A fresh controversy is swirling around Supergirl star Milly Alcock just weeks before the highly anticipated DC film hits theaters.
The 26-year-old actress, who recently sparked debate over comments about Christian fathers, is now facing a wave of online attacks targeting her appearance. The backlash escalated dramatically when former Superman actor Dean Cain appeared to engage with a viral meme mocking Alcock.
Highlights
- Dean Cain drew backlash after reacting to a viral meme targeting Supergirl star Milly Alcock.
- DC fans slammed Cain, accusing him of endorsing online attacks mocking the actress.
- Cain previously reacted to Alcock’s ‘Christian dads’ scandal ahead of Supergirl’s release.
Many fans have since turned on the one-time DC favorite, accusing him of crossing a line.
Former Superman actor reacts to viral meme mocking Supergirl star
Image credits: Warner Bros.
Dean Cain played Clark Kent/Superman in Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, which ran for four seasons from 1993 to 1997. The 59-year-old actor is now facing criticism for commenting on a viral meme aimed at Supergirl star Milly Alcock.
On Sunday, an X post highlighting a detail in a Supergirl poster featuring Alcock went viral, prompting questions about how her character could have gotten her ears pierced.
Image credits: Omar Vega/Getty Images
While most users focused on the details and debated its comic-book implications, one commenter took the opportunity to mock Alcock. The user compared the actress to Cha-Ka, a character from the 1970s series Land of the Lost.
“And why does she look like this guy?” the person asked.
Cain reacted to the meme mocking Alcock's appearance, which amassed more than 1 million views within hours. The actor admitted he laughed at the comparison between Alcock and the ape-like humanoid character.
“Dang it... I laughed,” Cain wrote.
Netizens slam Dean Cain for supporting online attack on Milly Alcock
Image credits: James Manning/Getty Images
Many described Cain's reaction as “vile” and criticized the actor for endorsing what they viewed as appearance-based mockery. As a result, he quickly became the target of backlash from DC fans, many of whom defended the Australian actress.
“Making fun of Milly Alcock despite being an actor is fu*king insane. Another reason why I hate Dean Cain,” one fan commented.
Image credits: @deuces1966/Instagram
Another stated, “Dean Cain is unbelievably dedicated to being the worst Superman actor of all time. Every time I think he can’t go lower, he digs my disappointment deeper.”
“@RealDeanCain is proud of making fun of a girl's physique in front of billions of people. Dean was once a symbol millions of kids looked up to,” a third added.
Despite the backlash, Cain appeared unfazed and said he did not care about the opinions of his critics.
Dean Cain previously responded to Milly Alcock’s controversial remark
Image credits: Warner Bros.
The criticism directed at Cain follows his response to Alcock's controversial remark about Christian dads. The actress previously drew scrutiny after discussing her concerns about online attacks from men over her role in a superhero film.
In an interview with Variety last month, Alcock said that many of the negative comments she received came from anonymous accounts or people identifying themselves as “Christian” dads.
Some commentators later linked the film's modest box-office projections to those remarks.
Image credits: ABC Photo Archives/Getty Images
Cain weighed in during an appearance on The Benny Show podcast. He criticized Alcock's remarks, said he had no desire to know her name, and argued that she risked alienating the film's core audience.
“I didn’t even know her name…I really have no desire to know her name as a Christian dad,” he said.
The film is currently projected to earn around $55 million during its opening weekend. Industry observers have described that figure as modest relative to its reported $245 million production and marketing budget.
Supergirl is scheduled to be released on June 26, 2026.