Key Takeaways
- Warner Bros replaced Sasha Calle as Supergirl with Milly Alcock for the upcoming DCU movie.
- Calle found support from Leslie Grace.
- Despite being replaced, Calle remains proud of her Supergirl role and hopes for new opportunities in the industry.
Supergirl actress Sasha Calle opened up about how she felt when she was replaced for James Gunn’s DCU reboot after a tumultuous experience working on and promoting Ezra Miller’s The Flash movie.
Calle’s Kara Zor-El/Supergirl debuted in The Flash, garnering praise from most critics for her performance in a film that received otherwise mixed reviews (at best). Because of the legal controversies surrounding Miller ahead of The Flash‘s theatrical release, promoting the movie for its June 2023 premiere almost entirely fell on Calle. When The Flash finally debuted in theaters, it was a box office bomb, a fate partly attributed to Warner Bros. announcing its decision to reboot the DCEU with Gunn’s DCU several months before The Flash was released. This meant most fans knew the film’s events wouldn’t be part of the new franchise’s continuity and it raised questions about Calle’s future as Kara Zor-El, which were answered when Gunn cast Milly Alcock as the DCU’s Supergirl.
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During an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Calle opened up about the “bittersweet” feelings she felt at the time and how she found support and friendship from Batgirl actress Leslie Grace, whose own DC movie about the titular heroine was canceled by Warner Bros. for a tax break despite being in post-production. Calle also admitted to being ‘heartbroken’ with DC Studios’ decision to move in a different direction because The Flash‘s original ending showed Supergirl survived and set the stage for Calle to return as part of her multi-film contract. Still, Calle knows she did her best and said that she still looks back at her Supergirl role positively, noting how it resonated with audiences:
I look back at it as something super beautiful. It’s been said that a queer Latina girl like me couldn’t be Supergirl. But I was, and no one can take that away from me. That is the most important thing for me; I did something that mattered. And whether you saw yourself represented in me or not, a lot of people really connected with her and loved her.
Calle recalled an experience with a security guard at a store she walked into. The guard, whom Calle described as “this huge Black man,” recognized her and told her she was “Awesome.” When Calle asked what he was talking about, the man replied, “You’re Supergirl. You’re a badass. We love you.” Calle reflected on that encounter as a beautiful moment and noted that she’s looking forward to working with people who want to work with her:
[…] For that man to have connected with my performance, it was such a beautiful moment, and those little moments are everything to me. So I have to stick with that. I did my job. I was given an opportunity, and I gave everything that I could have given. I love that and I’m proud of that, and I will continue moving forward and fighting standards. I’m just hoping to work with people who are very excited to work with me.
Calle isn’t the only one heartbroken over her short tenure as Supergirl. Because Gunn’s DCU is bringing over certain characters and events from the defunct DCEU–mostly characters from Gunn’s own The Suicide Squad and Peacemaker series–many fans hoped Calle’s Supergirl would also migrate to the new continuity. However, Gunn found a new Supergirl for the DCU’s upcoming Woman of Tomorrow movie. Calle graciously advised Milcock to have fun playing Supergirl, but many fans still feel Calle deserved better.
Fortunately, Calle isn’t letting the experience deter her. Perhaps she can find a new franchise to join, or potentially start one of her own. Superman actor Henry Cavill is rumored to be in talks for an MCU role, maybe Calle can follow her superhero cousin to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Regardless, Calle proved herself a talented actress, and fans want to see her on the silver screen for more exciting projects.
Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow will be released in theaters on June 26, 2026.
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Source: The Hollywood Reporter