Former Superman actor Dean Cain faced heavy online criticism on Sunday after joining social media users to mock the appearance of actress Milly Alcock in a newly released promotional poster for the upcoming "Supergirl" movie.
The 59-year-old actor, who portrayed the superhero in the 1990s television series Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, engaged with a social media post that compared the 26-year-old actress to a prehistoric human primate character from a 1970s television show.
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"Dang it... I laughed" wrote Dean Cain, Actor.
The comment drew swift condemnation across X and Reddit, where users described the actor as a bully and criticized him for targeting a woman half his age, while others noted the hypocrisy given Cain's past discussions regarding the racist nicknames he received as a half-Asian actor.
"What a nasty ******* bully you’ve turned out to be," wrote one user, X.
The online backlash prompted further discussion from social media users regarding the frequent criticism faced by women in major film roles.
"A **** near 60 year old loser dunking on a girl old enough to be your own kid." wrote another user, X.
Commenters also expressed frustration regarding the regular scrutiny directed at female performers online.
"She is like the most conventionally attractive woman ever. We can’t win," posted one user, X.
The ongoing online debate highlighted broader themes regarding the reception of female-led comic book films.
"I think about this ALL THE TIME," replied another user, X.
The user suggested that the online criticism reflects a broader hostility toward women in the industry rather than genuine aesthetic concerns.
"If the slim white blonde-haired blue-eyed girl is getting roasted, it just goes to show none of it matters; they just hate women."
wrote the user, X.
The controversy additionally touched upon online casting debates and demographic preferences within certain fan groups.
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"Do they literally just want to clone Sydney Sweeney and have the clones play every female role in existence?"
mused another user, X.
Critics of Cain also highlighted his political background and career shift, referencing his public support for Donald Trump and his role as an honorary Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer.
"To make it worse, he’s literally talked about receiving backlash and being given racist nicknames for being a half-asian Superman actor," said one user, X.
The user expressed confusion over how the actor rationalized his current online behavior given his personal history.
"I can’t fathom how he rationalizes that hypocrisy." noted the user, X.
The initial online debate also questioned how the Supergirl character could have pierced ears if her skin is bulletproof, a lore detail that the film's director later clarified on the Threads platform.
"As explained in Superman, the same way she gets drunk—she goes to a planet with a red sun.
Not to mention, she was raised on a chunk of Krypton, so didn’t even experience superpowers until her teens," wrote James Gunn, Director.
Alcock previously addressed the online scrutiny she receives during a Variety interview last month, noting that much of the negativity originates from specific types of accounts.
"hilarious" said Milly Alcock, Actress.
The actress indicated that she does not view the critical comments from these specific profiles as a sign of failure.
"If you’re pissing the right kind of people off, you’re doing OK," she said.
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Following the initial exchange on Sunday, Cain continued to interact heavily with the thread, replying to or reposting at least 30 related posts on X while continuing his usual commentary on national politics.
