Milly Alcock suited up as Kara Zor-El and carried an entire blockbuster on her back this summer, and now we finally know what Warner Bros. paid her to do it.
As the dust settles on ‘Supergirl’s underwhelming box office debut, the financial details behind the film are starting to surface. The salary figure making the rounds is turning heads, and not just because of how low it is.
How Much Did Milly Alcock Get Paid For ‘Supergirl’?
According to Variety, Alcock was paid around $400,000 to star in ‘Supergirl‘, with a small box office bonus attached if the film performed well in theaters. Given the film’s disappointing opening, that bonus will not be coming.
Industry experts believe the relatively modest salary reflects a deliberate strategy by Warner Bros. to keep costs lower by casting a rising actress rather than an established A-list star. The film’s cast and creatives also don’t have backend deals, meaning no one is receiving first-dollar grosses off the box office.
The number looks even smaller when you put it in context. The stars of last year’s ‘Superman’, David Corenswet and Rachel Brosnahan, both earned $750,000 each, while Nicholas Hoult took home $2 million. Alcock was headlining her own film and got paid significantly less than a supporting player in the one before it.
That said, the precedent isn’t entirely without logic. Gal Gadot earned a base of $300,000 for her first ‘Wonder Woman’, though the film’s success eventually boosted her earnings through box office bonuses. Alcock’s situation is similar in structure, just without the windfall at the end.
The Australian actress first caught the attention of James Gunn and Peter Safran through her acclaimed performance as young Rhaenyra Targaryen in HBO’s ‘House of the Dragon’, and she was introduced as Kara Zor-El in a post-credits tag at the end of last summer’s ‘Superman’. ‘Supergirl’ marked her jump from prestige TV to full-scale blockbuster territory, which makes the pay gap sting a little more for fans who felt she more than held her own.
The film opened to $38 million in North America and $68 million globally in its opening weekend, and is projected to finish its theatrical run around $200-210 million worldwide. At those numbers, ‘Supergirl’ could lose Warner Bros. between $80 million and $120 million depending on its final gross.
Despite the rough landing, Alcock’s future in the DCU isn’t in question. She’s already confirmed to return as Supergirl in next year’s ‘Man of Tomorrow’, the James Gunn-directed follow-up to ‘Superman’. If that film performs, the conversation around her paycheck will look very different the next time contracts are on the table.
‘Man of Tomorrow’ is currently scheduled for 2027.