Spoiler for 'The Flash'
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: There were apprehensions among the DC comics fanbase when ‘The Flash’ was announced without a possible return of Henry Cavill’s Superman. A decade ago, Zack Snyder kick-started the DC Cinematic Universe with ’Man of Steel’ which laid the platform for other DC films such as 'Justice League', 'Aquaman', and 'Wonder Woman'. But since James Gunn took over as DC Studios co-CEO, Ezra Miller’s ‘The Flash’ became a priority to relaunch DC’s next universe of films. And in this universe, the fans are blessed with a Supergirl and not a Superman. Sasha Calle was an unknown name before ‘The Flash’. She is now on the fame train and dons a superhero role with panache and grace for the DC universe.
When the fans learned of the presence of Supergirl in ‘The Flash’, they were excited but didn’t know what to expect. Supergirl has always been in the shadow of Kal-El aka Superman, her Kryptonian cousin. So to feature her instead of Henry Cavill’s Superman was a gamble that James Gunn and director Andy Muschietti willingly took. They didn’t back down and it turns out that seems to be the only bet that has paid off for the film which is opening to an underwhelming response from the fans and audiences alike. But Supergirl’s story is not so different from Superman's. Although whether she has the same impact as her cousin is a debate that can go on for ages, in ‘The Flash’ we see big glimpses of Superman in the Supergirl.
Supergirl is also victim of human experimentation
Kal-El arrived on Earth in a small pod from his war-torn planet Krypton. He was raised by humans, molded by them, and lived and loved amongst them until his powers became the subject of study for the humans who recognized his alien nature. Similarly, in ‘The Flash’, we see the two Barry Allens along with Batman rescuing Supergirl from a secretive facility designed to study and exploit her. Humans usually fear what they don’t understand. Supergirl arrived on Earth just like Kal-El did in ‘Man of Steel’ but instead she was captured and tortured.
‘The Flash’ is based on the Flashpoint comics, which see Superman turn into a lab experiment for humans until Cyborg, Batman, and the Flash break him out of the shackles of bizarre experiments. We witness the same spectacle in ‘The Flash’, with Michael Keaton’s Batman and the two Barry Allens helping Supergirl break free. Unfortunately for Barry, the search for Superman ends with Supergirl who has the same abilities as his cousin and soon agrees to fight General Zod, who returns to end humanity. Supergirl has all the traits of Superman. She fights until her dying breath and ensures that General Zod is defeated.
Can Supergirl get her own film?
The heartbreaking end to Supergirl’s fate in ‘The Flash’ film will bother many fans. If kept alive, she would have made a brilliant team with that world’s Barry Allen. But instead, the creators decided that Supergirl’s story ends with this film. However, it is to be noted that the character Supergirl in the DC universe is relatively unexplored except for a CBS series titled ‘Supergirl’. Given James Gunn’s vision to reignite the DC cinematic universe, the story of Superman’s cousin may see the light of the day as a solo film but again, after ‘The Flash’, nothing can be confirmed by the fans or the studios.
