ALCOCK AND CO-STARS, MATTHIAS SCHOENAERTS AND EVE RIDLEY TELL YOLANTHE FAWEHINMI WHY THEIR NEW FILM, SUPERGIRL, IS SO RELEVANT TODAY
SHE might be Superman’s younger cousin, but don’t assume Supergirl can’t match up to the Man of Steel.
The superheroine – also known as Kara Zor-El – has the same laser vision and supersonic hearing as Superman, as well as the ability to fly incredibly fast. She’s also a star at hand-to-hand combat and can defy gravity and space.
For Australian actress Milly Alcock, 26, who dons Supergirl’s red cape in the new DC Universe live-action film, she is also special and relevant to other young girls who are navigating the perils of the 21st century.
“I like how raw she is, she’s like a live wire,” says the House of the Dragon star of her character.
“She’s so herself, and I think she’s got such a beautiful moral compass, and has so much humility and a lot of grit.
“Superman, in a bid to be good, strives for perfection, and Kara redefines what that means.
“I like to say, in the best way, she gives zero f**** and stands by what she believes. She’s unfazed and uncompromising, even when Clark [Kent, Superman’s alter ego] starts to impose his belief system on her.
“Clark has his adopted family and is very much rooted in that upbringing, where everything was idyllic and beautiful, and he was wonderfully nurtured.
“Kara saw a lot of hardship; she came from a very loving family, but around her, there was a lot of chaos, so she has a very different point of view on what the world is and how to deal with it.
“And when she’s not within a yellow galaxy [where a yellow sun is present], she’s basically got the powers of a human, which can become very dire.