The 10 Best Supergirl Casting Choices For The DCU's Upcoming Film

In October 2022, it was announced in the Hollywood Reporter that James Gunn and Peter Safran will be leading the rebirth of the DC Cinematic Universe, with the goal of tying together movies, TV shows, and animated series in a way DC has struggled to do in the past. While many fans clamored for the return of beloved actors like Henry Cavill, Gunn and Safran made it clear that their plans to reboot the franchise would come at the cost of previously-established storylines and film adaptations. 

In January 2023, Gunn announced the first slate of films in the brand-new DC Universe, titled "Gods and Monsters" (via The Hollywood Reporter). Among them include new takes on Superman and Batman, as well as a spin on the iconic character of Supergirl titled "Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow." Although the character has existed via a show on The CW since 2015, this new version of the character will draw inspiration from the eight-issue comic book series of the same name from 2021. 

Given all the monumental changes coming DC's way, it's an exciting time to be a fan of the superhero franchise. "Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow" promises to be one of the more interesting upcoming titles, focusing on what Gunn calls a "more hard-core" version of the character than audiences are used to. With that in mind, these 10 young actresses could be the ones to blast their way into becoming household names by playing the iconic cousin of Clark Kent. 

Suffice it to say, many fans of the DC Universe are eager for justice to be served to the actors who have played the franchise's most iconic roles. That certainly applies to Melissa Benoist, who rose to prominence by starring as Supergirl herself, whose real name is Kara Zor-El, in the CW series "Supergirl." Benoist committed to the beloved role, undergoing extensive strength training in order to embody the incredibly powerful character. 

In all likelihood, the version of Kara Zor-El appearing in "Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow" will have her own brand-new origin story. In the 2021 comic series, Kara is the cousin of Kal-El who survived the destruction of Krypton, but finds herself lacking purpose when her cousin doesn't need her. Even though the character's story will likely not tie into the events of the CW series, Benoist could still reprise the role and take a different spin on the character she spent six years playing.

Melissa Benoist has also expressed interest in continuing the role following the conclusion of the series' sixth and final season. During a panel promoting The CW's "Superman & Lois," the show's creators and stars mentioned that Benoist was eager to reprise her role as Kara in the series, though this has not come to pass. Perhaps Benoist will save her return as Kara for an all-new version of the character in James Gunn's DCU.

Should Melissa Benoist not reprise her role as Kara Zor-El, there's already another actress who was primed to take up the role in the DC Cinematic Universe. That actress is Sasha Calle, who came to prominence on the CBS soap opera "'The Young and the Restless." The young up-and-coming star was set to make her film debut in 2023's "The Flash," which is still on track to release. According to Gunn, however, "The Flash" will be responsible for resetting the entire DC universe. 

Unfortunately, this resetting leaves Calle's future as Supergirl up in the air. In 2022, shortly after the highly-publicized shutdown of the Warner Bros "Batgirl" film starring Leslie Grace, it was announced by Rolling Stone that Calle's own solo film as Supergirl would also be shelved. It would certainly be courteous of James Gunn and Peter Safran to let the actress have another swing at the character, given that audiences know very little about how deeply Kara Zor-El is involved in "The Flash." 

Since James Gunn has insisted that "The Flash" will still be released (and even sung high praises for it) despite Ezra Miller's personal controversy, it's entirely possible Sasha Calle won't be out of a job as the future of the DCU's Supergirl. That being said, the company also tossed aside Henry Cavill, who was one of the most beloved actors to portray Superman in the character's cinematic history. Only time will tell what direction the company will decide to take for the character.

Milly Alcock had a great 2022: The 22-year-old Australian blew audiences away with her performance as young Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen in HBO's highly-anticipated "Game of Thrones" prequel, "House of the Dragon." In the show, she plays a teenager being primed for leadership of the Seven Kingdoms, though her tenure on the program was always meant to be short-lived. Halfway through Season 1, Milly Alcock and her co-star Emily Carey, alongside many other actors, were recast with older versions of the characters in a narrative time jump.

Unfortunately for audiences, this means that Milly Alcock won't be returning to "House of the Dragon" in any subsequent seasons unless current plans change. Fortunately for Alcock, this leaves her schedule open to many different kinds of projects, one of which could be filling in the boots of Kara Zor-El in "Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow." She has already shown studios she can easily win audiences over, so her name could be a great addition to the pile of headshots on James Gunn and Peter Safran's desks. 

