Articles
Milly Alcock Reveals The Special Connection Supergirl’s Cape Has to the Most Iconic Movie Superman
When it comes to superheroes, one of the most important detail about them is their costume. What the superhero is outfitted in becomes as much a part of the character as their powers or their overall lore and this is especially true when it comes to the Superheroes from the House of El. Both Superman and Supergirl have very iconic looks, with their bold red and blue suits, the all-important S sigil on the chest, and of course, the sweeping red cape. Now, ahead of Supergirl soaring into theaters later this month, star Milly Alcock reveals that her Supergirl cape is iconic for more than just how it looks: it has a special connection to one of the most iconic Supermen ever.
Speaking with Raiders of the Lost Pod, Alcock revealed that her Supergirl cape was made with fabric leftover from Christopher Reeve’s Superman Cape. Alcock explained that they found additional material from the creation of that iconic costume and now, nearly 50 years after Reeve flew in Superman, it’s a part of her cape.
“So, my cape in this film was remade using material from the original Superman cape,” Alcock said. When she was asked if she meant Christopher Reeve, she confirmed and explained that additional fabric from the making of that original cape had been found for hers.
“I think that they found there was like 16 meters of that material so that’s in the back of my cape now,” she added.”
Supergirl Isn’t The First Time the DCU Has Paid Homage to Christopher Reeve
The detail about Supergirl’s suit is an interesting one. Not only is it just very cool that fabric from that iconic costume was still in existence but that the Supergirl costume team was able to use it for Kara’s cape, but it is just another example of how the DCU has paid tribute to Reeve. While Reeve isn’t the first person to play Superman on screen, he is for many the gold standard. There is an entire generation of fans for whom the actor is the definition of the character and it is pretty difficult to separate Reeve’s portrayal of the hero from the character himself. Given the iconic nature of Reeve as Superman, James Gunn’s Superman film also incorporated various nods to the actor and the 1978 movie in last year’s film. The biggest included a cameo by Christopher Reeve’s son, Will (who bears a striking resemblance to his late father) and a remix of the iconic Superman theme originally composed by John Williams.
This costume detail for Supergirl, however, feels very much like a more tangible way of honoring the legacy of Reeve as well as Superman in film. It’s also not the only instance where the details matter when it comes to the costuming for Supergirl. During a visit to the film’s set, ComicBook learned that Lobo actor Jason Momoa had made a specific request for his own costume: a vape cigar. While that sort of detail isn’t as monumental or as nostalgic, in a sense, as the connection to Reeve’s cape, it’s still something that shows the care and effort that was put into the film. And in the case of Supergirl’s cape, it’s further confirmation of just how much reverence for DC’s history the DCU has even as it crafts new stories for its future.
Supergirl opens in theaters June 26th.
What do you think? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!
