Supergirl thankfully doesn’t retcon Superman’s most polarizing twist
James Gunn’s 2025 Superman film maintains most of the character’s traditional origin story—an alien raised in Kansas who represents the best of humanity—but introduces one significant deviation from established canon. Rather than retconning this change, the forthcoming Supergirl film embraces and builds upon it.
The key alteration centers on Kal-El’s connection to his Kryptonian heritage. In the film, Superman possesses only a corrupted holographic message recorded by his birth parents before Krypton’s destruction. However, when Lex Luthor breaches the Fortress of Solitude, he successfully decodes the complete recording, fundamentally changing what Superman knows about his origins.
Instead of treating this plot point as a temporary story device, Supergirl reportedly doubles down on its implications, suggesting it will have lasting consequences for the broader DC Universe narrative. This approach demonstrates filmmaker confidence in the creative decision, allowing the revelation to resonate across multiple films rather than being dismissed or reversed in subsequent stories.
Gunn’s willingness to modify Superman’s established lore while preserving the character’s core identity—an powerful being who chooses to embody human values—reflects a balancing act between honoring legacy characters and introducing fresh narrative stakes. The decision to expand rather than retract this change indicates the filmmakers view it as central to their vision for Superman’s character arc in this new cinematic era.