‘Supergirl’ First Reactions Praise Milly Alcock’s Kara and Jason Momoa’s Lobo

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Jun 18

Written By Jonathan P. Moustakas

**Courtesy of DC Studios and Warner Bros. Pictures**

Early reactions to DC Studios’ next big-screen adventure are calling Milly Alcock “the perfect Kara” and singling out Jason Momoa’s fan-favorite debut as Lobo.

DC Studios may have another strong flight path.

The first reactions to ‘Supergirl’ are in, and the early word is largely positive for Craig Gillespie’s intergalactic DC adventure starring Milly Alcock as Kara Zor-El. The film, which follows James Gunn’s successful relaunch of the DCU with ‘Superman,’ gives Alcock her first full big-screen showcase as Supergirl after breaking out to a global audience on ‘House of the Dragon.’ Warner Bros. is scheduled to release the film theatrically in late June.

The reactions point to a film that appears to separate Kara from her cousin Clark rather than simply repeating the tone or emotional framework of ‘Superman.’ Several early viewers described ‘Supergirl’ as darker, grittier and more emotionally bruised than expected, with comparisons ranging from ‘Mad Max’ to ‘John Wick’ to a more serious cosmic road movie. That may come as a surprise to anyone expecting a lighter, purely heroic space adventure, especially given the presence of Krypto and the broader DCU connection.

Alcock is receiving some of the strongest praise, with multiple reactions calling her a perfect Kara Zor-El. Early viewers singled out her ability to make Supergirl feel fierce, vulnerable, messy and distinct from Superman. That distinction is important for the new DCU. Kara is not simply a female mirror of Clark Kent. She carries a different history, a different trauma and a harder edge shaped by loss, exile and survival. Gunn and Gillespie have both described this version of Supergirl as more antiheroic than Superman, and the film appears to lean directly into that contrast.

Jason Momoa’s debut as Lobo is also emerging as one of the biggest talking points. After years of fan-casting and speculation, Momoa officially enters the DCU as the intergalactic bounty hunter, moving from his previous role as Aquaman in the former DC Extended Universe into one of the most chaotic characters in DC mythology. Early reactions repeatedly praised the casting, with one calling Momoa “born to play Lobo.” That response is exactly what DC likely wanted from the character’s first major appearance: immediate recognition, loud personality and the sense that he could become a recurring force in the franchise.

The film also stars Eve Ridley as Ruthye Marye Knoll, a young girl whose quest becomes central to Kara’s story, alongside Matthias Schoenaerts as Krem of the Yellow Hills, David Krumholtz as Zor-El, Emily Beecham as Alura In-Ze and David Corenswet as Superman. The story is inspired by Tom King and Bilquis Evely’s acclaimed ‘Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow,’ though the film appears to be making key adaptation choices, including the addition of Lobo in a major role.

That source material gives ‘Supergirl’ a very different emotional foundation from a traditional superhero origin story. ‘Woman of Tomorrow’ follows Kara through a cosmic revenge tale that pairs mythic adventure with trauma, grief and moral exhaustion. The early reactions suggest Gillespie’s film preserves that harder emotional texture while still operating as a large-scale summer blockbuster.

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Not every response was unqualified praise. Some early viewers described the film as slow to start or uneven, with criticism aimed at pacing, adaptation choices and a villain who may not fully match the energy of Alcock’s performance. Still, even the more mixed reactions appear to agree on the central point: Alcock works as Kara, and Momoa’s Lobo is likely to be a major audience draw.

That matters because ‘Supergirl’ is another key test for the new DC Studios era. ‘Superman’ reintroduced the franchise under Gunn and Peter Safran’s leadership, but ‘Supergirl’ has to prove that the DCU can expand beyond Clark Kent while maintaining audience investment. A successful Kara Zor-El movie would give the franchise another emotionally distinct lead, a cosmic lane to explore and a character whose relationship to heroism is more complicated than classic optimism.

The early reactions also suggest that ‘Supergirl’ may help define DC’s tonal range. If ‘Superman’ represented sincerity, hope and the reestablishment of a shared universe, ‘Supergirl’ appears to offer something rougher, stranger and more wounded. That could be exactly what the franchise needs: not a uniform house style, but a world broad enough to hold different kinds of heroes.

For now, the first reactions are giving DC plenty to build on. Alcock appears to have landed as Kara. Momoa appears to have landed as Lobo. And ‘Supergirl’ may be arriving as one of the summer’s most important superhero releases.

‘Supergirl’ opens in theaters June 26.