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Credit: Inside the MagicWhile Superman (2025) successfully launched James Gunn‘s DC Universe last summer (well, mostly), grossing $618.7 million worldwide, this year’s Supergirl (2026), which was expected to build on that momentum and firmly establish Milly Alcock as one of the faces of the new DCU alongside David Corenswet’s Man of Steel, crashed down to earth before even fully taking off.
Directed by Craig Gillespie and written by Ana Nogueira, the film has struggled to generate anywhere near the box-office figures Warner Bros. was undoubtedly hoping for. So far, it has grossed only $116 million worldwide against an estimated budget of $170-186 million. Not good.
Supergirl has also struggled to win over audiences, leading many fans to question whether anyone is actually invested in Gunn’s newly rebooted DCU beyond Superman.
As for Alcock’s performance as Kara Zor-El/Supergirl, reception has been mixed, though not quite as bad as her stint on the film’s pre-release press tour. That saw her receive backlash from some fans over comments she made surrounding Kara’s sexuality and how the film is “not centered around a man,” with many subsequently perceiving the film as “woke.”
The backlash drew comparisons to the controversy surrounding comments made by Rachel Zegler in the lead-up to the release of her film, Disney’s live-action Snow White remake, last year.
Related: James Gunn’s DCU Is Now Beyond Saving, as Zack Snyder Teases ‘Justice League’ Return
Ironically, though, that could place Alcock on a surprisingly similar career trajectory to Zegler. Before starring in Disney’s hugely controversial Snow White (2025), Zegler appeared in the DC Extended Universe film Shazam! Fury of the Gods (2023) as Anthea, one of the daughters of Atlas.
And, similarly to Supergirl, the DCEU sequel became one of the biggest commercial disappointments in modern DC history, grossing just $134.1 million worldwide against a reported production budget of around $125 million before marketing costs.
Could Milly Alcock Become Disney’s Next Elsa?
Now, with Disney continuing to, ahem, “mine” its animated back catalog for live-action adaptations, another obvious question presents itself: Who eventually plays Elsa from the Frozen films? Well, look no further than Milly Alcock herself.
While a live-action Frozen remake has not been announced, it’s becoming increasingly clear that Disney shows no signs of abandoning the remake strategy anytime soon.
Just last year saw the release of Snow White (2025) and Lilo & Stitch (2025), and recently, the live-action Moana (2026) was released in theaters — although that film is already struggling to match the performance of earlier Disney remake successes such as Beauty and the Beast (2017) and The Lion King (2019), which each crossed $1 billion globally.
Clearly, more recent efforts have delivered diminishing returns.
Snow White (2025) became one of Disney’s biggest financial disappointments in years, earning just $205.7 million worldwide against a production budget of as much as $336.5 million.
A live-action Tangled remake remains in development, and so it feels almost inevitable that Disney will eventually turn its attention toward Frozen (2013), which remains one of the studio’s biggest animated success stories ever.
Of course, Disney has never indicated that Alcock is under consideration for Elsa, and a Frozen remake hasn’t even been announced (yet). Still, two years after appearing in one of the DCEU films, Zegler found herself stepping into one of Disney’s most iconic princess roles.
The parallels with Alcock are admittedly entirely speculative, but they’re difficult to ignore.
Both actresses emerged as rising stars before landing major franchise roles. Both found themselves at the center of online discourse that often had little to do with their actual performances. And both became lightning rods for wider culture-war conversations surrounding beloved legacy properties. And yet their respective projects continue to move forward.
The underperforming superhero movie-to-Disney journey wouldn’t even be unprecedented. Before Rachel Zegler went from Shazam! Fury of the Gods (2023) to Snow White (2025), Naomi Scott made a similar leap from Power Rangers (2017) to Disney’s billion-dollar Aladdin (2019).
What’s Next for the DCU?
Whether audiences would embrace Alcock in another major franchise role after Supergirl is another question entirely. For now, though, her future remains firmly tied to DC Studios, as she’s set to return in James Gunn’s upcoming Superman sequel Man of Tomorrow (2027).
With other projects such as Clayface (2026), The Brave and the Bold (TBA), and a future Justice League film all expected to play major roles in the DCU’s future, Alcock’s time wearing the cape is almost certainly far from over. The question is, will she eventually be forced to let it go?
Do you think Milly Alcock could eventually follow Rachel Zegler’s path from DC to Disney? And if Disney ever does remake Frozen, who should play Elsa? Let us know in the comments!