However, the only thing preventing Alcock from making the transition to the DC Universe is her own personal taste. In an interview with Nylon, the actress was candid about the anxiety and stress from being in the public eye due to "House of the Dragon," despite only having a limited time on it. She also told the Herald Sun that, whatever comes her way next, she's "not doing any fantasy roles."

Laura Harrier gained a lot of attention in 2017 when she starred in "Spider-Man: Homecoming" as Liz, the love interest of Tom Holland's Peter Parker. However, the film's story had the two tragically separated by circumstance, with Peter Parker's attention drawn to the mysterious M.J., played by Zendaya. Fortunately, Harrier had a great future in Hollywood set up for her following her brief Marvel Cinematic Universe stunt.

In 2018, Harrier starred in Spike Lee's "BlacKkKlansman," and then later received acclaim for her role in the 2020 Netflix series "Hollywood" alongside Darren Criss. On the horizon, she's set to star in a remake of "White Men Can't Jump" starring rapper Jack Harlow (via Deadline), but she's more than overdue for a big starring role. Since the Marvel Cinematic Universe made little use of her, perhaps there's an opening for Harrier to jump into the world of DC as their resident Supergirl. 

In an interview with Crash Magazine, Harrier described the joy she had making "Spider-Man: Homecoming," likening it to "shooting the biggest indie movie ever." Given her newfound affection for the world of comic books, playing the role of Supergirl could be something Harrier would not only be interested in, but would give her the attention she deserves after all these years. Hopefully, James Gunn and Peter Safran have their eyes on her to don the iconic blue suit and red cape for their rebooted DC Cinematic Universe. 

For a 24-year-old, Elle Fanning has had quite a long career in the entertainment industry. Like her older sister Dakota, she started out as a child actor with roles in films like "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" and Sofia Coppola's "Somewhere." She rose to international prominence by playing Princess Aurora in the "Maleficent" movies alongside Angelina Jolie, as well as through her Emmy-nominated turn in the Hulu comedy series "The Great" as Russia's Catherine the Great. 

Despite having been in the game for a long time, Elle Fanning has somehow avoided being scooped up by either Marvel or DC. However, "Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow" could be the perfect opportunity for her to cross over into the superhero world. The actress has shown she's adept at both farcical comedy and grounded drama, which may be the perfect balance needed for a DC Cinematic Universe led by a director like James Gunn. As if that's not enough, Elle Fanning has been on DC's radar in the past.

In 2019, Fanning was rumored to be a frontrunner for the DC Extended Universe's "Supergirl" movie prior to Sasha Calle's casting. Fanning even reacted to the rumors in an interview with "I Think We're Alone Now" director Reed Morano, who was also speculated to be in the running to direct the film (via Geeks WorldWide). Though neither came to pass, they both expressed interest in the job, so perhaps DC will keep Elle Fanning's name in consideration while casting for their upcoming adaptation of the 2021 comic series. 

Amandla Stenberg, at only 24 years old, has already gained quite a reputation in Hollywood as a rising star. The LA-born actor first caught the attention of audiences with their role as Rue in the Jennifer Lawrence-led film adaptation of "The Hunger Games." Since then, they've made high-profile appearances in films like "The Hate U Give," "Dear Evan Hansen," and most recently in the 2022 horror comedy "Bodies Bodies Bodies." However, Stenberg is already set to return to a big franchise with the lead role on the Disney+ Star Wars series "The Acolyte."

With this high-profile appearance potentially marking a new beginning for the up-and-comer, it won't be long before Stenberg is courted by Marvel or DC. However, James Gunn and Peter Safran could use a burgeoning talent like them in their new-and-improved cinematic universe, with Supergirl being a ripe choice for the actor. Given Stenberg's filmography, they definitely have the comedy chops as well as the flair for the dramatic and dystopic to embody a version of Kara Zor-El who is much more jaded than we've previously seen. 

Joining a superhero franchise is also something Stenberg is eager to pursue, particularly for the opportunity to play an LGBTQ+ superhero (via Gay Times). Notably, the CW series garnered a large LGBT fanbase due to speculation that the two female leads would become a romantic couple, though this never ended up materializing on-screen (via Elle). Perhaps Stenberg's involvement could push for a Supergirl portrayal that embraces this opportunity for inclusion. 

