House of the Dragon’s Milly Alcock has been cast in the main role of Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow – here are the reasons she’s the perfect pick.
Milly Alcock, best known for playing young Rhaenyra Targaryen in HBO’s House of the Dragon, has been cast in the titular role for Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow in James Gunn’s DCU – and it’s perfect casting. Alcock is the latest confirmed cast member for the DCU reboot and will take on a role that has been relatively ill-fated since the character’s first outing in 1984’s Supergirl. While Sasha Calle’s DCEU rendition of Kara Zor-El was well-received, this confirms she will not reprise the role in the DCU.
Milly Alcock, however, is the perfect choice for the starring role of Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow. The Hollywood up-and-comer has already made a big splash after being responsible for one of the House of the Dragon TV series’ high points: the rambunctious young princess Rhaenyra. This, along with several other factors, lean into her being the ideal candidate to portray Kal-El’s Kryptonian cousin, a character that has undergone significant revisions in her comic book career, but who has emerged as a DC icon in her own right.
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As another character hailing from Krypton (and the same family as Superman), Supergirl displays many of the same hallmarks that make Kal-El iconic. Amid the identical bevy of powers bestowed by the yellow sun of Earth, there is the similarity that Kara Zor-El also has to adopt a secret identity, a cornerstone feature of Kal-El/Clark Kent. For Kara, this secret identity has taken on multiple iterations, including Linda Lee Danvers, Kara Kent, Linda Lang, and, most recently, Kara Danvers. The post-DC Rebirth iteration of Kara even sees her donning hair-darkening glasses to hide her identity.
From there, the similarities continue, with Kara Zor-El becoming the protector of National City rather than Metropolis, and struggling to adapt to life on Earth with a secret identity, knowing that she is one of its most godlike inhabitants. This story is not too dissimilar from that of Rhaenyra Targaryen, though her more politically powerful identity is arguably her secret one, while her authentic self kicks against the traditions and expectations leveled at a woman of Westeros. With that in mind, Alcock has proven that she can take on a role that embodies a double life.
In House of the Dragon, Rhaenyra is fiercely independent and incredulous at the idea that her gender would preclude her from sitting on the Iron Throne. She is often seen wielding her royal power and going through the motions of her status while lashing out at traditions she perceives as unjust – making her a particularly compelling protagonist as her father, Viserys, struggles to placate her passion. It will be interesting to see if the struggle of leading two lives will translate in Alcock’s portrayal of Kara, but it’s safe to say she has proven credentials.
The DCU’s Dark Supergirl Story Is Perfect For Milly Alcock After House Of The Dragon
Unsurprisingly, for a Game of Thrones spin-off, House of the Dragon does not shy away from some exceptionally dark themes. The show treads familiar ground when it comes to taboo subjects, but it is also brutally forthright when it comes to depicting the reality of Medieval life and politics. The show begins, for instance, with the death of Rhaenyra’s mother and newborn brother, setting a pretty bleak tone that Alcock proceeded to capably embody in her portrayal of the princess.
Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, meanwhile, may be venturing down a pretty dark path itself. The comic run of the same name shows Kara Zor-El on her 21st birthday venturing to a planet with a red sun. This weakens her Kryptonian constitution as part of an intentional bid to experience what it’s like to get drunk after being faced with existential truths pertaining to her association with her more famous cousin, Superman. She is then embroiled in a tale of murder and retribution in a cosmic coming-of-age story that directly involves a vengeful alien sidekick and Krypto the Superdog.
Needless to say, Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow is not without its lighter elements. This isn’t surprising for a story that the DCU intends to adapt, with the rebooted universe ostensibly flying in the face of the DCEU’s more pervasive bleakness. Alcock has proven that this is a line she can capably tread in her portrayal of Rhaenyra, whose harsh existence as a maligned heir to the Iron Throne is counterbalanced by her oftentimes playful independence.
Milly Alcock Has Already Proven She Can Take On A Major Franchise Role (& Character Adaptation)
Milly Alcock was relatively unknown before House of the Dragon provided a big break, and the fact that her role as the series protagonist garnered such adulation speaks volumes. Before it was confirmed, Alcock was already a favorite pick among fans for the role of Kara Zor-El largely on the merits of her House of the Dragon performance. The fact that she could take on a central role in such a huge franchise as a relative newcomer and emerge as one of its highlights is a good sign for the future of Supergirl in the DCU.
