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How to watch DC's Supergirl movies and shows in order - release & chronological

How to watch Supergirl in release and chronological order

Guides by Joshua Lapin-Bertone, Contributing writer

Published on Fri May 08 2026

Want to know how to watch Supergirl movies and TV shows in order? Ahead of Milly Alcock’s big-screen Supergirl this summer, here’s how to watch every Supergirl project in both release and chronological order from Helen Slater’s 1984 movie to Melissa Benoist’s Arrowverse series and, yes, even the current DCU era.

How to watch Supergirl in release order

It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s a heroine that never backs down. If you think Supergirl is just a female version of Superman, then you don’t know Kara Zor-El. Some versions of the character are filled with hope and a sense of wonder, while other versions are wounded by their trauma, and not afraid to use a few villains as punching bags to work through their issues.

Supergirl has had quite an impressive television and film career. Helen Slater played the first live action version of the character in the 1984 film Supergirl. Melissa Benoist played Supergirl for 6 seasons on her own show, giving her the most screen time of any Supergirl actress to date. Sasha Calle played an alternate timeline version of the character in The Flash before Milly Alcock took over the role in James Gunn’s Superman.

How to watch Supergirl in chronological order

supergirl -- helen slater — Image credit: Photo: DC.com

If you want to watch Supergirl in chronological order, it’s important to remember that not all the films are connected. Some Supergirl projects take place in different continuities, while others are connected. Don’t worry, because Popverse is here to help you keep it all straight. Just consider this your Supergirl multiverse atlas.

The Donnerverse

Supergirl (1984 film)

The Donnerverse is home to Christopher Reeve’s Superman films. The 1984 Supergirl film, which featured Helen Slater as the title character, was released between Superman III and Superman IV: The Quest for Peace. While Slater’s Supergirl took place in the same continuity as the Reeve’s series, the two characters never interacted onscreen (unless you count the multiverse vision with CGI versions of the characters in the 2023 Flash film).

The Arrowverse

Supergirl season 1 (live action television series, 2015-2016)
Supergirl season 2 (live action television series, 2016-2017)
Supergirl season 3 (live action television series, 2017-2018)
Supergirl season 4 (live action television series, 2018-2019)
Supergirl season 5 (live action television series, 2019-2020)
Supergirl season 6 (live action television series, 2021)

The Arrowverse was a shared continuity of DC Universe television shows that aired on the CW television network. Melissa Benoist starred as Supergirl on her own series for six seasons, and she occasionally made guest appearances on other Arrowverse shows (for more on that click here). It should be noted that Supergirl initially lived on Earth-38, which was a different reality than the one seen on The Flash and Arrow, but their worlds merged during the Crisis on Infinite Earths television event in Supergirl season 5.

The DC Extended Universe

The Flash (2023 film)

The DC Extended Universe is home to Henry Cavill’s version of Superman and Ben Affleck’s version of Batman. Sasha Calle played Supergirl in the 2023 Flash film, which was set in a version of the DC Extended Universe where the timeline had been disrupted. Does that mean that Sasha Calle’s Supergirl also existed offscreen in the original version of the DCEU? It’s hard to say, but now that the DCEU has concluded we may never get our answer.

DC Universe

Superman (2025 film)
Supergirl (2026 film)

The DC Universe is the cinematic universe seen in James Gunn and Peter Safran’s DC Studios projects. Milly Alcock made her debut as Supergirl in the ending of the 2025 Superman movie, and she’ll get her first solo outing with Supergirl in summer 2026. While nothing has been officially announced, several Hollywood trades have reported that we’ll see Alcock back as Kara Zor-El for the 2027 film Man of Tomorrow.

Where else has Supergirl appeared?

Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow — Image credit: Warner Bros.

There have been a lot of DC Universe television shows and movies, and Supergirl has made a fair share of appearances in them. Some appearances give her a major role, such as Superman/Batman: Apocalypse. Other films like Teen Titans Go! To the Movies have her in a small cameo. Either way, here’s a brief rundown of Kara Zor-El’s other DC appearances.

Supergirl has also appeared on her fair share of DC Universe television shows. The character had her DC Animated Universe debut in the Superman: The Animated Series storyline “Little Girl Lost,” and made occasional appearances for the remainder of the show’s run. This version of the character also made a cameo appearance in Justice League and had a few storylines in Justice League Unlimited.

