Supergirl‘s new superhero name in the 2026 DC release is connected to the comics, and it continues a James Gunn DC Universe trend. Superman is the most important character in the DCU Chapter One. Not only was David Corenswet’s Clark Kent the main character of the first DCU movie, but Superman‘s cast is involved in multiple DCU releases, showcasing the confidence in them.
After debuting at the end of Superman, Milly Alcock’s Supergirl will soon become one of those Superman characters to appear in multiple DCU releases. The Supergirl movie is all about Kara finding who she truly is. As the trailers have teased, Kara is very different from Clark, carrying a lot of trauma over what happened with Krypton and the way she had to grow up.
For those who read the Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow comics that the film is based on, it is easy to see how the DCU version of Supergirl is more mature than others. While the upcoming DC movie does not arrive, another 2026 DC release features a somewhat similar version of the Girl of Steel. This other Supergirl has played around with a name change.
Before he was Clark Kent, Superman was born Kal-El on a distant planet doomed to destruction. His parents Jor-El and Lara placed him in a rocket ship as an infant, sending him across the cosmos to Earth. What is the name of Superman’s home planet?
✓ Correct! Krypton was a scientifically advanced planet that exploded due to its unstable core. Jor-El, Superman’s father, was the only scientist who foresaw the catastrophe and managed to save his son by launching him toward Earth in a small spacecraft.
✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is Krypton. Thanagar is Hawkman’s homeworld, Apokolips is Darkseid’s domain, and Oa is the headquarters of the Green Lantern Corps. Krypton’s destruction is the defining event of Superman’s origin story.
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Superman’s greatest love is a fearless, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist who works alongside Clark Kent at the Daily Planet. She’s known for her relentless pursuit of the truth and for being one of the few people who sees both the hero and the man. Who is she?
✓ Correct! Lois Lane has been Superman’s primary love interest since her debut in Action Comics #1 in 1938. A brilliant investigative reporter, she’s as iconic as Superman himself — tough, smart, and unafraid to chase the biggest stories in Metropolis.
✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is Lois Lane. Diana Prince is Wonder Woman, Lana Lang is Clark’s high school sweetheart from Smallville, and Cat Grant is a gossip columnist at the Daily Planet. Lois Lane is Superman’s iconic partner.
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Despite being nearly invulnerable under Earth’s yellow sun, Superman has one famous weakness — a radioactive mineral from the remnants of his destroyed homeworld. Exposure to it drains his powers and can even kill him. What is this substance called?
✓ Correct! Kryptonite is the irradiated remnants of planet Krypton. Green Kryptonite is the most common and deadly variety, but there are many other types — Red Kryptonite causes unpredictable behavior, Gold Kryptonite can permanently strip his powers, and Blue Kryptonite affects Bizarro.
✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is Kryptonite. Vibranium is from Marvel’s Black Panther universe, Nth Metal is tied to Hawkman, and Red Sun Ore isn’t a real DC substance. Kryptonite is the iconic green-glowing mineral that is Superman’s ultimate weakness.
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In 1978, a then-unknown actor donned the cape and made the world believe a man could fly. His portrayal of Superman became the gold standard for superhero films and he starred in four Superman movies. Who is this legendary actor?
✓ Correct! Christopher Reeve’s portrayal in Superman: The Movie (1978) is widely regarded as the definitive live-action Superman. His performance perfectly balanced the heroic confidence of Superman with the endearing clumsiness of Clark Kent, setting the template every Superman actor has followed since.
✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is Christopher Reeve. Henry Cavill played Superman in the DCEU starting with Man of Steel (2013), Brandon Routh starred in Superman Returns (2006), and Tom Welling played young Clark in TV’s Smallville. Reeve was the original big-screen Superman.
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Superman’s greatest enemy isn’t a superpowered alien — he’s a brilliant, ruthless human billionaire who believes Superman is a threat to humanity’s potential. This bald-headed genius has been Superman’s archenemy for over 80 years. Who is he?
✓ Correct! Lex Luthor is the ultimate foil to Superman — where Superman represents hope and selflessness, Luthor represents ambition and ego. Despite having no superpowers, his genius-level intellect and vast resources make him Superman’s most persistent and dangerous adversary.
✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is Lex Luthor. Brainiac is an alien android who collects cities, Darkseid is the god-like ruler of Apokolips, and Doomsday is the monster who famously killed Superman. But Lex Luthor is the definitive archenemy — Superman’s dark mirror.
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After crash-landing on Earth as a baby, Kal-El was found and adopted by Jonathan and Martha Kent, a kind farming couple. They raised him with strong moral values in a small rural town. Where did Clark Kent grow up?
