The cape Milly Alcock wears in Supergirl is not entirely new.
In a recent appearance on the Raiders of the Lost Podcast, the actress revealed that her costume was constructed in part using material salvaged from Christopher Reeve's original 1978 Superman cape. "My cape in this film was remade using material from the original Superman cape," Alcock said. "I think that they found there was like 16 meters of that material, so yeah, that's in the back of my cape now."
The discovery of that much original fabric, preserved for nearly five decades, is its own kind of story. The decision to use it rather than archive it is a different kind of statement.
Christopher Reeve appeared as Superman in four films from 1978 to 1987. He passed away in 2004. His influence on how studios approach superhero material has remained durable. The 2025 Superman film, which marked Alcock's first DCU appearance alongside David Corenswet, included a cameo from Will Reeve, Christopher's son.
Directed by Craig Gillespie and based on Tom King's 2022 comic series Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, the film stars Alcock as Kara Zor-El, with Jason Momoa as Lobo, Matthias Schoenaerts as Krem, and Eve Ridley as Ruthye Mary Knolle. It opens June 26, 2026.
The choice to incorporate vintage material rather than simply replicate it is a production detail most audiences will never know about. That may be the point. Some tributes are not for the room.