The Supergirl we almost got: how a different Kara would have changed the entire movie

Here’s a bit of DC history you probably didn’t know: before James Gunn came banging on the doors of the DC Universe with his new vision, Supergirl had a totally different future. Not just casting tweaks—we’re talking about an entire film, with a wholly separate mood, storyline, and even a different Kara Zor-El. If you blinked during 2023’s The Flash, you’d have seen Sasha Calle suiting up as Supergirl. Turns out, she was meant to get her own solo film—and it’s nothing like the one that’s moving forward now.

The Alternate Supergirl Film: What Could Have Been

Let’s rewind. Screenwriter Ana Nogueira had actually finished a script for a Supergirl film in the old, pre-Gunn DCEU. This wasn’t just the same concept with a new lead—Nogueira’s script was crafted specifically for Sasha Calle, following her debut alongside Ezra Miller in The Flash. The plug got pulled when Gunn and Peter Safran took over DC Studios. And I do mean pulled—Nogueira says not a single scrap of her work made it into the new direction.

'It was completely different. I don’t think I can even say what it was about, but it could not have been more different. Everything. Nothing transferred over from one to the other, which is crazy.'

So the whole approach got chucked out. Character arcs? Gone. The film’s tone? Out the window. Even the Kryptonian lore and how Supergirl fits into it—start from scratch. Gunn and Safran wanted something with connective tissue for their new shared universe, and none of the old plans made the cut.

Where Gunn’s Version Is Headed

Nogueira didn’t get left behind, though. Instead, she was tapped to write a brand new Supergirl flick, this time inspired by Tom King’s Woman of Tomorrow comic arc. If you’re unfamiliar: this one’s got Supergirl roaming red-sun worlds (which, for the non-geeks, means her powers aren’t so super there), and teaming up with an alien girl, Ruthye Marye Knoll. The thrust of the story sees Ruthye on a revenge mission after her family is killed—she begs Supergirl to help, Kara initially says no, but then the killer goes and poisons Krypto the dog. That’s always a mistake. Suddenly, Supergirl’s in a three-day race to save her furry Kryptonian mate. Very Gunn, very cosmic, and just wildly different from anything proposed before.

Learning from a Scrapped Script

Funny twist: even though Nogueira’s earlier work got wiped off the map, she says the research wasn’t a total waste. Turns out, you need to do your homework on what Kryptonians can actually do (and what they definitely can’t) if you want your film to make sense. Knowing Supergirl’s power levels and figuring out how to make fights believable helped her approach the new script in a smarter way.

• Sasha Calle was due to play Kara Zor-El in a solo Supergirl film, script by Ana Nogueira
• Script was entirely swept aside after Gunn and Safran took over
• Nogueira assigned to reboot the project, this time built around Tom King’s Woman of Tomorrow
• Milly Alcock now stars as Supergirl in the rebooted version

Sasha Calle: No Hard Feelings

If you were concerned Calle might have chucked her cape in a bin somewhere, think again. Speaking in early 2026, she said she’s got no complaints about losing the part, and is mainly grateful the role introduced her to a whole new bunch of opportunities. In her words,

'I'm so, so, so utterly grateful that it's brought me into this world where I can make art. I loved it.'

Her appearance in The Flash led to other gigs, including a run in Netflix’s thriller The Rip.

Supergirl, now starring Milly Alcock, is a cornerstone in Gunn’s new web of interconnected DC films.