Exclusive: Milly Alcock Reveals Why Supergirl Is Nothing Like Superman — And Why Imperfection Is Her Greatest Strength

The DC Universe is preparing to introduce a new version of Kara Zor-El, and according to star Milly Alcock, audiences should expect a very different journey from the one they’ve seen with Superman.

During an interview with Who Let Us Out, Alcock discussed Supergirl’s emotional story, the challenges of learning Kryptonian, and what she hopes audiences take away from Kara’s journey. Fellow star Eve Ridley, who plays Ruthye, also shared insight into the relationship between their characters and the lessons they learn throughout the film.

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A Different Path Than Superman

While Superman’s story has traditionally centered on hope, belonging, and finding his place among humanity, Alcock explained that Kara’s journey begins from a very different emotional place.

“I think they’ll really understand why she is the way that she is,” Alcock said. “Ultimately, this is an origin story, and we get to set the scene with this new version of Supergirl in such a new and exciting and fresh landscape.”

For Alcock, one of the most important aspects of the film is Kara’s imperfections.

“I hope that audiences adore her and find a lot of comfort and solace within her messiness,” she explained. “I hope they take away from the film that you don’t have to be perfect, that your imperfection can be your greatest strength.”

The actress believes Kara’s vulnerability ultimately becomes one of her greatest powers.

“Vulnerability is such a superpower, and Kara is such a great example of that. I hope people can find that within themselves.”

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Ruthye and Kara’s Parallel Journeys

The relationship between Kara and Ruthye serves as one of the emotional anchors of the film.

At the beginning of the story, Ruthye is driven by revenge while Kara is attempting to escape her own pain through self-destructive behavior. Both characters are dealing with trauma, but they approach it in very different ways.

Ridley explained that the pair learn important lessons from one another throughout their journey.

“They’ve both been through pain, but in their own individual ways,” Ridley said. “Ruthye wants to go out there and do what she believes is right, but that’s not right in the bigger aspect of it.”

Alcock added that one of the film’s central themes is the idea that trauma cannot be solved through external actions.

“You can’t resolve an internal issue or trauma with an external action,” Alcock said. “Ruthye is trying to resolve an internal pain by seeking revenge and evening out the score. Kara is self-destructing to escape from that pain.”

Their shared journey ultimately forces both characters to confront their grief in healthier ways while learning from each other’s experiences.

Learning Kryptonian for Emotional Scenes

One of the film’s most unique challenges for Alcock involved performing emotional scenes in Kryptonian.

The actress revealed that the process became easier once she fully understood the scene in English before translating it into the fictional language.

“You learn the scene so thoroughly in English that the Kryptonian just becomes a placement word,” Alcock explained. “You’re thinking of it and saying it as if you’re speaking in English.”

To help maintain the emotional authenticity of certain scenes, Alcock and her fellow actors occasionally used a combination of Kryptonian and English during filming.

“If I was on camera, I would be speaking Kryptonian and the other actor, if they were off-screen, would be speaking in English,” she said. “That gave us a better cornerstone to pull from in terms of our reactions and what we were saying.”

The approach helped preserve the emotional weight of the scenes while allowing the performances to remain grounded and relatable.

One of the film’s greatest strengths is how relatable its themes feel despite taking place in a world filled with superheroes, alien languages, and cosmic adventures.

At its core, Supergirl is a story about grief, vulnerability, and healing. Rather than presenting Kara as a flawless hero, the film embraces her struggles and imperfections, allowing audiences to connect with her on a deeply human level.

If Alcock’s comments are any indication, this version of Supergirl isn’t trying to be Superman. Instead, she’s carving out her own place in the DC Universe—and that’s exactly what makes her story worth watching.