Casting Supergirl For The DC Universe: 10 Actors Perfect For James Gunn’s Reboot

Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow will feature the new DC Universe‘s Supergirl, and there are 10 actresses that would be perfect as Kara Danvers in James Gunn’s rebooted universe. While there haven’t been many Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow updates, with the DCU movie not even having a release date revealed, its story shouldn’t be a surprise for comic book readers. Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow will adapt a DC Comics run of the same name written by Tom King, who is one of the writers in charge of charting the DC Universe’s overall story alongside Gunn.

The story the DCU’s Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow is based on is different from most stories focused on Kara Zor-El. Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow focuses on “Supergirl, raised on a rock, a chip off of Krypton, and who watched everyone around her die and be killed in terrible ways for the first 14 years of her life and then come to Earth,” as confirmed by Gunn during the movie’s announcement. The darker cosmic Supergirl story opens many exciting possibilities for the hero, who could also debut in the DC first through a role in Gunn’s Superman: Legacy, and there are some actresses that could nail this version of Supergirl.

Related: DC Universe’s Supergirl vs Superman: 3 Ways She’ll Be Different

10 Sasha Calle

Gunn has confirmed that some actors like John Cena, Viola Davis, and Freddie Stroma will continue playing their DCEU characters in the new DC Universe. One of the final debuts of the DCEU was Sasha Calle’s Supergirl in this year’s The Flash. Calle’s Supergirl was one of the movie’s standout elements, despite the character only playing a small role in The Flash‘s story. Based on the positive reception to Calle’s performance as Supergirl and her brief time in the role, it’s possible that Gunn might bring her back for the upcoming DC movies set in the new DCU, like Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow.

9 Milly Alcock

House of the Dragon breakout star Milly Alcock would be a great fit for Supergirl if DC decides to recast the character for the DC Universe’s canon. The young actress showed with her gripping performance as Rhaenyra Targaryen that she has the necessary grit to play this more jaded Supergirl of the DCU. And while Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow‘s source material has a dark feel to it, there are moments of levity sprinkled throughout the story that Alcock would excel at, as her Rhaenyra added a fun element to House of the Dragon‘s first time period.

8 Nico Parker

Another rising star who recently made a good impression with her important role in an HBO show is Nico Parker. Although Parker’s Sarah was short-lived in The Last of Us, the actress managed to add a new dimension to the character, making Sarah more likable than she was in the video game the show is based on. That charming performance made her early death hit harder. At 18, Parker could potentially play Kara Zor-El in Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow and continue in the role for more than a decade, with the young star’s charisma being something that could make Supergirl one of the DCU’s fan-favorite heroes.

7 Chloë Grace Moretz

Another possible actress who could lead the DCU’s Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow is Chloë Grace Moretz. The star has enough experience in the superhero realm thanks to her role as Hit-Girl in two Kick-Ass movies when she was still a child/teen. As Hit-Girl, Moretz showed her athletic ability, high energy, and charisma. Recently, Moretz led Amazon Prime Video’s The Peripheral, a sci-fi series with a dark tone that makes her a perfect fit for the DCU’s mature Supergirl story. The actress is also a popular fancast for Kara, with fan art of Moretz as Supergirl making the rounds among DC fans.

6 Laura Harrier

Laura Harrier could use Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow to finally display her acting range in a superhero movie, as she barely got to do that in the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Spider-Man: Homecoming. As Liz Allan, Harrier delivered a charming, albeit brief, performance. Following her MCU role, Harrier showed that she deserves a lead superhero role with strong performances in BlacKkKlansman and Netflix’s Hollywood — the latter starring DCU Superman actor David Corenswet. Supergirl could be the lead role that Harrier is looking for, and her past work makes her a great pick to handle the disillusioned Kara that the movie will focus on.

5 McKenna Grace

Despite only being 17, McKenna Grace’s busy career from a young age makes her a great choice to play the DC Universe’s Supergirl for a decade or more. With roles in projects such as Ghostbusters: Afterlife, Annabelle Comes Home, and Captain Marvel — the latter as a young Carol Danvers — Grace is no stranger to major movie franchises. Add that to Grace’s great balance of comedy and drama, as seen in movies such as Gifted opposite Captain America actor Chris Evans, and the young actress emerges as one of the strongest candidates to lead Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow.

4 Millie Bobby Brown

Millie Bobby Brown is the face of Netflix’s Stranger Things, one of the most popular TV series ever. Brown’s role as Eleven in Stranger Things shares some details with what DC fans should see from Kara Zor-El in Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, with that jaded version of Supergirl being as much of a silent powerhouse as Eleven. With roles like the title character in the Enola Holmes franchise — in which she is the sister of DCEU Superman actor Henry Cavill‘s Sherlock Holmes — Brown shows her full charisma and excellent comedic timing to play a more mainstream Supergirl after her first DCU solo film.

3 Meg Donnelly

Meg Donnelly is mostly known for her work at Disney, leading the Zombies trilogy and appearing in High School Musical: The Musical: The Series season 3 as Val. However, the actress is slowly moving into a new realm with her career, recently playing Mary Winchester in the Supernatural prequel series The Winchesters. Donnelly’s Mary was equal sides fierce and charming, serving as a good showcase of the actress’ ability with action scenes. However, what makes Donnelly perfect to play the DC Universe’s Supergirl is that she already plays Kara, having voiced her in Legion of Super-Heroes — set in DC’s animated Tomorrowverse continuity — which matches Gunn’s directive for the DCU actors.

2 Elle Fanning

Elle Fanning’s powerhouse performance as Catherine the Great over the three seasons of The Great so far — opposite Superman: Legacy runner-up Nicholas Hoult, no less — is a perfect showcase of her ability to lead a movie as complex as Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow. While Fanning’s impeccable comedic timing would have to be reserved for Kara’s future adventures after she re-balances herself in her first solo movie, Fanning can play the nihilistic Supergirl perfectly, as Catherine in The Great often alternates between vibrant and disillusioned. Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow can be the big movie role that Fanning needs to properly explode in popularity.

1 Lili Reinhart

Having given life to an iconic comic book character such as Archie Comics’ Betty Cooper over Riverdale‘s seven seasons, Reinhart would fit perfectly with Gunn’s DC Universe. Reinhart excelled playing Betty Cooper, who was smart, charming, intense, and inquisitive, making her a great fit to play a Supergirl that is trying to find herself again. Reinhart also has great chemistry with Superman: Legacy‘s Corenswet, as the duo played a couple in Look Both Ways, and the DC Universe could use that chemistry to make the heroes’ impact on each other’s lives be more meaningful than it has so far in other live-action adaptations, starting with Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow.

Key Release Dates

 Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow has no release date.  Read More