New Supergirl Milly Alcock Had James Gunn’s Attention Long Before She Auditioned
Arguably the biggest news in the film world yesterday was the announcement that Milly Alcock had landed the highly-coveted role of Supergirl for James Gunn and Peter Safran’s new-look DC Studios. Alcock and Meg Donnelly were the final two people vying for the role and had both done screen tests last week. Supergirl has a very bright future ahead of her, as Gunn and Safran plan to deploy her in at least one upcoming film or series (possibly Gunn’s Superman: Legacy, which kicks off the new, united DC Studios) before she features in her own movie, Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow. Alcock ultimately won the role to play the superpowered Kryptonian and cousin of Superman.
Yet Gunn revealed on Threads that he has been big on Alcock from even before she auditioned, thanks in large part to her fantastic performance in HBO’s Game of Thrones prequel House of the Dragon:
“In case you missed this exciting news yesterday. Strangely, Milly was the FIRST person I brought up to Peter for this role, well over a year ago, when I had only read the comics. I was watching House of the Dragon & thought she might have the edge, grace & authenticity we needed for the DCU’s Supergirl. And now here we are. Life is wild sometimes.”
Alcock played Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen in House of the Dragon, the daughter of King Viserys I Targaryen (Paddy Considine) and the person he eventually promises the Iron Throne to. If you’ve ever watched Game of Thrones, you know what a death sentence the Throne can be. Yet Princess Rhaenyra becomes one of the prime movers of House Targaryen (she’s played by Emma D’Arcy after a considerable time jump), a strong-willed, doubt-her-at-your-peril force within Westeros who will not allow herself to be bulldozed for the Throne, or for any other reason, by the many schemers around her. Alcock won raves for her performance from critics, fans, and James Gunn himself.
For the role Kara Zor-El, Gunn was looking for someone with that kind of chutzpah. Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow will be based, at least partially, on the comic series by Tom King and Bilquis Evely. In their series, Supergirl steps out of the shadow of her iconic cousin, Superman, and forms a very distinct personality. She’s had it rough, having to bear witness to the destruction of her home planet and find a way to grow up in its ruins. As Gunn said on Twitter when he and Safran announced the initial slate for their upcoming films and TV series, Supergirl’s childhood was vastly different from what Superman experienced in many ways:
“Superman is a guy sent to Earth and raised by loving parents, where Supergirl in this story, she is a character raised on a chunk of Krypton,” Gunn explained on Twitter. “She watched everybody around her perish in some terrible way, so she’s a much more jaded character.”
Gunn is still looking for a director for Woman of Tomorrow, but he’s got his screenwriter in Ana Nogueira. And now, he also has the Supergirl he’s wanted for more than a year.
For more on all things DC Studios, check out these stories:
Supergirl Casting Narrows as James Gunn Looks to Land DC Studio’s New Superheroine
“Superman: Legacy” Update: James Gunn Teases Superman’s Costume, Miriam Shor Joins Cast
New “Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom” Trailer Focuses on Black Manta’s Brutal Mission
James Gunn Confirms Nicholas Hoult Will be Lex Luthor in “Superman: Legacy”
Featured image: Milly Alcock, Paddy Considine. Photograph by Ollie Upton/HBO.
