One of the most emotionally resonant aspects of Supergirl isn’t just Kara Zor-El’s superhuman abilities— it’s the deeply personal connection she shares with Krypto.
During an interview with Black Girl Nerds, star Milly Alcock opened up about tapping into the emotional core of the character, revealing that Kara’s relationship with her loyal canine companion represents far more than friendship.
When BGN asked where she had to go mentally and emotionally to reach such an intense place in the performance, Alcock explained that the emotion came naturally thanks to the screenplay.
I was so fortunate in that accessibility just being so on the surface. I think that genuinely all my feelings are, like, actually the very tip of my throat,” Alcock said. “But I was also given a beautiful body of work to work with, with Ana’s script.”
For Alcock, the emotional stakes became crystal clear because Krypto symbolizes everything Kara has lost.
Ultimately, Krypto is such a symbol… he is a symbol to everything she’s ever known, to her past, to her family, to her past version of herself. So the potential harm of him reflects within her, her losing that forever.
It’s a poignant way of framing the relationship. Rather than simply serving as Supergirl’s super-powered pet, Krypto embodies Kara’s final connection to Krypton—a living reminder of the family, home, and identity she can never truly reclaim.
That perspective adds another emotional layer to Alcock’s performance, grounding the film’s larger-than-life action in a deeply human sense of grief and longing. Every moment of danger involving Krypto becomes more than a rescue mission; it becomes a fight to preserve the last tangible piece of Kara’s past.
Alcock credits writer Ana Nogueira’s screenplay for making those emotional stakes immediately accessible.
“The stake was just so clear and so beautifully written that it was incredibly easy.”
It’s a testament to how Supergirl balances epic superhero spectacle with intimate character moments, allowing audiences to connect with Kara not just as Earth’s newest hero, but as a young woman still carrying the weight of unimaginable loss.
Supergirl is currently playing in theaters.
