By Brandon T. McClure
As Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom signals the end of the old DC Cinematic Universe (the DCEU) James Gunn continues to build his new one. Now having cast his new Superman and Lois he's turned his sights to a new Supergirl for the upcoming adaptation of Tom King and Bilquis Evely’s miniseries Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow. While some had been hoping that Sasha Calle would be one of Gunn's returning actors like John Cena (Peacemaker) or Xolo Maridueña (Blue Beetle) it doesn't seem to be in the cards. indeed, House of the Dragon’s own Milly Alcock has landed the part.
Unlike her cousin, Supergirl doesn't have an extensive live-action history. Before Alcock, there were only four live-action Supergirls, and only two of them have been headliners, Helen Slater and Melissa Benoist. Sasha Calle was the latest to carry this torch and had the thankless job of doing it in the much-maligned The Flash. She played a version of the character in an alternate reality where Superman never came to Earth. Instead, Kara Zor-El crash-landed and was locked away by the Russian government. After being freed by Batman and the two Flashes she helps them in the battle against Zod. During this battle, she and Michael Keaton’s Batman die over and over again as the younger version of the Flash tries to go back in time to prevent it. Tragically her destiny is to die with no hope of seeing tomorrow. The lesson of the movie is she either dies or is erased from existence. It would seem that the horrific lesson at the end of The Flash has come to pass as this version of Supergirl is to be lost deep in the multiverse.
With The Flash receiving mostly negative reviews many fans and critics were quick to praise Calle as a bright spot in an otherwise cynical and arrogant film. It seemed that while many didn’t care for the film, they were interested in seeing more of Sasha Calle’s Supergirl, even if it wasn’t going to be this specific version. One of the many filmed endings of The Flash has her appear at the courthouse at the end of the film, to reassure Barry and the audience that she is alive, happy, and here to stay. As many audience members will, no doubt, remember, the film instead ends with a George Clooney cameo. The decision to use this ending had the unfortunate side effect of driving home the idea that Calle’s Supergirl only existed to die. But still, there was hope that she would get another shot.
When Gunn announced that Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow would be getting an adaptation in his new DCU, he did not specify who would play Supergirl. Instead, he spent a year hyping up The Flash as one of the best films DC has ever made. He also would vaguely talk about how certain actors from the DCEU would continue into the new universe, as the same character. He would be coy with naming specific actors, but would, for example, mention that he was open to Ezra Miller staying on as Barry Allen. Presumably because of how much he enjoyed The Flash. So there was a glimmer of hope that Sacha Calle, who was so excited to be cast as Supergirl, would get a second chance. A chance at a better script. But sadly, she did not make the cut.
Milly Alcock has been acting since 2014 but rose to prominence when she starred as Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen in MAX’s successful Game of Thrones spin-off House of the Dragon. “I was watching House of the Dragon & thought she might have the edge, grace & authenticity we needed for the DCU’s Supergirl. And now here we are. Life is wild sometimes,” Gunn said on Threads. While many actresses auditioned for Supergirl, Alcock was apparently Gunn’s top choice and will soon grace the big screen in the first solo Supergirl film since 1984. At this time, the screenwriter for the film hasn’t been announced and no director is attached, but Deadline is reporting that she’ll appear in a DC project before making the jump to her own film. Considering the time of her casting, it’s reasonable to assume that it’ll be in Superman: Legacy, but that’s just speculation at this time.
Gunn did make one thing clear, however: “She’s not exactly the Supergirl we’re used to seeing.” This statement is most likely about Melissa Benoist’s time as the titular superhero. While Gunn has tended in the past to downplay the Arrowverse and their contributions to the DC Universe, this statement doesn’t appear to be that. While Melissa Benoist is very beloved as Supergirl, her version of the character received criticism for being a “gender-bent” version of Superman. A perfectly valid portrayal of the character and one that was beloved by fans for six seasons. It’s clear, however, that Gunn is more interested in the ways that Clark and Kara are different, rather than similar.
It’s unfortunate that Sacha Calle got the raw end of a bad deal when she was cast in The Flash, but James Gunn is the man in charge and shouldn’t be forced to play with versions of characters he didn’t have a hand in crafting. Milly Alcock will no doubt turn out to be a great choice for Supergirl. Tom King and Bilquis Evely’s comic has already become a classic and time will tell if the film adaptation can live up to it. Even though the live-action legacy of Supergirl isn’t as substantial as Superman’s, she has some big shoes to film. The future of Supergirl is in safe hands with her.