Like most spin-offs of hugely successful properties, House of the Dragon was under a lot of pressure to justify its existence. While it didn’t please everyone, nor make as many waves as its predecessor, it was still a huge hit thanks in no small part to its cast as it honed in on the politics of a royal court. For her starring role, Alcock is largely to thank.
As one of the characters to receive a solo movie in the DCU’s first chapter, Chapter One: Gods and Monsters, alongside Superman, Batman, and Swamp Thing, it can be assumed that Supergirl will also play a central role in the wider DCU. Additionally, Supergirl is already reported to appear in the DCU’s debut movie, Superman: Legacy alongside her eponymous cousin. These two appearances suggest that Supergirl will be around for the long haul, and Alcock’s casting itself helps to prove this.
Milly Alcock’s Casting Proves The DCU’s Supergirl Will Be Around A Long Time
One of the other benefits of having Alcock take on the role of Kara is their proximity in age. Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow depicts Kara Zor-El celebrating her 21st birthday while Alcock herself is 23 at the time of writing. The fact that Alcock is so young is already a positive sign the character is projected to have many years ahead in the DCU. By comparison, Chris Hemsworth was around 27 when he first played Thor, one of the MCU’s most enduring characters, who is still around over a decade after his debut.
With Alcock being so soon in her Hollywood career, the role of Supergirl could be as career-defining as that of any MCU star, provided the DCU maintains the same staying power. Some of the most illustrious comic book movies starred relatively unknown actors in leading roles before they went on to have long cinematic careers, such as Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine and Chris Evans’ Captain America. This is a positive trend that Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow and Alcock could both be about to capitalize on.
6 things you didn’t know about DC’s ‘Supergirl’ star Milly Alcock
Before Alcock got her big break in the HBO series she grew up in Petersham, in Sydney’s inner west. She told Harper’s Bazaar last year she’s the only arty one out of her parents and two brothers.
“The arts felt like something that was just mine, that I had ownership over,” she explained. “I really held onto that as a sense of independence and something I could call my own, I was very protective about it.”
Alcock is also close to her mother, and told The Standard that she was upset that she couldn’t be at the “House of the Dragon” premiere in London.
“My family can’t come over. And it’s just, I really wish my mum could be here, because this might never happen again. So it’s kind of bittersweet … things like this don’t happen to people like me.”
Alcock attended a public school in Sydney, but switched to Newtown High School of the Performing Arts when she was 13.
But when she realized most of her peers already had agents, she took matters into her own hands.
“So I started googling agencies and calling them saying, ‘Hi, can you hire me?’ Eventually one did. I think I was literally about 13 at the time,” Alcock told Harper’s Bazaar.
In 2018, Alcock dropped out school after being offered a leading role in Tim Minchin’s comedy-drama “Upright.”
She told Vogue she felt that learning on the job would be better for her career: “I knew that this opportunity would be so much more of a valuable experience than getting my piece of paper.”
“I couldn’t say no and I couldn’t let the fear and anxiety of not finishing school haunt me, because that would have defeated the whole purpose of leaving,” Alcock added.
Like many young actors, Alcock had a part-time job while looking for her next role. She was 20 when she landed the role of Rhaenyra Targaryen in the HBO series, and was still working at a café in Sydney at the time.
She decided to keep her job until production started in early 2021, telling Harper’s Bazaar: “I was literally washing dishes every day. Nobody knew!”
When filming started, Alcock moved to London around the time the UK was in lockdown due to the pandemic.
“I didn’t know anyone, and I’d never lived out of home for that long, and I was about to film what was potentially the biggest TV show ever. So yeah, it was a headfuck,” she recalled.
While working on “House of the Dragon,” Alcock got close with her costars Paddy Considine and Rhys Ifans, who played King Viserys I Targaryen and Otto Hightower respectively.
She told Complex that the pair suggested she listen to an Australian punk band called Amyl and the Sniffers.
“They were like, ‘You need to check out this band, Amyl and the Sniffers.’ I did, and I was like, ‘Oh my God, they’re fucking sick’,” Alcock said.
It would be easy for Alcock to land another fantasy role after her sting in Westeros, but she wants to do something different.
“I’m not doing any fantasy roles. I don’t want to do anything like that. I have done it and I don’t need to do it again. I am just kind of waiting for the right project,” she told the Herald Sun.
“I would rather work not a lot and do work that I am really proud of and passionate about,” she added.
Hopefully, that says a lot about the potential for her role as Supergirl in Gunn’s new DC Universe.
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