DCU Casts House Of The Dragon's Milly Alcock As Supergirl

After weeks of speculation, it looks like the next fragment of James Gunn's DC Universe has fallen into place: the latest Supergirl has been crowned. The role of Kara Zor-El, Superman's cousin, will be portrayed by Milly Alcock per TheWrap and Deadline. The Australian performer is best known for her work in HBO's "House of the Dragon," where she portrayed the younger Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen.

The battle for the role was certainly a pitched one, with Milly Alcock and Meg Donnelly reportedly being in the final running for the part. The character is slated to make her debut in Gunn's upcoming Superman film, "Superman: Legacy," to be released in 2025. A version of the character was previously played by Sasha Calle in 2023's "The Flash," though the decision was made to recast the role for the revamped DCU. 

Eventually, Kara will headline the film "Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow," based on the DC Comic of the same name. The Ana Nogueira-penned film does not have a release date or a director attached yet. While we wait to find out what the future has in store for the character, here's some background on Supergirl's DC Comics history.

While Kara Zor-El did exist in the DC Extended Universe, Milly Alcock will obviously have a brand-new start in James Gunn's DC Universe. Supergirl's headlining film will be based on "Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow," a Tom King-penned comic book series featuring Kara trying to regain her mojo. Stuck on Earth — having been sent to protect Superman, only to discover that he's grown to manhood without any need of assistance from home — she has no idea what her purpose is and what it is to be a superheroine who isn't seen as some reflection of Clark Kent's greatness. 

Of course, Supergirl has had a long and storied history in the pages of DC Comics going all the way back to 1959. While she may be most easily identified as Superman's Krypton cousin, she has also had plenty of adventures of her own. During her run in the comics she joined the Justice League, nearly died of kryptonite poisoning, and defeated Cyborg Superman. There will be no shortage of material to draw from for the DCU's own version of the character. 

Audience members will have to wait a while to see how Alcock fares and how well the character translates to the big screen. We'll get a first-hand look when "Superman: Legacy" hits theaters in 2025.