Supergirl Is Adapting The Same Story As John Wayne’s True Grit

One of John Wayne’s best Western films is about to be remade, but this time, it’s going to be a superhero movie. John Wayne was responsible for some of the best Westerns ever made. His filmography is legendary, and he’s an absolute icon of the genre. Now, 47 years after his death, one of John Wayne’s best Westerns is being remade, but the horses and rifles are being traded for spaceships and laser vision.

Historically, the science fiction of superhero movies have had a lot of overlap with the history of the Western genres. Both have gone through ups and downs in popularity, both often deal with larger-than-life figures fighting for objective ideas of morality and justice, and both genres have been deconstructed and reconstructed several times. Now, one superhero movie is even tackling the same story a classic Western did.

After 57 years, the upcoming DCU movie Supergirl is set to adapt the story of True Grit once again. True Grit was remade by the Coen brothers in 2010, but that was another Western starring Jeff Bridges and Hailee Steinfeld. Supergirl, which is set to premiere on June 26, will see Milly Alcock’s titular superhero take on a very similar role to Rooster Cogburn over half a century after the Duke did it.

The Comic Supergirl Is Based On Is A Reimagining Of True Grit

Craig Gillespie’s Supergirl is based on a Supergirl comic titled Woman of Tomorrow, which was written by Tom King and illustrated by Bilquis Evely. King has frequently confirmed that Woman of Tomorrow is based on True Grit, and it’s not hard to see the similarities in the comic itself. Both stories are told by young girls who are out to find revenge for their murdered fathers. Both girls then find unlikely help from a drunken and ill-mannered bounty hunter, and they go on a long and arduous journey to find and kill the responsible criminal.

The premises of Woman of Tomorrow and True Grit are nearly identical, and their themes are as well. Both stories end with the girl learning the steep price of revenge and with the bounty hunter learning to put others before themselves and realizing that apathy is not a winning world view. Kara Zor-El, aka Supergirl, is Rooster Cogburn, while Ruthye is Mattie Ross.

The only real difference between Woman of Tomorrow and True Grit is the role of Kara’s dog, Krypto. In the comic and the upcoming movie, Krypto is also poisoned by Krem of the Yellow Hills, the man who killed Ruthye’s father. Krypto’s injury serves as Kara’s motivation to help Ruthye on her quest, but in the comic, there’s a very well-written twist in store. Besides that, even the space travel and Supergirl’s powers are mere differences in detail compared to True Grit.

Supergirl has already made some changes to Woman of Tomorrow‘s story, but on the whole, the upcoming movie should also be extremely similar to True Grit. The main conflict, of Ruthye’s family being killed and sending her on a quest for revenge, is the same as Mattie’s motivation for seeking out Rooster Cogburn. The trailers for Supergirl have all but confirmed that True Grit is about to get the superhero treatment.

Supergirl Is The Perfect Way To Modernize True Grit

Though it may seem like sacrilege to turn one of the Duke’s best films into a superhero movie, Supergirl is actually the perfect way to modernize the story of True Grit. Notably, True Grit was already modernized by Jeff Bridges and the Coen brothers in 2010. While that movie was one of the best remakes of all time, and the Coens crafted a movie that was just as thrilling as the original, there’s still room for this timeless story to be updated.

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Supergirl, by virtue of being a superhero movie, can bring the myth of True Grit into the 21st century. Superhero movies have already replaced Westerns as the 21st century’s most popular genre and as the preferred myth-making medium, so it only makes sense that one of the great American Westerns would get the superhero treatment. If True Grit had been written in 2018 instead of 1968, it would have been a superhero story from the start.

Supergirl herself is also possibly the most fitting character in modern fiction to fill the role of Rooster Cogburn. Kara Zor-El is a character who has lived most of her life in Superman’s shadow. She struggles to find a purpose, she’s a notorious drinker and party-goer, and the story of True Grit is the perfect way to establish her wholesome heart that’s hidden under that gruff exterior. In many ways, Supergirl herself feels inspired by Rooster Cogburn, and not just in the context of Woman of Tomorrow.

Supergirl Should Still Have Some Surprises For True Grit Fans

Luckily for fans of True Grit, the upcoming Supergirl show won’t be a 1:1 adaptation of John Wayne’s Western. The stories are extremely similar, especially in their broad plot points and themes, but they’re not identical. The comic Woman of Tomorrow has a few very thoughtful and useful additions and changes to the story of True Grit, such as Krypto’s role in the story and the twist associated with him.

The Supergirl movie is likely to take the changes Woman of Tomorrow made to True Grit even further. I personally feel confident that Craig Gillespie has added something meaningful to the story of Woman of Tomorrow in adapting it to the big screen. Additionally, there’s also the obvious changes to genre and setting, as Supergirl features a version of Rooster Cogburn with superpowers, and the American frontier has been swapped for the final frontier of space.

Fans of True Grit still have something to be excited about in Supergirl. Like the Coen brothers remake before it, Supergirl is promising to use True Grit mainly as inspiration to tell a newer story with plenty of surprises. Viewers who haven’t seen True Grit, as well, will have even more to look forward to. While it may not be a traditional retelling of True Grit, Supergirl is going to bring the essence of the story into the 2020s.

Release Date

June 26, 2026

Director

Craig Gillespie

Writers

Ana Nogueira, Otto Binder, Tom King, Al Plastino, Jerry Siegel, Joe Shuster, Bilquis Evely

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  Matthias Schoenaerts

  Krem of the Yellow Hills

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  Eve Ridley

  Ruthye Mary Knolle

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