- James Gunn has lavished praise on Milly Alcock's performance in Supergirl
- The DC Studios co-chief says it "might be best bit of casting... I've ever done"
- Supergirl will take flight in theaters in June 2026
James Gunn has sparked a fresh wave of excitement over next year's Supergirl movie after claiming Milly Alcock was tailor-made to portray the eponymous hero.
Discussing the DC Universe (DCU) movie on the September 10, 2025 edition of The Howard Stern Show, Gunn lavished praise on Alcock for her performance as the titular Kryptonian. Indeed, Gunn called her portrayal of Kara Zor-El "absolutely stunning" and even went as far as to suggest that Alcock's hiring is the crowning achievement of Gunn's career from a casting perspective.
"Supergirl is... being edited right now," Gunn said of the DCU Chapter One film's current production status, before adding: "The movie is coming out fantastic. Milly Alcock, who plays Supergirl, might be the best bit of casting I think I've ever done in my entire life. She's absolutely stunning in the movie."
High praise, indeed, Mister Gunn. Sure, if you want to be really cynical about it, you might view Gunn's comments as a way of hyping up one of 2026's new movies. Talking up the performance of a movie's lead star is a sure fire way to further generate interest in the flick and ensure it's on people's radars so they check it out as soon as it's flown into theaters.
I think Gunn genuinely believes that Alcock's casting as Kara Zor-El is one of those lightning in a bottle moments, though – and her scene-stealing cameo in Gunn's Superman movie is all of the proof I need. Indeed, I only needed to see 30 seconds of Superman to have full confidence in Supergirl, so I'll be seated day one for the second DCU film that'll be released on the big screen.
I'm not the only one who thinks that, either. Over on the DC Cinematic sub-Reddit, a thread about Gunn's lauding of Alcock's performance is full of fans expressing excitement for her portrayal of Kara and the movie's eventual release. I'm glad I'm not the only one who can't wait to see more, then!
Gunn's latest comments aside, we've learned quite a bit about Supergirl – over the past three months.
For one, it's no longer called Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, with Gunn revealing why the DC comic book movie's title was changed in early June. Weeks later, Gunn explained why Jason Momoa's Lobo is a vital part of Supergirl's story and confirmed which actor would play the film's villain.
Days after Superman's release, the first poster for Supergirl revealed a near-full look at the DC superhero's outfit in what will be her first big-screen adventure for over 40 years. And, most recently, Gunn dropped a major hint at Supergirl's age rating, which isn't far off what I expected it to be.
Supergirl will be released in theaters worldwide on June 26, 2026. For more on the Alcock-led comic book film, check out my dedicated guide on Supergirl.
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