The immensely talented actor Matthias Schoenaerts, known internationally for films like Rust and Bone and currently cast as the villain Krem of the Yellow Hills in DC’s upcoming Supergirl movie, is at the center of a most unexpected scandal in his homeland. Schoenaerts has been sentenced to six months in prison, a €4,000 fine, and a one-year driving ban, Belgian outlet VRT reports. The police court in Beringen issued the ruling after Schoenaerts, 47, was found driving without a valid license — not once, but repeatedly.
Schoenaerts was stopped twice in April 2024 while driving his motorcycle in Pelt, Limburg, despite being banned from driving in Antwerp since 2021. That earlier ban stemmed from driving under the influence and came with mandatory exams and “recovery tests” — which he never completed. According to the court, Schoenaerts has already been convicted 11 times previously for driving-related offenses. He did not appear in court for the latest ruling and was sentenced in absentia. He still has the right to appeal, meaning he will not enter custody immediately.
Oh, and as if that wasn’t bad enough, the sentence does not cover another recent event involving the actor. Last week, Schoenaerts was reportedly arrested again in Pelt for refusing to take a breathalyzer test and for again driving without a valid license. Police described him as uncooperative, and that case remains unresolved.
How Does This Affect ‘Supergirl’?
Schoenaerts, should his appeal fail, may be out of custody by the time Supergirl releases in July 2026. Starring Milly Alcock, the standalone film — directed by Craig Gillespie (I, Tonya, Cruella) — adapts Tom King’s Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow storyline. Screenwriter Ana Nogueira recently teased the film will lean into Kara’s darker past:
“She watched Krypton completely be destroyed… I couldn’t get my head around the version of the character that is so sunny… Then I read Tom King’s approach and went, ‘There she is.’”
The film follows Kara and her loyal dog Krypto as she travels the galaxy for her 21st birthday, crossing paths with a young woman and embarking on a revenge-driven journey that shapes her heroism before she reaches Earth.
Alongside Alcock, the cast features Jason Momoa as Lobo, Eve Ridley as Ruthye Marye, and David Krumholtz and Emily Beecham as Kara’s parents, Zor-El and Alura In-Ze. Schoenaerts plays the antagonist Krem, a role that now arrives with unexpected off-screen drama attached.
- Release Date
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June 26, 2026
- Writers
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Ana Nogueira, Otto Binder, Tom King, Al Plastino
