James Gunn's Superman was the make-or-break moment for DC's cinematic reboot.
But its follow-up, Supergirl, may prove just as revealing, offering a first real indication of the kind of universe Gunn intends to build.
>>> UK Culture Secretary Scrutinizes Paramount Warner Bros Discovery Merger
Will every DCU chapter be chained to world-saving spectacle? Or is there room for stranger, smaller stories?
With Supergirl, the answer appears to be yes.
A Different Kind of Hero
Gunn's Superman is an optimistic Kal-El who subscribes to Kryptonian decency. His cousin Kara Zor-El couldn't be more different.
While Supes arrived as a baby on Earth and sees his powers as a gift, Kara spent her early years on Argo, watching everyone around her being slowly poisoned by kryptonite radiation.
Perhaps that's why she spends most of her time traveling to red sun planets to get drunk.
When orphaned Ruthye Marye Knoll begs for help to avenge her family's deaths, Kara just keeps drinking.
It is only when her dog Krypto is poisoned and her ship stolen that she sets out after the villain Krem.
A Vast, Lawless Universe
Where previous DC films saw aliens as occasional threats to Earth, Supergirl imagines a functioning intergalactic community.
The film has a space-western feel, with a cosmic bus stop and lawless frontier.
On Bilquis, Krem and his brigands kidnap young women and murder anyone in their way.
There are shades of Mad Max: Fury Road and Unforgiven, as the film asks whether Kara can keep pretending the suffering around her is none of her business.
