Truth. Justice. Whatever: With So Much Creative Talent Behind It, Why Supergirl Should Be Judged On The Film, Not The Headlines
As Supergirl approaches its theatrical release, much of the conversation surrounding the film seems to be focused on everything except the movie itself.
Early box office projections, social media discourse and comments made by star Milly Alcock have all become talking points in recent weeks, generating headlines long before audiences have had the opportunity to see the finished film.
The reality is that none of those things will determine whether Supergirl succeeds.
The film will ultimately stand or fall on the quality of the story, the performances and the creative vision behind it.
Milly Alcock has already demonstrated that she is one of the most exciting young actors working today. Her breakout performance in House of the Dragon showcased her ability to command the screen, while Sirens further demonstrated her versatility and emotional range.
Even in the limited footage audiences have seen so far, including her brief appearance in Superman and the early promotional material released for Supergirl, Alcock has shown a confidence and presence that suggests she understands exactly who Kara Zor-El is.
Rather than trying to imitate previous versions of the character, she appears to be creating her own interpretation, something every successful comic book actor ultimately has to do.
No actor should be expected to simply recreate what came before.
Helen Slater, Melissa Benoist and now Milly Alcock each represent different generations of Supergirl. Their portrayals should be allowed to stand on their own merits.
It is also worth remembering that audiences are often denied the opportunity to decide for themselves.
Had Batgirl been released, there is every possibility that future DC projects could have explored team-ups between some of the publisher's most iconic heroines. The idea of a World's Finest-style partnership between Supergirl and Batgirl remains an intriguing "what if" for many fans.
Television demonstrated the appeal of that dynamic years ago through the Arrowverse, where Melissa Benoist's Supergirl and Ruby Rose's Batwoman successfully shared the screen and gave audiences a glimpse of how these characters could complement one another.
The lesson is a simple one: films and characters deserve the chance to find their audience.
Whether a project succeeds or fails should ultimately be determined by the finished work itself and the response of audiences, not by speculation, projections or assumptions made before anyone has had the opportunity to see it.
What often gets lost in discussions surrounding superhero films is that they are collaborative projects involving hundreds of talented people.
Supergirl is not simply "Milly Alcock's movie."
The film is directed by award-winning filmmaker Craig Gillespie, whose work on projects such as I, Tonya demonstrated an ability to balance character-driven storytelling with large-scale entertainment.
The screenplay comes from Ana Nogueira, one of the most promising writers currently working in genre storytelling.
The film is also based on Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, the critically acclaimed comic book series written by Tom King, widely regarded as one of the most influential comic creators of the modern era.
Overseeing the wider DC Universe is James Gunn, whose track record speaks for itself. Whether through Guardians of the Galaxy, The Suicide Squad or Peacemaker, Gunn has consistently shown an ability to connect audiences with characters that many believed were impossible to adapt successfully.
That is a significant amount of creative talent working towards the same goal.
Yet much of the discussion surrounding the film has centred on projections and speculation.
The truth is that box office tracking months before release is rarely an accurate predictor of a film's eventual success. Industry history is filled with examples of films that dramatically exceeded expectations and others that failed to meet them.
Perhaps the more important conversation concerns the economics of modern Hollywood.
As studio budgets continue to increase, films are frequently required to generate enormous returns simply to be considered profitable. A respectable worldwide box office performance can now be framed as a disappointment purely because production and marketing costs have reached extraordinary levels.
That is not a problem created by actors.
Nor is it a problem that can be solved through online discourse.
At the end of the day, audiences are not buying tickets because of social media arguments. They are buying tickets because they want to be entertained.
Supergirl deserves the opportunity to be judged on what appears on screen rather than headlines written months before release.
For now, the smartest approach is also the simplest.
Let Milly Alcock be Kara Zor-El.
Let Craig Gillespie tell his story.
Let audiences watch the film.
Then decide whether it works.
Because that is ultimately how every film should be judged.
Supergirl hits Cinemas worldwide on June 26
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