Milly Alcock news: Superman Returns star Brandon Routh’s advice for Aussie actress as she gears up to play Supergirl | Exclusive

Australian actress Milly Alcock is no stranger to a franchise – the 24-year-old’s big break, after all, came in the form of a critically-acclaimed role in Game of Thrones-adjacent television series House of the Dragon.

When the house lights dim and hoards of comic book fans flick their eyes up to the big screen in two years, it’ll be Alcock soaring into focus as Superman’s cousin Kara Zor-El in Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, the second film in James Gunn‘s rebooted DC Universe.

But heavy are the shoulders that wear the billowing red cape, says Superman Returns star Brandon Routh, who 20 years ago had to navigate the crushing weight of fan expectations without letting them pull him down.

“It’s about you and not about you,” Routh, 44, told 9honey Celebrity of taking on such a monumental mantle.

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“Because there have been so many people who have come before us and so much history and lore when people come up and people give you praise, it can be a lot,” Routh continued.

The actor, speaking to 9honey Celebrity before his appearance at Metro Comic Con in Melbourne over the weekend, was cast as Clark Kent/Kal-El for the first Man of Steel-centric film after Christopher Reeve’s lauded performance.

His casting was announced when he was 24, the same age Alcock is now – but his news broke the same month Reeve died, compounding the pressure Routh was under.

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“The character means so much to people, so you get so much love,” Routh explained. “It’s kind of hard to know, ‘How do I accept this? What do I do with this?'”

“But I’ve understood it [as]… I’m here because of all the creators who have contributed to the story of Superman in the past and I’m sure just sharing the Superman glow… I’m a representative of the character, not the character.”

It’s with this in mind that Routh, who normally flies under the radar Clark Kent-style but at times gets recognised in public, conducts himself when Superman fans still approach him two decades later.

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“Superman, and Supergirl, can be a teacher,” Routh said. “They’re not just a beacon of hope because they save people, but also because they help spread joy.”

At first, Routh “wasn’t able to handle” the public attention that came with his role. But as he got “older and wiser” – and better at boundaries on the rare occasion when it wouldn’t be an appropriate time to take a picture with a fan – he began to “embrace” it more.

“It’s a weird thing… it’s a palpable feeling of seeing people walk away from certain exchanges and they weren’t like that when they got there. Happiness has happened,” Routh explained.

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“And I’m happy too,” he continued.

“Because through Superman and through the whole [interaction], they’re sharing in the love of Superman.”

Routh, who has been going through the same motions, still struggles for words when he tries to explain the feeling – after pausing to think, he settled on: “It’s weird, it’s a cool thing.”

And when Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow hits cinemas in June 2026, Alcock will get to experience it for herself.

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