Full spoilers immediately follow for 2025’s Superman film.
Superman is doing more than simply making us believe that a man can fly.
With a $200 million+ haul at the global box office on opening weekend, plus the critical and commercial acclaim it’s received, James Gunn’s Superman movie has made us believe in DC comic book movies again. The DC Universe’s (DCU) first film – find out how to watch the DC movies in order while you’re here – also gave us a wildly entertaining, eye-popping, and heartfelt story filled with household names and unfamiliar characters alike.
It’s also where I think Superman succeeds best. From Mister Terrific and The Engineer, the DCU Chapter One movie spotlights numerous underappreciated DC comic book characters who deserve their time to shine in Gunn and Peter Sarfran’s rebooted cinematic franchise. However, it’s another metahuman – one who’ll be recognizable to some viewers, but not others – that Superman really does right by, even though she’s only on camera for 30 seconds or so: Supergirl.
She only briefly cameos, but Milly Alcock’s Supergirl – real name Kara Zor-El – is everything I wanted from a live-action adaptation of Superman’s cousin.
I’m not throwing shade at Meg Donnelly, who was one of the final contenders for the role of Supergirl before losing out to Alcock in January 2024, by saying that, either. I’m sure Donnelly would’ve been a great Supergirl, but there’s just something about Alcock’s albeit brisk time on the screen that captures the rebellious, reckless side of Clark Kent/Kal-El’s relative that we’ve seen really seen in the comics.
Take her crashing through the wrong part of The Fortress of Solitude because she’s drunk (yes, she’s slightly inebriated, but she’s not an alcoholic or a frat girl, as some have incorrectly disparaged Gunn and company for) and then blaming Supes for moving the door in an apparent redesign of his secret headquarters. Or, how about her lack of concern for how Kal-El is or what he’s been up to, and only returning to Earth to collect her disobedient pet Krypto?
Then there’s the enjoyment she gets from being thrown about by Krypto – a far cry from how Supes handled similar situations throughout the film. Oh, and let’s not forget that she’s humorously rude to Clark – she calls him “b***h” after sarcastically thanking him for babysitting Krypto – before she flies off to a whereabouts unknown.
Combine the above with her authentic Supergirl costume, plus the beige-colored coat she wears in ‘Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow’ – the eight-issue comic series run that her forthcoming solo film is heavily inspired by – and Alcock’s Kara could be the most fully-formed version of the character we’ve seen yet. Indeed, couple the above with the strong sense of justice and caring nature she’s displayed in prior big- and small-screen re-imaginings, make me even more confident that those involved in Supergirl will knock it out of the park.
Of course, it’s hard to read too much into Alcock’s cameo and determine if she can carry a tentpole movie.
Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, whose title was recently shortened to simply Supergirl, will not only be the Kryptonian’s first standalone film in over 40 years, but it’s also the first flick Alcock is the lead star of. The pressure is certainly on, then, to ensure Alcock was the right pick for the role, and that Gunn and Safran made the correct call to prioritize a Supergirl movie over a solo Batman or Wonder Woman DCU flick, both of which are in early development.
The DCU is off to a good start with Superman, but it’ll need other projects like Supergirl, Peacemaker season 2, Lanterns, and Clayface to similarly perform well. If they do, the DCU will be worth investing in. If, for whatever reason, Supergirl struggles, though, we could have a post-Avengers: Endgame situation that’s seen Marvel fans have love one project but dislike the next.
Those two slight concerns notwithstanding, I’m confident Supergirl will be a big hit and Alcock’s performance will be a big reason why. She’s already commanded the screen in season 1 of House of the Dragon, while her natural, unquestionable talent has been on full display in the aforementioned HBO Max show and recently Netflix TV Original Sirens. So, there’s no reason why Alcock can’t deliver a similarly fantastic display in The Girl of Steel’s next cinematic outing. If anything, her solitary scene in Superman confirms she will.
Supergirl flies into theaters worldwide on June 26, 2026. For more on one of next year’s most anticipated new movies, read my ultimate guide on Supergirl’s next big-screen outing.
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tom.power@futurenet.com (Tom Power)
