Why Milly Alcock skipped female-led superhero hits before suiting up as Supergirl

Let's be honest, when it comes to actors prepping for big franchise roles, you'd think they'd do a bit of homework, wouldn't you? Especially when those franchises basically built the genre playbook. But as it turns out, doing a deep dive isn't always part of the plan—even for the lead in a major superhero film.

Milly Alcock—now donning the cape as Supergirl for DC Studios—has said, plain as day, she never got round to watching some of the most famous female-led superhero flicks. We're talking Wonder Woman, Black Widow, and Captain Marvel. Not exactly obscure titles, those. In her own words, during a chat with Variety:

"Which is probably not great. I should just lie!"

I'll give her points for honesty. Most would have just nodded about Gal Gadot and Scarlett Johansson and carried on. But Alcock simply didn't do the usual hero revision. For her, apparently, it wasn't on the must-watch list before stepping into Kara Zor-El's boots.

Not Everyone Has Done Their 'Homework'

Alcock is in good company, too. This isn't just a young actor move; plenty of established names have admitted to skimming past the "required viewing." Joaquin Phoenix turned up to Joker without binging Batman films, Jennifer Lawrence wasn't obsessed with X-Men before signing on, and Jason Statham clearly didn't pore over comic arcs before diving into his action roles. Over in the director's chair, you'll find Stanley Kubrick, Roland Emmerich, and even Uwe Boll sometimes swerving what came before.

There's a kind of logic here: coming in fresh might be risky, but sometimes it lets you dodge old clichés. In Milly Alcock's case, she's not weighed down by what Gal Gadot or Brie Larson did, she's just doing it her way.

What Makes Alcock's Supergirl Different?

• Her Kara Zor-El is a bit punk, a bit reckless, and nowhere near the standard mould
• She isn't desperate to be a hero—she gets dragged into the mess and has to decide what sort of person she wants to be
• She's still dealing with a good chunk of trauma and doesn't hide it—if anything, she's using it
• The film puts her head-to-head against a genuinely awful villain: someone involved in child trafficking. No sugar-coating there.
• And yes, she genuinely batters him. Not subtle, but completely satisfying.

It's worth mentioning: Wonder Woman was a huge deal for DC, both at the box office and as a marker that female-led superhero films can draw the crowds. You'd expect a new Supergirl to at least glance in that direction. But Alcock is clearly happy forging her path, and to be fair, her take on Kara doesn't really feel like a rerun of what's gone before. Even if she's missed a few of the biggest blockbusters, her Supergirl actually feels surprisingly unpredictable—and the film leans into that.