Lana Condor is no stranger to superhero films, having played the character of Jubilee in Fox's "X-Men: Apocalypse." Unfortunately, the film was a critical disaster, garnering some of the worst reviews of the "X-Men" franchise thus far (via Forbes). But luckily for Condor, it didn't negatively impact her career, as she ended up grabbing audiences' attention anyways, with the 2018 Netflix teen film "To All the Boys I've Loved Before," which spawned two sequels in 2020 and 2021. 

Suffice it to say, Lana Condor has had quite a lot of experience in genre films, which could make a project like "Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow" an easy fit for the Vietnamese American actress. She's expressed interest in reprising her role as Jubilee, telling The Wrap she "would really like to do her justice." However, given the mystery surrounding Marvel's plans with the characters of "X-Men," it's unlikely that the studio will prioritize her character in future projects versus iconic "X-Men" characters like Wolverine, Professor X, and Jean Grey.

However, perhaps Lana Condor will be able to do the character of Supergirl justice. If the "To All the Boys" franchise guarantees anything, it's that Condor has the charm and ambition to lead a large-scale superhero flick like "Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow." All it would take is James Gunn and Peter Safran putting their trust in an actress like her to take the role seriously, which should be no problem. 

Lili Reinhart is mostly recognized for her role as Betty Cooper from Archie Comics on the CW series "Riverdale," which began in 2017 and is set to end with its seventh season in 2023. "Riverdale" is one of the wildest shows on television currently, with the show getting more absurd the longer it goes on. Nevertheless, its success has mostly been driven by the strength of its core cast, including Reinhart, who ground the show's antics with human depth and compassion. 

It's this kind of seriousness amidst a strange world that would make Lili Reinhart a perfect choice to play Supergirl in the DC Cinematic Universe. Given Reinhart's longevity on the CW, which has housed the character of Supergirl for so long, playing the role in a feature film for James Gunn's DCU would just make sense.

The actress has been a fan favorite of MCU fans as well, being named in several fan castings for the role of Gwen Stacy. However, she has yet to make her official transition to comic book movie superstardom. Given the fact that "Riverdale" is coming to a close, it may be the perfect time for Lili Reinhart to join the DC Universe in a role that would let her take on a very different type of performance.

Nico Parker is astoundingly talented for an 18-year-old, but it happens to run in the family. Her mother, Thandiwe Newton, is known for her high-profile appearances in the HBO series "Westworld," as well as action films like "Solo: A Star Wars Story" and "2012." Nico Parker made her acting debut in the 2019 remake of the Disney film "Dumbo," but she really blew audiences away with her role as Sarah in the first episode of HBO's "The Last of Us," based on the popular video game of the same name. 

Though her appearance in "The Last of Us" is brief, one can assume that Nico Parker will be the recipient of many job offers in the coming years. Her long-term potential makes it the perfect time for her to be wooed into playing a character like Supergirl, who will likely be a presence in James Gunn and Peter Safran's DC Cinematic Universe for years to come. It would also give the actress a good opportunity to grow up as both an actress and as Supergirl at the same time, which is a privilege not afforded by many other roles in the entertainment industry. 

The addition of Nico Parker as Supergirl into the DC Universe could also pave the way for her mother to potentially join the franchise as well as Kara's mother, Alura. Prior "Supergirl" comics have focused on Kara and her mother, particularly after her father's death, which could prove an interesting storyline in a future DC film. 

Daisy Edgar-Jones had her big breakout at a young age with the Hulu miniseries "Normal People," based on a book by Sally Rooney. The show saw her star alongside Paul Mescal, who has simultaneously had quite the breakthrough, having recently garnered an Oscar nomination for his performance in "Aftersun." On Edgar Jones's side, her 2022 was quite busy with films like "Fresh" and "Where the Crawdads Sing," as well as another Hulu miniseries, "Under the Banner of Heaven."

By the looks of it, Edgar-Jones is slated to have no shortage of work in the coming future, especially as rumors circle around her joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe in a key role (via Cosmic Book News). Though nothing is confirmed as of yet, it seems that a blockbuster is certainly on the table for Daisy Edgar-Jones, but it would be quite surprising to see her dodge Marvel and take on a role like Supergirl for the DC Universe. 

If audiences can expect "Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow" to be a grittier version of the character like James Gunn is teasing, Daisy Edgar-Jones would be the perfect choice for the role. She was incredibly vulnerable and emotionally powerful in "Normal People," while her projects since have shown her range and consistency. A role like Kara Zor-El would be a challenge worthy of Daisy Edgar-Jones's time and talent, with the possibility to launch her even further into Hollywood stardom.