Kara was also a featured character in the Super Best Friends Forever shorts, DC Super Hero Girls, and its related direct-to-video specials, and spinoffs. Supergirl has made brief appearances on Justice League Action, Harley Quinn, and Young Justice. The character was also given a special storyline on season two of My Adventures with Superman.

A fake Kara was seen in season two of Smallville, before the real version was introduced in season seven.

Melissa Benoist reprised her role as Supergirl for other Arrowverse shows during their various crossovers, including The Flash, Legends of Tomorrow, Arrow, and Batwoman. For more on the Arrowverse, check out our dedicated guide.

How is Supergirl related to Superman?

Supergirl is Superman’s cousin. Her father Zor-El is the brother of Superman’s father Jor-El. There are some versions of the character in the comics that aren’t related to Superman, but pretty much all versions of the character on television and film are Superman’s cousin. The exception is Kara In-Ze from Superman: The Animated Series, who is a descendant of Kryptonian space explorers with no relation to Superman.

If you’re asking how the 2026 Supergirl movie is related to the 2025 Superman movie, they’re both part of James Gunn and Peter Safran’s DC Universe. The Milly Alcock version of Supergirl is seen for the first time at the end of Superman, setting up her 2026 solo film. David Corenswet’s Superman can also be seen in Supergirl, sending his cousin a video message. Both films feature Krypto, because everything is better with dogs.

Is Supergirl connected to Superman & Lois?

The Supergirl television series is not set in the same universe as Superman & Lois, but there are some connections between the series. Tyler Hoechlin made his first appearance as Superman in season 2 of the Supergirl television series, and Bitsie Tulloch appeared as Lois Lane on Supergirl and the Arrowverse family of shows before getting their own series.

When Superman & Lois debuted in 2021, the producers originally intended on it being set in the same continuity as Supergirl. In fact, a photo of Melissa Benoist’s Supergirl was originally going to be seen in the pilot episode before being cut. The producers eventually made the decision to set the show in its own reality, separating it from Supergirl. However, the series still found other ways to connect to Supergirl, like having Jenna Dewan reprise her role as Lucy Lane.

Whether it’s set in the same universe or not, Superman & Lois owes a lot to Supergirl, and probably wouldn’t exist without it.

What is Supergirl 2026 going to be about?

An image of Milly Alcock — Image credit: DC Studios

The 2026 Supergirl film is going to be about Kara Zor-El helping a young woman named Ruthye Marye Knoll on a quest for revenge. Ruthye is hunting for Krem of the Yellow Hills, a ruthless mercenary who killed her father. Supergirl acts as Ruthye’s protector and guide on her intergalactic journey and helps the young girl come to terms with her anger and grief. Krem has also poisoned Supergirl’s dog Krypto, making the quest a personal one for Kara. The movie will be based on the popular comic Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, so feel free to read it if you want to get a sense of what the film will be like.

Who is Jason Momoa playing in the new Supergirl?

An image of Jason Momoa as Lobo in Supergirl — Image credit: DC Studios

Jason Momoa is playing Lobo in the 2026 Supergirl film. The character is a space mercenary who is known for his violent attitude, big weapons, and flying space motorcycle. Lobo is the last of the Czarnians, as he wiped out his entire species as part of a science project (he gave himself an ‘A’). For more on Lobo, check out Popverse’s guide to the character.

Where can I watch Supergirl?

An image from the Supergirl trailer — Image credit: DC Studios

If you want to watch Supergirl, an HBO Max subscription is your best bet. HBO Max is currently the streaming home for the 1984 Supergirl film, the 2023 Flash film, and James Gunn’s Superman. Although nothing has been formally announced, it’s a good bet that Supergirl will likely end up on HBO Max after its theatrical window concludes. If you want to watch the CW Supergirl series, then you’ll have to head over to Netflix. Keep in mind, the availability of these titles could change as streaming licenses expire and new deals are made.

Need more? Here's our picks for the best DC Comics stories of all time, and here's a list of all the free DC comics you can look forward to as part of this year's Free Comic Book Day 2026 and Comics Giveaway Day 2026.

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Joshua Lapin-Bertone: Joshua is a pop culture writer specializing in comic book media. His work has appeared on the official DC Comics website, the DC Universe subscription service, HBO Max promotional videos, the Batman Universe fansite, and more. In between traveling around the country to cover various comic conventions, Joshua resides in Florida where he binges superhero television and reads obscure comics from yesteryear.