Milly Alcock Just Redefined Kara Zor-El’s Sexuality Ahead of ‘Supergirl,’ And the Internet Is Buzzing
The press tour for ‘Supergirl’ has turned into one long string of headlines, and Milly Alcock keeps finding new ways to surprise people with her candor. The Australian actress first gained wider recognition playing young Rhaenyra Targaryen on HBO’s ‘House of the Dragon,’ a role that earned her a Critics’ Choice Television Award nomination. Now she is fronting DC Studios’ next big theatrical swing, and fielding a very different kind of scrutiny along the way.
‘Supergirl’ is adapted from Tom King and Bilquis Evely’s acclaimed comic series, following Kara as she travels the galaxy with her dog Krypto and gets pulled into a young alien girl’s quest for revenge. Produced by James Gunn and Peter Safran as the second film in the DCU’s Chapter One, Gods and Monsters era, it carries a reported 170 million dollar budget and lands in US theaters on June 26. Alcock’s casting drew pushback from fans who felt she was too young or didn’t match their image of the character, criticism Safran has publicly brushed aside throughout the rollout.
That same openness was on full display during a recent promotional stop, where Alcock was caught on camera by Queerly Rádio answering a question about Kara’s sexuality and her pull with queer audiences. Asked directly about it, she smiled and gave an answer that quickly spread across social media after the fan account Everything_DCU shared the clip, with the actress suggesting Kara “probably goes both ways.”
She didn’t stop there. Alcock went on to explain that she has played several characters with a queer through line over the years and counts many queer people among her close friends, adding that she feels honored by the connection fans are drawing. Her broader point centered on what makes this Kara different, tying it to the idea that the character doesn’t live inside the traditional binary of what a woman is supposed to be.
That philosophy tracks with how Alcock has described building the role from scratch. In a recent Variety profile, she recalled auditioning for Kara in January 2024 at Georgia’s Trilith Studios after a 24 hour flight from her family home in Sydney, admitting she was so scared going in that she had to talk herself into simply going for it.
Director Craig Gillespie has echoed that same energy behind the scenes, repeatedly describing his Kara as good, not nice, a messier and more morally complicated read on the character than past versions. The film also stars Eve Ridley as Ruthye and Matthias Schoenaerts as the villain Krem, and it heads into release amid box office tracking that has reportedly softened throughout the campaign.
None of that seems to be slowing down the cultural conversation Alcock has sparked entirely on her own terms. Whether or not ‘Supergirl’ becomes the box office juggernaut DC is hoping for, Kara Zor-El is already connecting with audiences who see themselves in a hero who refuses to fit into anyone’s box. So does Alcock’s read on Kara’s fluid sexuality change how you’re walking into theaters for ‘Supergirl’ next week?