✓ Correct! Smallville, Kansas is the quintessential American small town where Jonathan and Martha Kent raised Clark with heartland values of honesty, compassion, and humility. It’s the foundation of who Superman is — not the powers from Krypton, but the character instilled by his Kansas parents.
✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is Smallville, Kansas. Gotham is Batman’s city, Metropolis is where Clark moves as an adult to work at the Daily Planet, and Coast City is Green Lantern’s home. Smallville is where the Kents raised Clark on their farm.
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As Clark Kent, Superman disguises himself as a mild-mannered reporter working at Metropolis’s most famous newspaper, alongside Lois Lane and photographer Jimmy Olsen. Their editor-in-chief Perry White runs the newsroom. What is the name of this newspaper?
✓ Correct! The Daily Planet, with its iconic globe on the rooftop, is one of the most recognizable fictional newspapers in pop culture. Working there gives Clark Kent both a cover identity and a way to stay informed about threats to the city and the world.
✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is the Daily Planet. The Daily Bugle is Spider-Man’s Marvel universe newspaper, the Metropolis Star and Gotham Gazette are lesser DC publications. The Daily Planet — with its spinning globe — is Superman’s journalistic home.
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This Kryptonian military commander was banished to the Phantom Zone for treason before Krypton’s destruction. He escaped and came to Earth seeking vengeance, famously demanding that others “Kneel before” him. His iconic portrayal by Terence Stamp cemented him in pop culture. Who is this villain?
✓ Correct! General Zod is one of Superman’s most terrifying foes because he has all of Superman’s powers but none of his morality. Terence Stamp’s portrayal in Superman II (1980) made “Kneel before Zod” one of the most quoted villain lines in film history. Michael Shannon later reimagined the role in Man of Steel (2013).
✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is General Zod. Bizarro is a flawed clone of Superman, Parasite drains powers through touch, and Metallo is a cyborg with a Kryptonite heart. General Zod is the Kryptonian military leader whose cry of “Kneel before Zod!” echoes through decades of Superman stories.
Mission Complete Your Kryptonian Record
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Are you the Man of Steel — or still stuck in a phone booth?
My Adventures with Superman season 3 returned recently, with new episodes of the DC series airing weekly. The project is not connected to Gunn’s DCU, with The Boys star Jack Quaid voicing Superman, while Fear Street trilogy actress Kiana Madeira voices Supergirl. The latter is on an arc of letting go of her anger to become a true superhero, similar to Alcock’s.
My Adventures With Superman Season 3 Debuts A New Supergirl Name
Madeira’s Supergirl debuted in My Adventures with Superman season 2, where it was revealed that she was Brainiac’s adopted daughter, manipulated by him to destroy planets and bend civilizations to the villain’s will. After Superman helped her see what she was truly doing, Kara helped her Kryptonian cousin take down Brainiac, whom she locked away in the My Adventures with Superman season 3 premiere. In episode 2, the focus is squarely on what is next for Kara now that Brainiac is done. As she interacts with the public and gets a confidence boost from her loved ones, Supergirl considers a new name.
My Adventures with Superman season 3 sees Kara suggest being called Power Woman. Given how the public had already taken to calling her Supergirl, the name ultimately does not work as Kara intended it to. However, the mention of Power Woman is a cool one for DC Comics fans, as it ties into Supergirl’s long history. In the Kingdom Come comics, where Supergirl is Kara Zor-L, not Kara Zor-El, the character takes on this alternate superhero title, being known as Power Woman. In other adaptations, Kara is also known as Power Girl, coming from her Earth-2 version.
How DC’s Superman Series Continues A James Gunn DCU Trend
Superman 2025 DCU Logo Chest Crest
Gunn has been pretty open about his comic book inspirations for 2025’s Superman and other DCU projects. Kingdom Come is a big one for the franchise in two ways. For one, the DCU reverses Kingdom come, with the idea of a new generation of superheroes breaking through an older, jaded group of veterans, with Superman leading the first. In the comics, an older Superman comes back to teach reckless new heroes how to behave. Another key Kingdom Come connection comes in the form of the House of El crest, aka the “S” symbol on Superman and Supergirl’s suits, which is inspired by that run.
As such, by being a DC Studios release that borrows elements from the iconic Kingdom Come arc from DC Comics, My Adventures with Superman season 3 is continuing a Gunn trend started in the DCU. The animated series merely plays with the notion of Supergirl going with her Kingdom Come name, though the connection does not amount to something more as of now. However, perhaps it could lead to an eventual Power Girl/Woman appearance in future episodes or seasons of My Adventures with Superman.
