The Race for the Cape: Supergirl Casting Nears Conclusion with Milly Alcock and Meg Donnelly

It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s… the final casting call?

The search for the next Supergirl is soaring towards an exciting climax, with the spotlight now shining brightly on two formidable contenders. Sources close to The Hollywood Reporter have revealed that Milly Alcock and Meg Donnelly are the frontrunners in this high-flying casting battle, having just completed screen tests in Atlanta.

Milly Alcock (left) and Meg Donnelly (right)

Milly Alcock recently soared to fame with her portrayal of Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen in HBO’s House of the Dragon. On the other hand, Meg Donnelly has already voiced Supergirl in animated projects, such as Legion of Super-Heroes and the forthcoming Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths.

The audition process, overseen by DC Studios chiefs James Gunn and Peter Safran, is not just about finding a new face for Supergirl; it’s about shaping the future of the DC cinematic universe. Gunn and Safran, tasked with steering the Warner Bros. Discovery ship in a new direction, have emphasized the importance of Supergirl in this new cinematic universe, with the character set to make her debut in Gunn’s Superman: Legacy before taking the lead in her own feature, Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow.

Drawing inspiration from the 2021-2022 comic mini-series by Tom King, this iteration of Supergirl promises to be a grittier, more complex character, distinct from the traditional “Superman in a skirt” portrayal. Gunn’s vision of a jaded, Krypton-raised Supergirl adds layers to a character who deserves more depth.

Our take

While Meg Donnelly’s previous experience voicing Supergirl in animation might seem like an advantage, we suspect that the studio is looking to chart a different course. Donnelly’s meeting in Atlanta could be more of a symbolic passing of the torch as she concludes her tenure in the ‘Tomorrow-verse.’

This leaves Milly Alcock as a strong contender for the role. Her rise to stardom with House of the Dragon has not gone unnoticed, and her meetings with the studio, likely including compatibility tests, hint at a more substantial interest from the decision-makers. Alcock’s portrayal of a fierce, complex young woman in House of the Dragon may well be the kind of energy Gunn and Safran are seeking for their new Supergirl.

As the casting process nears its end, fans eagerly await the official announcement. Whoever dons the cape will carry the hopes of not only Supergirl fans but also those of a reinvigorated DC cinematic universe. Stay tuned to TCN for the latest updates on this and other exciting developments in pop culture!

Published by Adam Birney

As a Senior Writer and Editor for The Cultured Nerd, Adam is as dialed-in to pop-culture as Bruce with the Batcomputer. In an era where clickbait reigns supreme and misinformation runs rampant, Adam strives to provide well-researched, accurate and unbiased insights to the realms of movies, video games, superheroes and more. After all, that's what being a 'cultured nerd' is all about.