Supergirl Review: Milly Alcock Soars in DC’s Cosmic Adventure

There’s been a lot of pressure on James Gunn since taking over the DC cinematic universe. Creature Commandos was a fun start, and Superman made it on my end-of-the-year list of the 20 best movies of 2025. But does Supergirl have the same level of appeal as DC’s most iconic hero, and how will it fare without Gunn in the director’s chair? Filmmaker Craig Gillespie (Dumb Money, Cruella) takes the reins and proves himself a strong fit for Gunn’s growing DC universe, weaving an out-of-this-world adventure story elevated by Milly Alcock’s outstanding central performance.

What’s Supergirl about?

Ruthye Marye Knoll (Eve Ridley, The Witcher) is seeking vengeance against Krem of the Yellow Hills (Matthias Schoenaerts, The Old Guard 2) for the ruthless murder of her entire family. Young and inexperienced, she searches for a worthy warrior to take on the task. Kara Zor-el (Milly Alcock, House of the Dragon), the powerful being known as Supergirl, is initially unwilling to do the task, but when she crosses paths with Krem herself, she finds herself with a vendetta of her own.

Supergirl review

Superman’s younger, less virtuous cousin hasn’t had the same level of big-screen exposure. Although Sasha Calle portrayed the heroine in 2023’s The Flash, Milly Alcock’s iteration marks the character’s first leading role in a mainstream blockbuster since Helen Slater in 1984. Her brief appearance in the final moments of Superman gave audiences a clear indication of what to expect from her solo outing. She shows up drunk, careless, and using foul language that you’d never hear uttered by the seemingly perfect, boy scout persona of Clark Kent and his alter-ego.

Alcock’s youthful appearance and ability to portray both the immature party girl, and the righteous defender make her portrayal of Supergirl feel like a layered and complicated character. She’s significantly younger than Superman and that youthfulness is accompanied by immaturity. While she shares Clark’s overall moral character and good-hearted nature, she doesn’t see herself as a hero and is not inherently driven by the sole desire to help others. On the surface she’s content to spend her days lounging in bed with Krypto and her nights drinking and dancing in a rowdy bar on the outskirts of some random town on a random planet with a red sun. But deep down she’s lonely, lost, and seeking a purpose. It’s a secret sadness that Alcock perfectly portrays through stoic looks, usually while recovering from a night a debauchery.

Kara’s character arc is one we’ve seen countless times before. It’s an unlikely, and seemingly unwilling, hero’s journey of rising to the occasion while slowly realizing that her powers are a gift best used in the service of good. While it’s not wholly original, that’s not the movie’s fault. That’s how these stories are expected to go and it’s the conclusion audiences want to see. What matters is how we get there. With a story that takes place almost entirely off Earth, the movie requires an exceptional amount of CGI, both with the environment and with the alien characters. Without solid CGI, the movie wouldn’t work. Luckily, the visuals and the special effects are almost entirely top notch. The worlds feel real and immersive, and the characters look tangible, believably existing alongside real actors within the scenes.

One of the best things to come out of the movie is Jason Momoa playing the DC character he was born to play: Lobo. One look at Momoa in costume and in character and you’ll be scratching your head, wondering why he was ever cast as Aquaman to begin with. It’s truly Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man level casting. While Lobo and Supergirl don’t get a ton of shared screentime, the moments they do have feel electric, like two comic book characters being brought to life. More importantly, both characters are strong enough to command the screen on their own.

The screenplay by Ana Nogueira is faithful to the comic series Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, which tells the story of Ruthye and Kara Zor-el’s hunt for Krem in search of vengeance and an antidote to save Kara’s fan-favorite companion, Krypto. It’s arguably more faithful than most adaptations, which acts as both a strength and a flaw of the narrative. Adapting an eight-issue comic run into a one-hour-and-forty-eight-minute film results in a final product that often feels messy and disjointed. While it sometimes feels like a click-and-go adventure, moving from one location to the next, it’s delivered with such high energy and a clear love for the universe and its varied array of characters and creatures, that its clunky nature is easily overlooked.

Is Supergirl worth watching?

Gillespie’s follow-up to Gunn’s Superman doesn’t feel nearly as polished, but the visuals are fantastic, the universe is expansive, and Milly Alcock and Jason Momoa deliver standout performances. While the story could have been more fleshed out, it’s refreshing to see a hero this strong that feels broken and struggling with their own purpose, and by keeping the villain and the threat personal to the hero, the story feels contained as a standalone piece of entertainment.

Supergirl Review: Milly Alcock Soars in DC’s Cosmic Adventure