Supergirl will be taking her cousin's place in a modified spin on the infamous Flashpoint storyline.
To say The Flash is a big movie is an understatement. Not only is it the Scarlet Speedster's film debut, but it will also cross time and space as Barry Allen (Ezra Miller) races to fix an alternate timeline he created. Said timeline features a world without metahumans and in the grip of General Zod (Michael Shannon), forcing Barry to recruit Batman (specifically Michael Keaton's Batman) and Kara Zor-El (Sasha Calle), aka Supergirl. You don't get much bigger than that!
The film is heavily based on the Flashpoint miniseries by Geoff Johns and Andy Kubert, which also featured Flash racing to change a timeline he created. And while the broad strokes remain the same, there are plenty of changes to said story. One of the biggest changes involves Supergirl's role in the story particularly as that role was intended for her cousin Superman. And it may be one of the darkest Superman stories ever put on the comic book page.
Enter Project: Superman
Anyone under the sun can tell you Superman's origin: Rocketed to Earth from the doomed planet Krypton, Kal-El lands in Smallville and is adopted by Jonathan and Martha Kent. He then uses his powers to protect the innocent as Superman, inspired by the values his adoptive parents instilled in him. Other alternate universe stories have explored what would have happened if Kal-El's rocket had landed somewhere else. Superman: Red Son shifts the landing to communist Russia, while JLA: The Nail lives up to its name when a nail punctures the tires on the Kent's truck, and they miss the rocket by minutes.
Flashpoint takes it to the extreme, as Barry's changing the timeline leads to a drastically different world. Abin Sur is still the Green Lantern while Hal Jordan is an ordinary fighter pilot. Thomas Wayne survived a mugging in Crime Alley, but the death of his son Bruce drives him to become a more ruthless version of Batman. And Kal-El's rocket was discovered by the U.S. Government. When attempting to find the other members of the Justice League, Barry discovers that Superman had been locked away in a bunker by the government. Cut off from the rays of the sun and starved of human contact, this Superman is less of an inspirational figure and more of a frightened child.
The Supergirl From Krypton
It looks as though Supergirl will take her cousin's place in the Flashpoint story, as brief glimpses show her locked in a cell with the Flash approaching her. Superman's fate remains unknown, but it doesn't seem like the Man of Steel survived in this reality. But unlike Flashpoint, she seems to have control over her powers - saving Barry and Batman from being murdered by Zod's forces. And it's clear that she doesn't have any love for the General, as she joins Barry in his quest to fix the world.
Having Supergirl step in for Superman is a clever update to the story, as well. Unlike her cousin, Kara was raised on Krypton and feels more at home there than she ever did on Earth. That, combined with who knows how many years of isolation, could lead to different interactions with the people of Earth. It could also provide inspiration for the upcoming Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow film from DC Studios, which is also slated to feature a more jaded Kara. In the same way that the Flashpoint storyline shook up the DC Universe, The Flash is looking to shake up the dynamics that DC's heroes have held.
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