing a potential Vigilante Registration Bill, where all costumed heroes would have to report to their respective governments. Ross begins using the bill as a prominent aspect of his campaign, and Lockwood is the first to register. Supergirl meets with Lena to discuss the dangers of the bill, but she refuses to listen, though she does ask her to appear at Ross's next campaign rally.

At the rally, a group of vigilante terrorists show up, openly opposing the VRB and attempting to kill Ross. Supergirl manages to save him, despite Lena's plan to keep her from intervening. It is revealed that Lena hired the group to kill Ross, so she could take his place in the campaign. Sam is forced to go along with the bill, while Lucy is coerced into being part of Man of Tomorrow. She works alongside Lockwood to demonstrate how safe superheroes can be. Jimmy Olsen, Kara's boyfriend and co-worker, discovers Lena's connection to Ross's attackers and informs Kara, who is shocked. Lena discovers their knowledge and accelerates her plan, inviting Manchester and The Elite to meet with Ross to discuss a compromise. At the public event, the terrorists show up again and attack, but this time Lena is caught in the crossfire and killed, along with many other innocents. The Elite are framed as the perpetrators, while Lockwood decides to take up Lena's plan and organizes the terrorist cell into his followers, naming them the Sons of Liberty. Ross recruits Lockwood as his running mate and they win the election in a landslide.

As the VRB goes into effect, Supergirl refuses to register. Lucy is forced to sign in order to continue her government career, but she agrees to help Kara as much as she can. Many other countries, including England, decide not to adopt the act, but Manchester is still angry at Lockwood for framing them. Kara is forced to go into hiding, while Sam is interrogated for her identity. Lockwood recruits his followers to assassinate Ross, so he can take the Presidential seat. Sam warns Lucy before he is arrested for treason. At another political event, the Sons of Liberty attack but Kara protects Ross. The U.S. government attempts to arrest her, but Lucy fights them. The Elite show up, wanting Lockwood dead, but Kara stops them. She convinces Manchester that killing Lockwood will solve nothing, while Lucy, with Olsen's help, is able to expose Lockwood for his crimes. Lena's involvement is also uncovered. Sam is freed and Supergirl's name is cleared. Ross decides to repeal the VRB, while Manchester splits up his group. Ben is arrested, and Ross appoints Sam as his new Vice President, while Amanda Waller becomes the new Secretary of Defense.

In a mid-credits scene, Waller begins infiltrating the Department of Defense with members of A.R.G.U.S. In a post-credits scene, Kara and Lucy argue about who is stronger.

## Cast

* Melissa Benoist as Kara Danvers/Supergirl
* Evan Peters as Jimmy Olsen
* Jenna Dewan as Lucy Lane/Superwoman
* Ana de Armas as Lena Luthor
* Daniel Kaluuya as Manchester Black
* Sam Witwer as Ben Lockwood
* Matt Damon as Pete Ross
* Sam Elliot as Sam Lane

## Reception

### **Box office**

*Supergirl: American Alien* grossed $372.7 million in the United States and Canada, and $528.8 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $901.4 million. It is the fifth-highest-grossing film of 2022.

In the US and Canada, *Supergirl: American Alien* was projected to gross $100–150 million from 4,417 theaters in its opening weekend, and around $300–450 million for its total domestic box office. Tickets for the advance IMAX screenings sold out within a day of going on sale on February 8, 2022. The film made $94.9 million on its first day in the US and Canada, which included $40.1 million from Thursday night previews. It grossed $183 million in its opening weekend, extraordinarily exceeding expectations. The film grossed $55.2 million in its second weekend, dropping 70%, but staying atop the box office. The third weekend saw it gross $21.9 million, a fall of 60%. In the fourth weekend it was displaced to the second spot by *The Lost City*, earning $10.4 million for a drop of 53%.

### **Critical reception**

*Supergirl: American Alien* was acclaimed by film critics. On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, it received 94% approval rating with an average rating of 8.14/10, based on 352 reviews, with the consensus: "*Supergirl: American Alien* returns to the classic heroine with action, emotion, a strong story, and brilliant visuals, and will please traditionalists and new fans alike." Metacritic, which assigns a weighted average score, gave the film an 82 out of 100 based on 46 reviews from critics, indicating "universal acclaim". Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A" on an A+ to F scale.