Actress Milly Alcock is facing backlash after dismissing her online critics as “Christian” dads ahead of the release of DC Studios’ upcoming “Supergirl” film.
In an interview with Variety, the 26-year-old Australian actress, who shot to fame as Rhaenyra Targaryen in HBO’s “House of the Dragon,” which is rated TV-MA for graphic violence and explicit sex scenes, said her experience with the show helped her prepare for the criticism she believes she’ll face for starring in the upcoming superhero film.
“It definitely made me aware that simply existing as a woman in that space is something that people comment on,” Alcock said. “We have become very comfortable having this weird ownership of women’s bodies. I can’t really stop them. I can only be myself.”
“[A] lot of people whose profiles have no photo, who are burner accounts. Or someone’s name and then ‘Dad of four, Christian,’ which is hilarious to me,” she added. “But I mean, whose opinion do you really care about? “If you’re p— the right kind of people off, you’re doing OK.”
“Supergirl” hits theaters on June 26. Alcock stars as Kara Zor-El, aka Supergirl, as she joins forces with an unlikely companion on an interstellar journey of vengeance and justice when an unexpected adversary strikes too close to home.
According to estimates from Box Office Theory, “Supergirl” is projected to earn between $47 million and $65 million during its opening weekend and between $107 million and $181 million domestically over its theatrical run.
The film, directed by James Gunn, reportedly carries a production budget of about $170 million, with marketing costs estimated at more than $75 million.
Alcock’s comments sparked backlash online, with several commenters accusing the actress of alienating an entire demographic.
In an op-ed, Matt McGloin, editor-in-chief and publisher of Cosmic Book News, noted that Gunn’s DC Universe has “already faced criticism over how it handles religion and shock content.”
He pointed out that HBO’s “Peacemaker” Season 2, starring John Cena, “included a scene mocking Jesus Christ and glorifying the Nazi-controlled alternate Earth, which drew backlash for tying Christian references to Gunn’s Nazi-world storyline.
“The same season also included a crude prison line involving Nicholas Hoult’s Lex Luthor, stating that DC characters rape each other,” he wrote. “So when the new Supergirl star is now getting headlines for mocking ‘Dad of four, Christian’ accounts, it feeds into an existing concern: James Gunn and DC Studios may be alienating part of the same audience it needs to show up.”
