I just watched every movie and TV show featuring Supergirl with one goal in mind: to figure out why I’m so excited for the upcoming Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow. Now that James Gunn’s Superman is out, I can finally say it: Supergirl is introduced in the film. And her introduction is one of the strongest parts. Superman (2025) takes the bold approach of skipping traditional origin stories. You’re just dropped into a party where everyone already knows each other—and they don’t feel the need to explain their shared pasts. But Supergirl’s arrival hits a little differently. To be honest, I’ve always had a bit of a blind spot when it comes to Kara Zor-El. I loved some Superman stories as a kid, but I’d never seen the 1984 Supergirl movie until this week. I skipped the CW show because, well, there were like a hundred Arrowverse series. Other than Sasha Calle’s version in The Flash, I’d never really explored the character. That ends now. In this video (embedded above), I’m diving into every major on-screen version of Supergirl to figure out who she really is—and what Millie Alcock’s version might look like in the 2026 movie. Yes, I also read DC Comics’ Woman of Tomorrow, and it was actually great—so go read it if you haven’t. Let’s rewind 40 years, from 1984 to 2025, and take a look at how Supergirl has been introduced across film and television, as well as the actresses who have played her.
SUPERGIRL (1984)
Helen Slater plays Kara Zor-El, aka Supergirl, aka Linda Lee, in this very long, pretty ridiculous, but oddly charming film. Going in with zero expectations, I found myself kind of enjoying it—partly because her introduction is just so hilariously dumb. She’s on a refugee planet called Argo City, a pocket dimension that houses survivors of Krypton. There, she inexplicably gains access to the planet’s life-sustaining power source: the Omegahedron. It’s essentially their power grid… and they treat it like a dog toy.
Helen Slater plays Kara Zor-El, aka Supergirl, aka Linda Lee, in this very long, pretty ridiculous, but oddly charming film. Going in with zero expectations, I found myself kind of enjoying it—partly because her introduction is just so hilariously dumb. She’s on a refugee planet called Argo City, a pocket dimension that houses survivors of Krypton. There, she inexplicably gains access to the planet’s life-sustaining power source: the Omegahedron. It’s essentially their power grid… and they treat it like a dog toy.
Naturally, Kara accidentally launches the Omegahedron into space, and it crashes on Earth. She hops into a very cute spaceship, chases it down, and discovers that Earth’s yellow sun gives her Superman-level powers. Oh, and if you didn’t know—Supergirl is Superman’s cousin. The Omegahedron ends up with an evil witch (of course), and Kara—now using the alias Linda Lee—must stop her.
Here’s what I took from this version: Kara is styled as a kind of female counterpart to Christopher Reeve’s Superman. But while Reeve brought subtlety to his performance, Slater’s Kara is more exaggerated—still trying to project confidence as Supergirl, but very naive and wide-eyed underneath. She’s clearly in a beta phase compared to Superman’s polished heroism. I’m not rewatching this over Superman ‘78 anytime soon, but it’s worth seeing them side by side to understand the contrast. And yeah… Helen Slater is hot, though, right?
SUPERGIRL (2015–2021)
Maybe I’m crazy, or maybe the Supergirl movie was just that dull, because I really liked what the CW did with the character. (Quick aside: Kara did appear in Season 7 of Smallville, but she felt more like the Terminator in a miniskirt—there’s not much to analyze there.) In the CW series, Melissa Benoist plays Kara Danvers, and right away she feels younger, more modern, and way more layered than previous versions. Yes, the origin story in the first episode is cheesy as hell, but it works.
We learn that Kara—Clark’s older cousin—was sent to Earth from the planet Krypton to protect baby Kal-El, but got stuck in a time rift and didn’t arrive until 24 years later. By the time she lands, Clark is already Superman, and Kara has to start from scratch. She’s adopted by the Danvers family, who know Superman and help her adjust to Earth. She doesn’t embrace her powers until her mid-20s, when she becomes National City’s protector with help from her sister Alex, Martian Manhunter, and even a Jimmy Olsen.
I watched season one of this show and honestly—I might just watch the whole thing. The CW shows are corny and already feel a bit dated, but some of them really hook you. Maybe I’m too simple, or maybe they were onto something. I’ll let you know after I finish it. Personality-wise, Kara is dorky, awkward, and working as an assistant to media mogul Cat Grant. She’s got the same bleeding heart as her cousin but is more cautious and unsure of herself. When she abandons a blind date to stop a plane crash, you feel the moment she realizes she’s meant for more than just office work.
So while Helen Slater’s Kara was ditzier and more unassuming, Benoist’s Kara is messier, tougher, and ultimately more relatable. Also… Melissa Benoist is hot, though, right?
THE FLASH (2022)
Up until recently, this was the version of Supergirl I was most familiar with. The Flash takes Superman’s Flashpoint arc and gives it to Sasha Calle’s Kara Zor-El. Say what you will about the movie—it has issues—but I think Supergirl was the MVP.
In the Flashpoint comic, Barry Allen changes the past, creating an alternate future where Bruce Wayne dies, Thomas Wayne becomes Batman, Martha Wayne becomes the Joker, and Superman is a sickly lab experiment kept away from the sun. In the film, they swap Superman for Supergirl. Calle’s Kara has been imprisoned, starved of the sun’s energy, and rescued by the Flash in time to help save the world.
This version of Supergirl is nothing like the TV one. She’s stoic, pissed off, and has no time for hope or optimism. And honestly, I don’t blame her. Compared to previous portrayals, this Kara is experienced, deadly, and all business. She’s not trying to be charming—she’s trying to survive. And yes, Sasha Calle is hot, though, right?
SUPERMAN (2025)
Finally, we get Millie Alcock’s take on Kara Zor-El in Superman. Her appearance is brief but memorable. After Superman saves the day, he’s decompressing in the Fortress of Solitude when a hole blasts through the roof—and in stumbles a slightly tipsy Supergirl, still feeling the effects of the night before.
It’s immediately clear what kind of Supergirl this will be. After reading Woman of Tomorrow, it seems like Gunn and Alcock are leaning into Kara’s grief, insecurities, and emotional repression. But instead of wearing them on her sleeve like previous versions, Millie’s Supergirl is masking them with rebellion, bravado, and probably a lot of booze.
It looks like they’re setting up a story where she learns to turn her pain—her trauma over Krypton, the years she lost, her lack of direction—into something meaningful. And I’m really into it.
So that’s why I’m genuinely hyped for Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow. But what do you think? Which of these actresses nailed the character best? Are you excited for the new movie? Let me know in the comments!
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