Milly Alcock Stars in DC Studios' “Supergirl”: Queer-Forward Vision Grounded in Tom King’s Comic

The film’s visual language is drawn from Tom King’s 2022 *Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow*, hailed as the definitive modern take on Kara Zor-El. Director Craig Gillespie avoided legacy DC movies, opting for a character-first approach.

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Milly Alcock leads as Kara Zor-El after two months of training. Craig Gillespie directs, while Tom King consults, bringing his comic perspective. DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn helped broaden Alcock’s superhero knowledge. David Corenswet appears as Superman, Kara’s Kryptonian cousin.

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At the Brooklyn Academy of Music premiere, Alcock said Kara has become a meaningful figure for LGBTQ+ fans, describing her as a modern woman. Gillespie explained he avoided legacy references because he feared it would limit creative openness, and built the visual style from King’s artwork. Alcock avoided most superhero movies, citing Pixar’s *The Incredibles* as her favorite comic-book film.

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The film premiered on a Monday night at New York’s Brooklyn Academy of Music. Alcock spent two months training for the role and has not seen Marvel’s *Black Widow*, *Captain Marvel*, or DC’s *Wonder Woman*.

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Alcock admitted she would have to lie about not having seen most superhero movies, but emphasized her two-month training and focus on embodying Kara. Gillespie said his goal was to let the story emerge from the script, describing the film’s world as built around character. King noted that adapting his comic required trusting the filmmakers to create something beautiful while letting the source material evolve.

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The queer-affirming portrayal offers LGBTQ+ audiences representation in a mainstream superhero film, while re-positioning Supergirl as a standalone hero beyond Superman’s sister. Grounding the narrative in King’s nuanced comic may influence future DC projects to prioritize character depth. The film may also signal DC Studios’ broader focus on projects that emphasize complex, outsider heroes, as King continues consulting on multiple upcoming titles.

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Coverage lacks critical reviews, audience data, box-office forecasts, and detailed plot information.

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• “Which is probably not great,” Alcock said. “I should just lie!” — Milly Alcock, Actor

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• “I didn’t [make those references], sort of out of fear of going down a road where I wouldn’t be as open as I could be creatively,” — Craig Gillespie, Director

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• “Supergirl is a particular kind of cool. An outsider. She’s a person who’s not immediately accepted by the world and carries some baggage,” — Tom King, Comic Writer

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• “I honestly stole it from my daughter, who has that particular coolness. Just to see that sort of coolness spread and people relate to it, it means the absolute world to me.” — Tom King, Comic Writer

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King will continue consulting on upcoming DC Studios projects, extending the focus on complex outsider heroes.

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