‘I like how raw she is, she’s like a live wire’

Stars Milly Alcock, Matthias Schoenaerts, and Eve Ridley on what makes Supergirl different to Superman, in cinemas this weekend

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Supergirl might be Superman’s younger cousin, but that doesn’t mean her powers are any less impressive.

She too has laser vision, supersonic hearing, and she can fly incredibly fast. She’s also great with hand-to-hand combat and can defy gravity and space.

The superheroine – also known as Kara Zor-El – is the biological cousin of Kal-El, who went on to adopt the name of Clark Kent and the superhero identity Superman.

For 26-year-old Australian actress Milly Alcock, who takes on the title role in the new DC Universe live-action film, there are so many other things that make her special and relevant to other young girls navigating the perils of the 21st century.

“I like how raw she is, she’s like a live wire. She’s so herself, and I think she’s got such a beautiful moral compass, and has so much humility and a lot of grit. Superman, in a bid to be good, strives for perfection, and Kara redefines what that means,” says the House of the Dragon star.

“And I like to say, in the best way, she gives zero f**** and stands by what she believes. She’s unfazed and uncompromising, even when Clark starts to impose his belief system on her.

“Clark has his adopted family and is very much rooted in that upbringing, where everything was idyllic and beautiful, and he was wonderfully nurtured. Kara saw a lot of hardship; she came from a very loving family, but around her, there was a lot of chaos, so she has a very different point of view on what the world is and how to deal with it.