DC Studios’ Supergirl arrives on HBO Max today, September 10, following its theatrical release on June 26, giving audiences a new chance to watch Milly Alcock as Kara Zor-El. Directed by Craig Gillespie and written by Ana Nogueira, the film adapts Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow by Tom King and Bilquis Evely. Its streaming debut also puts the spotlight on the unusual production choices, demanding action work and comic-book details built into the film.
One of the biggest production talking points is Milly Alcock’s physical commitment to the role. She reportedly performed around 90% of her own stunts after intensive training in boxing, aikido, taekwondo and Muay Thai. The preparation helped her take on the film’s demanding action and wire work, adding a physical quality to Kara’s journey that goes beyond costume and visual effects.
The scale of the flying action becomes even clearer in the major battle involving Lobo and the Brigands. The sequence reportedly took three full weeks to film on a single soundstage and used around eight miles of stunt cable for its flying choreography. That figure offers an unusual glimpse into the practical effort required to create the film’s large action scenes.
Supergirl was also filmed in approximately 76 days without a second-unit crew, an unusual approach for a large superhero production. Craig Gillespie maintained a fast shooting pace, using a specialised gimbal camera setup nicknamed “the chicken” to capture close, energetic action. The approach allowed the director to move quickly while keeping the filmmaking centred on the main production team.
Milly Alcock’s path to the role was unusual from the beginning. For her self-tape audition, the first scene she was asked to perform involved a drunk Kara Zor-El celebrating her 23rd birthday in a space bar. Rather than introducing the character through a conventional heroic moment, the scene gave Alcock an opportunity to show Kara as messy, funny and far from the traditional image of a superhero.
The production also invested heavily in practical creature work and physical sets. Among the strangest creations was a giant slug-like alien at a space rest stop that literally “poops popcorn.” The detail may sound playful, but it reflects the filmmakers’ effort to build tangible environments and creatures instead of depending entirely on digital backgrounds.
Milly Alcock’s previous experience in House of the Dragon also proved useful when she had to learn Kryptonian dialogue. She explained that the process involved a similar phonetic discipline to learning High Valyrian. The connection is a small but revealing detail about the preparation required to make an invented language sound consistent on screen.
The film also rewards viewers who pay attention to its comic-book references. DC’s official Easter-egg coverage points to a Daily Planet newspaper in the opening scene, with headlines referencing members of the production team. The Metropolis Mammoths hockey team is another deeper comic reference, while the planet Bilquis honours comic artist Bilquis Evely, whose work helped shape the source material alongside writer Tom King.
With Supergirl now arriving on HBO Max, viewers can revisit the film while looking beyond its main story to the work behind it. The home-viewing format may make those details easier to pause over and examine, especially for fans familiar with the comics. More importantly, the release gives the film a fresh place in the conversation around the new DC Studios era, with its performance, practical craft and visual references now available beyond the theatrical window. It is a fresh viewing opportunity.
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