'Supergirl' brings a humble, reluctant and relatable hero to the big screen

LONDON - "Supergirl" star Milly Alcock says the new DC Studios comic book movie humanizes its hero.

The Australian actor, who takes on the dual role of Supergirl/Kara Zor-El, joined cast members Jason Momoa, Eve Ridley and Matthias Schoenaerts at a UK sneak peek fan event in London on Thursday, teasing an unexpected turn on the big screen.

"I would describe her as a very reluctant hero. I think she's a bit of a rebel, but she's got a lot of humility, and I think audiences are going to be very surprised," Alcock said.

Landing the lead role in the summer blockbuster took the "House of the Dragon" and "Sirens" actor, 26, on an empowering and emotion-filled journey.

"It's my first film, so it's kind of been the biggest thing ever in the world. And I feel like now I can do anything because I've done something like this," Alcock said. "It was like every feeling at once, the highest highs and the lowest lows. It's a beautiful sea of bliss and self-doubt."

The movie is based on the 2021-22 comic book series "Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow", with "I, Tonya" and "Cruella" filmmaker Craig Gillespie directing from a screenplay by Ana Nogueira.

It sees Superman's cousin Kara embarking on an intergalactic mission with the young Ruthye Marye Knoll (Ridley), to hunt down space pirate Krem of the Yellow Hills (Schoenaerts) and avenge the murder of Ruthye's family and save Supergirl's dog, Krypto. Along the way, they come across "Aquaman" actor Momoa's bounty hunter Lobo.

Gillespie said his vision for the movie was shaped by the grit and authenticity of the source material and the unapologetic attitude of its protagonist.

"Particularly for a female superhero, she wasn't on this pedestal. She was flawed. She was going through trauma. She had issues she was trying to figure out," said Gillespie. "And to see that and have it be something that you can actually relate to, a person that you can recognise in yourself, I was really excited to be able to do it in this kind of film."

For Momoa, landing the role of Lobo was a longtime dream and goal.

"It's a proud achievement. You never think you're going to play your childhood comic book character," said Momoa, adding that Lobo serves as "a little bit of spice" in the movie.

"You get to see what he's like. It's just to see if you guys like Lobo, maybe we'll do more," Momoa said. "It's the same thing like 'Aquaman', we start out slow and if fans love it, then of course we're going to service that."

"Supergirl" begins its global theatrical rollout on June 24.

(Reporting by Hanna Rantala; Editing by Stephen Coates)