Milly Alcock Cast as DC’s “Punk Rock” Supergirl in Upcoming Film

Not too long after James Gunn and Peter Safran took the helm at DC Studios, they began discussing their vision for Supergirl. Inspired by Tom King’s comic series “Supergirl: World of Tomorrow,” Gunn had a specific image in mind for the character.

“He goes, ‘you know the young girl from ‘House of the Dragon’? The young queen or princess? That’s how I picture it, like a young punk rock girl who is just totally badass and tough,'” Safran told The Associated Press. “I was like, yeah, that sounds fantastic, and we haven’t seen that before.”

That “young girl” was Australian actress Milly Alcock, who had recently gained international recognition playing the young Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen in HBO’s “Game of Thrones” prequel series. Though still early in her global career, Alcock was about to enter the superhero universe in dramatic fashion.

The 26-year-old actress received a request for a self-tape for the secretive Supergirl project while her star was rising from her “House of the Dragon” role. Having worked in Australia since her teens, Alcock was experiencing a rapid expansion of her career horizons. A few weeks after submitting her tape, she received an invitation for her first-ever screen test, prompting a 24-hour flight from Sydney to Atlanta.

“I kind of had a feeling,” Alcock recalled. “I remember I got back to my hotel room and I sat down and thought, ‘Oh, something’s gonna happen.’ I just had this intuition that this would be a very exciting challenge if it goes in my favor.”

Her intuition proved correct. Ten days after the screen test, Gunn texted Alcock an article from the trade publication Deadline with the headline: “‘Supergirl’: New Woman Of Steel Is ‘House Of The Dragon’s’ Milly Alcock.” There was no phone call or additional context—just the article announcement, leaving the actress thinking, “This is crazy, what have I done?” Days later, she was back on that 24-hour flight to film her cameo appearance in “Superman.”

Life has maintained its whirlwind pace for Alcock ever since. With filming completed—a demanding process filled with stunts, action sequences, and emotional performances—she now faces the equally intense journey of promoting DC’s second major film in its revamped cinematic universe.

When speaking to the AP earlier this month, Alcock had just arrived in Las Vegas from Kyoto, where she was filming another movie. Operating on just two hours of sleep, she summoned the energy to appear on stage before thousands of movie theater owners to generate excitement for “Supergirl,” which is scheduled for release on June 26.

“It’s a really original and unique take on a superhero movie,” Safran emphasized. “I think it’s just a great movie for audiences. It’s not just for superhero fans.”

The character of Supergirl might be less widely known than her famous cousin Superman, but audience reaction to Alcock’s brief appearance in the recent “Superman” film has been encouraging.

“She’s in the ‘Superman’ movie for, you know, 12 seconds, yet one of the things audiences wanted to see more of was her,” Safran noted. “And Milly in real life, she’s just that girl… she is authentically a badass.”

Part of the character’s appeal may stem from her contrasting origin story. Unlike Superman, who was raised by loving parents on Earth, Supergirl witnessed the destruction of her planet and the death of everyone she knew, forcing her to survive alone.

Directed by Craig Gillespie, known for films about complex young women like “I, Tonya” and “Cruella,” the upcoming film follows Kara on an intergalactic journey alongside Krypto the Superdog and a young woman seeking vengeance against the murderous Krem of the Yellow Hills.

“Kara surprisingly reminded me a lot of myself, which I never thought I would get from playing a superhero, from playing someone who isn’t human,” Alcock explained. “There’s a lot of humility in her and that kind of made me fall in love with her immediately. Sometimes you can get swept up in what other people expect, and then you lose your intrinsic you-ness. And that’s why people hire you in the first place, because of what you bring to something just innately being who you are.”

Alcock didn’t grow up as a film enthusiast but found in acting a vital outlet for emotions she struggled to express otherwise. “It helps me exist as a person,” she said.

Currently living in London with a circle of non-actor friends, Alcock is adjusting to the reality that her face will soon be ubiquitous in popular culture.

“It’s been kind of disorientating,” she admitted. “I do this job because it gives me the ability to disappear. So to suddenly be so visible and exposed is a very vulnerable experience. I’m just trying to learn how to deal with that relationship. But I mean, it’s exciting. Of course it’s exciting. But like anything exciting, it’s also terrifying.”

During her time on the “Superman” set, Alcock recalled a conversation with her co-star David Corenswet that highlighted their different perspectives on newfound fame.

“I remember him being like, ‘We’re gonna have action figures, isn’t that cool?'” she said. “And I was like, ‘That’s so weird. Why would someone have a toy of my face?'”