Sasha Calle, who is set to star in The Flash movie, talks about being the first Latina actress to portray Supergirl as she joins the DCEU in 2023. Over the last 10 years, Supergirl has received more attention in live-action, primarily through Melissa Benoist, who portrayed Supergirl on The CW in the Arrowverse. However, the Girl of Steel is set to make her return to the big screen in 2023, with Sasha Calle bringing the heroine to life cinematically. This will be the first time since Helen Slater's Supergirl movie in 1984 that the DC icon takes flight in theaters.
However, Supergirl will not be starting out in her own movie, but instead in The Flash from director Andy Muschietti. Calle, who was cast in February 2021, has been one of the biggest mysteries for The Flash throughout its production. While set photos revealed her costume, it's still a little unclear what version of Supergirl the creative team is going for as she makes her DCEU debut. Given the Multiverse inclusion in The Flash, the Supergirl that Calle is portraying may not be from the same Earth as the DCEU's Barry Allen, but only time will tell.
While The Flash movie was initially slated to release this November, Warner Bros. pushed the film back to June 2023. Even though it will be some time before more information about her Supergirl is revealed, Calle recently spoke to V Magazine about her experience becoming the beloved hero in the DCEU. Without revealing any spoilers, Calle spoke heavily about working with The Flash director Muschietti and the wonderful opportunity he presented to her in being cast as Supergirl. During filming, Calle got emotional over seeing herself in action, knowing that she was the first Latina actress ever to portray the infamous Kryptonian hero; sharing the following:
"Representation in the entertainment industry really matters, and I’m super honored, honestly [to be the first Latina Supergirl]. There was a moment when we were shooting, when Andy [The Flash director Andrés Muschietti] was like, “Hey, come over here and watch this scene on the playback monitor.” And I go over and I see her [Supergirl], and she’s in her full glory. And suddenly, I got really emotional. Because I’m looking at that, and I’m like, “Wow, I wish I would have had this when I was little.” It meant a lot to me. I turned into child Sasha watching this person [on the screen]. So it’s really important. And I’m really happy and really thankful to DC and Warner Brothers for doing this now. It’s so cool that we’re doing this, and, ya know, it’s about time."
The Flash's Calle is one of a handful of actresses to have ever suited up as Supergirl. Alongside Benoist and Slater, Laura Vandervoort played Kara Kent on Smallville in season 7 while appearing for a few episodes in seasons 8 and 10. Only time will tell if Calle's Supergirl is still Kara or perhaps Lara Lane-Kent, as online theories have suggested due to the costume design that she has in the movie. Even if she's still Kara, it remains to be seen if the DCEU film will still retain her status as Superman's cousin, whether it be Henry Cavill's Kal-El or a Man of Steel from another universe.
Calle being the first Latina to get cast as Supergirl is something that has been seen with other superhero properties as well. A prime example is that both The Flash TV show and the movie have Iris West being played by Black actresses, with Candice Patton in the Arrowverse, while Kiersey Clemmons stars in the DCEU version. Since The Flash will focus a lot on the Multiverse, there is no reason why Supergirl—should she be from a parallel Earth—couldn't look different. Having more inclusivity in properties like the DC IPs allows for more representation and for these films and TV shows to reflect the real world. With Calle making her debut in The Flash movie next year, hopefully, it also leads to Supergirl getting her own DCEU film down the line.
Source: V Magazine
