After months of anticipation, Supergirl finally landed in theaters, but the response has not been so heroic for DC. The film has garnered severe criticism from both fans and critics, with many taking issue with its direction and storytelling. One of the biggest controversies is the ending, which many argue betrays Supergirl's character and contradicts the comic that inspired the film, Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow. 

Yet comics show that the ending of the film may have gotten Kara Zor-El's character right. So, here is a closer look at whether the controversial ending is actually justified.

In the film, Supergirl, Kara Zor-El helps Ruthye track down Krem, who murdered her family. Ruthye is determined to kill him, but Kara stops her and kills Krem herself instead. Many fans believe Supergirl has always avoided taking lives, much like her cousin Superman. However, the comics show a more nuanced side of the character, with Kara willing to kill if she believes a villain is too dangerous to be left alive.

This trait, which sets Supergirl apart from her cousin, has been explored in several comic storylines. In Crisis on Infinite Earths (1985), the Anti-Monitor nearly kills Superman, which angers Supergirl to attack the Anti-Monitor and destroy the machinery.

In the Post-Crisis comics, Kara is portrayed as more willing to consider killing dangerous enemies in extreme situations. Moreover, after training with Wonder Woman on Themyscira, Supergirl adopts the belief that eliminating a deadly threat can sometimes be the safest option. During the New Krypton storyline, she nearly kills General Sam Lane for his actions, but Lois Lane ultimately convinces her to stand down.

Interestingly, the comics tell a different story when it comes to Krem's fate. Rather than killing him, Ruthye and Supergirl send him to the Phantom Zone, where he is imprisoned for 300 years before eventually being released. However, the story's narration becomes unreliable when an older Ruthye writes a book falsely claiming that Supergirl killed Krem with her sword.

So, there are indeed several changes in Ana Nogueira's script for the film. While the comic's ending leaves room for interpretation, one thing is clear, and that is Supergirl has never ruled out killing if she believes it is necessary. So, while the film's ending is different from the comics, James Gunn's Supergirl is seemingly honest to the character, Kara Zor-El. 

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Moreover, as per the filmmakers, Kara killing Krem was part of the plan from the very beginning.

Supergirl director Craig Gillespie spoke to CBR about the film's ending. He revealed that the ending had been decided from the very beginning and, more importantly, that James Gunn insisted on keeping it exactly as it appears in the final cut. While some suggested filming an alternate ending as a backup, Gillespie said Gunn was confident in the creative decision. 

"And [the fact] that he doubled down on that, I loved. Even to the point of, you go through the whole system shooting, and there were whispers of like, 'Do we shoot a backup? Is there something else in case the testing goes south?'" Gillespie said. "And James constantly was like, 'Nope, we don't need a backup. We’re good.' And I was like, 'You don’t have to tell me twice!'"

The ending was not the only change from the comics. Lobo, who is part of the film, does not appear in the original comic storyline. Although the movie makes several changes to the source material, its ending may not have strayed as far from the comics' Kara Zor-El as some fans believe.

What do you think about Supergirl's ending? Let us know in the comments.