‘Supergirl’ Star Addresses Backlash Over Role in DCU’s Next Movie

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This summer, Milly Alcock will star as Supergirl in a new DC movie. This follows her brief but well-received appearance as Kara Zor-El in the 2025 film Superman. While the role is a great opportunity for Alcock, she anticipates some negative reactions simply because she’s a woman playing a superhero in a major film. She’s accepted that she can’t control others’ opinions and is focusing on staying true to herself, as she told Vanity Fair.

Actresses starring in big franchise films, especially superhero movies, often face criticism online. Brie Larson, who played Captain Marvel in 2019, has been dealing with this negativity for years. This isn’t just happening with superhero films, though. Emma D’Arcy, who played young Rhaenyra Targaryen in the first season of HBO’s House of the Dragon, experienced similar commentary and even decided she didn’t want to be involved in major franchises because of it. She realized that simply being a woman in these roles was enough to draw criticism from some people.

Despite initially wanting to focus on large-scale projects, Alcock reconsidered after struggling to find work for a year following her role in the Netflix series Sirens. She admitted to feeling panicked at 22, fearing her career was over, but now realizes that fear was unfounded. She pushed herself to pursue different opportunities, ultimately realizing she had forced herself into that mindset.

And backlash to her casting in Supergirl isn’t the only kind that Alcock is having to contend with.

Milly Alcock Understands Why Legendary Directors Criticize Superhero Movies

Although superhero films aren’t as consistently popular at the cinema as they used to be, they’ve significantly changed Hollywood. This shift has frustrated some established directors, and several well-known filmmakers have publicly criticized the rise of superhero movies in recent years, such as:

  • In 2019, director Martin Scorsese (Goodfellas, Killers of the Flower Moon) famously said that superhero movies are “not cinema,” rather likening them to theme parks.
  • Denis Villeneuve, the director behind the new Dune movies, worried that too many Marvel films “are nothing more than a cut and paste of others. Maybe these types of movies have turned us a little bit into zombies.”
  • Ridley Scott (Alien, Gladiator) went even harder, opining that superhero movies “f**king boring as sh*t.”

Alcock seems unfazed by any criticism. She acknowledged the long history of impressive filmmaking, saying, “I understand. They’ve made incredible movies for a long time.” She added that not every film will appeal to everyone, and that’s perfectly okay – that’s the wonderful thing about art; you can choose what you enjoy.

The movie Supergirl is scheduled to be released in theaters on June 26, 2026. Its success will likely determine Alcock’s future within James Gunn’s new DC Cinematic Universe – a strong performance could lead to a significant role, while a disappointing one might force the studio to reconsider its plans. Regardless of the outcome, Alcock seems prepared to handle whatever happens.

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2026-04-01 19:17