Milly Alcock is best known to the general public for her role as Rhaenyra Targaryen in House of the Dragon (2022– ). There she already showed that she had quite some acting talent. After a brief introduction to Superman (2025), Alcock now gets her first major Hollywood leading role Supergirl (2026). The film is directed by Craig Gillespie – perhaps not the most famous name in Hollywood, but a director with a respectable track record. With films like I, Tonya (2017), Cruella (2021) inDumb Money (2023), Gillespie proved that he can combine audience films with his own style. Still, the announcement of Supergirl for some surprise. After all, it is only the second film in the new DCU and James Gunn could also have opted for bigger names such as Batman or Wonder Woman. That should only mean one thing: there is a strong concept underlying it, but does Gillespie actually know how to translate that to the screen?
In search of your own identity
The film opens on a surprisingly light-hearted tone. That is striking, because in advance there was talk about a darker and rawer version of the character. That raw edge is certainly present, but the more serious aspect remains in the background for a long time. In fact, the first act feels unmistakably like Guardians of the Galaxy (2014). Happy chooses Supergirl ultimately for a more individual identity. When villain Krem poisons the dog Krypto, Kara travels the universe in search of an antidote and revenge. She is joined by Ruthye, who also has a personal account with Krem after he murdered her family. The result is a story that functions, but rarely surprises.
Milly Alcock carries the film
Supergirl is a film of extremes. For every strong point, there also seems to be a clear shortcoming. However, the balance is not entirely equal: what is good is rarely fantastic, while the weaknesses are sometimes quite noticeable. Yet there are plenty of positive elements. Milly Alcock portrays a strong Kara, who is clearly different from Superman. The scenes in which her past is explored are among the highlights of the film and it is actually a shame that more of this cannot be seen. The fall of Krypton gets a new angle and Kara’s father, Zor-El, played by David Krumholtz, also plays an interesting role. In addition, the film contains some impressive special effects scenes, the action scenes are surprisingly strong for a 12+ film and Jason Momoa as Lobo provides extra energy as soon as he appears on screen.
Not every battle is equally interesting
Unfortunately it has Supergirl also clear shortcomings. The aforementioned Krem, played by Matthias Schoenaerts, is perhaps the greatest example of this. As the villain of the film, he hardly manages to impress. His character lacks depth, is given few interesting qualities and mainly feels like a standard superhero villain that we have seen countless times before. As a result, nothing is ever really at stake. The main story, in which Supergirl and Ruthye hunt Krem, is therefore not always interesting and has several moments where you have to wait until the next important scene comes along. The music also misses opportunities. Where the soundtrack from Superman contributed significantly to the emotion and grandeur of the film, remains the score of Supergirl remarkably flat. The music is certainly not bad, but rarely adds anything extra to what is already happening on the screen.
An imperfect start for Supergirl
Al met al is Supergirl turned out to be a fairly mediocre film. There is plenty to appreciate: Milly Alcock gives a strong leading role, Kara’s background is interestingly developed and there are moments when the film shows how much potential there is in this character. But for every strong point there is almost immediately a weakness. The story is not always interesting, the villain makes little impression and the film also falls short of what could have been possible on an emotional level. As a result, it will Supergirl for some people it will be just enough, while others will experience the film as a disappointment. The promising concept behind the film ultimately does not fully materialize. However, one thing is certain: fans of Kara Zor-El won’t be long before they see her again. Milly Alcock returns as Supergirl Man of Tomorrow (2027), which will be released in theaters on July 9, 2027.
Supergirl can be seen in cinemas from tomorrow.
View cinema times Alblasserdam Alkmaar (Atmos, OV) Almere Almkerk Alphen aan den Rijn (3D, OV) Amersfoort (3D, Atmos, OV) Amsterdam (3D, Atmos, 4DX, OV) Apeldoorn (3D, OV) Arnhem (3D, Atmos, OV) Breda (3D, OV) Cuijk Delft (3D, OV) Den Bosch (3D, OV) The Hague (3D, 4DX, OV) Den Helder (3D, OV) Deventer (3D, OV) Doetinchem Dordrecht Drachten Ede (3D, Atmos, OV) Eindhoven (3D, Atmos, 4DX, OV) Emmen (3D, OV) Enschede (Atmos, OV) Gorinchem (3D, Atmos, OV) Groningen (3D, OV) Haarlem (3D, OV) Heerhugowaard (3D, OV) Hellevoetsluis Helmond (3D, OV) Hilversum (3D, Atmos, OV) Hoofddorp Hoogeveen (Atmos, OV) Hoogezand (3D, OV) Hoorn (3D, Atmos, OV) Kampen Kerkrade (3D, Atmos, OV) Klazienaveen Leeuwarden (3D, Atmos, OV) Leiden Leidschendam (3D, OV) Maastricht (3D, Atmos, 4DX, OV) Nijmegen (3D, Atmos, 4DX, OV) Oss (3D, OV) Panningen Purmerend (3D, OV) Reuver Rotterdam (3D, 4DX, OV) Schagen (3D, OV) Schiedam (Atmos, OV) Spijkenisse (3D, OV) Stadskanaal Tilburg (Atmos, OV) Utrecht (3D, 4DX, OV) Veghel Venlo Venray Vlaardingen (Atmos, OV) Vlissingen (3D, Atmos, OV) Wageningen Weert Zaandam (3D, OV) Zoetermeer (3D, OV) Zutphen Zwolle (3D, Atmos, 4DX, OV)
Experience now with Pathé
Image: ‘Supergirl’ via Warner Bros.
