Every Live-Action Supergirl, Ranked (Including Milly Alcock) - MCE Notices | California State Portal

Supergirl finally hits theaters on June 30, giving Milly Alcock the chance to shine as Kara Zor-El, the eponymous Girl of Steel. The film is the second entry in James Gunn’s DC Cinematic Universe (DCU), expanding the franchise to a much vaster cosmos than depicted in 2025’s Superman.

Milly Alcock is the fifth actress to portray Supergirl in live-action. The character’s forty-two-year movie history has its ups and downs, but every actress to play the Girl of Steel has been excellent, even if their individual films or series were lackluster. Where does the DCU’s version rank among the rest?

Helen Slater Was Let Down by the Material in Supergirl (1984)

Image via Warner Bros.

Helen Slater has the distinct honor of being the first actress to play Supergirl on the big screen. She made her first and only appearance as the Girl of Steel in 1984’s Supergirl, a spin-off of Christopher Reeve’s Superman franchise. This iteration of the character is very much a product of the ’80s, portraying her as a wide-eyed and innocent teenager still unlearned in the ways of the world.

Slater does a remarkable job with the material given to her, effortlessly settling into the character despite the many shortcomings of the script. It helps that she looks the part, sporting the iconic long blonde hair and dazzling blue eyes. The film also gives Supergirl her iconic suit from the comics, a colorful parallel to her cousin, Superman’s, costume.

Helen Slater is a much better Supergirl than her solo film deserves. Under different circumstances, she could have easily been the best of the bunch, in much the same way Reeve is still largely considered the best Superman. Unfortunately, Supergirl is an early example of superhero movies not knowing how to approach a female protagonist. Nevertheless, Slater proves that there has yet to be a bad live-action iteration of Supergirl.

As a point of note for fans of Slater, she continued to be associated with the legacy of Supergirl long after 1984. She went on to star in the Arrowverse’s Supergirl series, playing Dr. Eliza Danvers, Kara’s adoptive mother. Her iteration of Supergirl can also be seen alongside Christopher Reeve’s Superman in the Time Run sequence from 2023’s The Flash.

Laura Vandervoort Was a Good Early Version of Supergirl in Smallville

Laura Vandervoort as Kara posing for pictures in Smallville 'Supergirl' — Laura Vandervoort as Kara posing for pictures in Smallville ‘Supergirl’

Smallville introduced younger iterations of many iconic DC characters, including Supergirl. Laura Vandervoort portrays Kara Zor-El, Clark Kent’s Kryptonian cousin, in the prequel series. She plays a major role in Season 7, later making guest appearances in Seasons 8 and 10. Like many of the other heroes in Smallville, Kara hasn’t fully figured out her superhero alter-ego yet, but displays many of the powers that will eventually serve her well as a defender of the innocent.

While Laura Vandervoort proves to be a strong choice to play Kara, she is also let down by the show’s writing. Smallville clearly ran out of ideas for what to do with the character after her first few storylines, and she is eventually written off the show in the most unsatisfying way imaginable.

Smallville‘s Supergirl could have been so much more, though she is improved by the “Season 11” sequel comic books. Nevertheless, she fails to measure up to several of the other live-actoin Supergirl variants.

Sasha Calle Could Have Been So Much More in the DCEU

Sasha Calle, the Supergirl of the DC Extended Universe, has the shortest run as the character, never once starring in her own solo project. She shows up in an alternate timeline of the DCEU created by Barry Allen during the events of 2023’s The Flash. In this timeline, it was Kara who came to Earth as a baby, not Kal-El. After spending years locked away in a bunker, Kara finally breaks free to become her world’s first Kryptonian superhero.

Supergirl was one of the few things that DC fans liked about The Flash, despite Calle’s portrayal differing heavily from most iterations of the character. As with many other characters in the DCEU, this is a bleaker take on Kara Zor-El, right down to her dark hair and less colorful costume. Unlike the DCEU’s other darker takes, this angle works for the version of the character who has been kept away from sunlight for the majority of her life.

Unfortunately, Sasha Calle’s Supergirl was one of the many casualties of the DCU reboot. She had the potential to become one of the best live-action iterations of the character, but ultimately lacked the screen time to do so. Audiences would love to see Calle return to the DC world in some way after The Flash, even as another character.

Milly Alcock Has the Potential to Become the Greatest Supergirl Ever

Milly Alcock is the latest actor to take on the role of Supergirl, first appearing in the final scene of 2025’s Superman. Just one year later, the character stars in her first solo movie since the original 1984 film, more than forty years ago. Audiences haven’t seen much of the DCU’s Supergirl, but early footage looks terrific.

Milly Alcock has already proven that she is one of the strongest rising actresses of her generation. Her work in House of the Dragon and Sirens show her vast range and versatility, which come in handy when bringing such a complicated character to life. She hasn’t appeared in enough projects to be considered the best Supergirl yet, but this could change with time.

It should be noted that Alcock’s Supergirl is based on the Tom King comic run, Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, which portrays Kara Zor-El as a jaded survivor still traumatized by the destruction of her homeworld. This is a far cry from the happy-go-lucky days of Helen Slater or Melissa Benoist, and therefore may not sit well with some fans of the character.

Even so, it appears that Supergirl will see Alcock’s hero slowly learn what it means to be a hero, setting her up for a more traditional role in the DCU moving forward. Audiences have already seen enough of this new Kara to put her high on this list, but not nearly enough to topple the greatest Supergirl portrayal of all time (so far).

Melissa Benoist Is Still the Greatest Live-Action Supergirl

Melissa Benoist in her third costume on Supergirl

While every live-action Supergirl is terrific, there can be little argument at this point that Melissa Benoist is the best. Appearing in the Arrowverse, Benoist played Kara Zor-El over a span of six years. Supergirl premiered in 2015, beginning as its own separate universe that was later merged with the other CW DC shows. The series finally ended after six seasons in 2021.

Melissa Benoist embodies everything that Supergirl should be. She is the most fully realized character of the five listed here, from her personal life as Kara Danvers to her superhero alter-ego. She is also the only live-action Supergirl variant to become a member of the Justice League (at least until the DCU’s version of the team makes its debut).

Benoist benefits from having dozens of hours of screen time as Supergirl, whereas most of the other iterations only have about one or two brief appearances. This gives her heaps more storylines and chances to shine. When most audiences think of Supergirl, they think of the Arrowverse iteration. While this could change someday, Melissa Benoist remains the premier live-action Supergirl.

Supergirl hits theaters on June 30, 2026.