15 Actresses Perfect for the Role of Stargirl in the DCU
Stargirl—Courtney Whitmore—debuted in DC Comics as a high-school hero who inherits the Cosmic Staff originally wielded by Starman and fights alongside the Justice Society of America. Co-created by Geoff Johns and Lee Moder, the character blends cheerleader-athlete energy with cosmic-powered action, and teams up with stepfather Pat Dugan, who pilots the S.T.R.I.P.E. armor. The role calls for an actor who can ground an optimistic teen lead while handling stunt-heavy sequences and ensemble dynamics across interconnected stories.
In the DCU, Stargirl’s history with the JSA, the Cosmic Staff’s gravity-defying flight and energy projection, and the mentor-mentee bond with Pat are core elements for future crossovers. Casting considerations typically include previous work in action or genre projects, experience with stunt coordination or dance/gymnastics, and the ability to carry a teen-forward narrative that can coexist with larger team arcs.
Sydney Sweeney
Sydney Sweeney is an American actor known for television work including ‘Euphoria’ and ‘The White Lotus’ and films such as ‘Anyone But You’, ‘Immaculate’, and ‘Madame Web’. Her background includes intensive physical preparation for roles and production credits as a producer on projects like ‘Immaculate’ through her company, signaling experience across development and on-set collaboration. She has worked with directors such as Mike White and various studio teams across drama, thriller, and superhero-adjacent projects.
Her filmography spans teen drama, psychological thriller, and action-adjacent material, with training that has included fight choreography and athletics tailored to specific parts. Publicly documented preparations for demanding roles have included boxing and mixed martial arts training, and her work has involved studio franchises as well as independent features, demonstrating familiarity with both large-scale marketing cycles and compact genre productions.
Brec Bassinger
Brec Bassinger is an American actor who starred as Courtney Whitmore in ‘Stargirl’, a live-action series focused on the JSA mythos, the Cosmic Staff, and the partnership with Pat Dugan. The show featured extensive wire work, stunt coordination, and ensemble storytelling with heroes such as Wildcat and Hourman, alongside antagonists connected to the Injustice Society. Bassinger’s credits also include projects across family and teen programming and guest appearances in interconnected DC television events.
Her experience with superhero-specific production pipelines includes coordinating with stunt teams, working on VFX-driven sequences, and sustaining a lead performance across serialized arcs. She has headlined press tours, conventions, and crossover episodes, providing practical familiarity with franchise continuity, suit logistics, and second-unit action shoots common to superhero productions.
Kathryn Newton
Kathryn Newton is an American actor with roles in genre titles including ‘Pokémon Detective Pikachu’, ‘Freaky’, and ‘Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania’. Her background includes competitive golf at a high level and a body of work balancing comedy, horror, and superhero projects. She has collaborated with filmmakers such as Christopher Landon and Peyton Reed and has navigated ensemble casts and effects-heavy productions.
Her film and television work spans teen narratives and sci-fi/fantasy settings, often requiring green-screen performance and action timing. Newton’s experience with franchise storytelling includes participation in global promotional campaigns and coordination with visual effects and stunt departments, as well as work in young-adult ensembles that mirror the team dynamics typical of JSA-centered stories.
Peyton List
Peyton List is known for ‘Cobra Kai’, a martial-arts series that centers on dojo rivalries, tournament arcs, and character development through fight choreography. The production emphasizes training cycles, stunt doubling, and rehearsed sparring, with List participating in multi-episode action arcs. Her additional credits include youth-centered television and film projects, building a resume across comedy, drama, and action.
Work on ‘Cobra Kai’ involves coordination with stunt coordinators and fight choreographers to execute continuous-take sequences and tournament set pieces. List’s screen time has included hand-to-hand combat scenes, ensemble storytelling with teen characters, and narrative arcs built around discipline and mentorship—elements that align with superhero training montages and team missions.
Elle Fanning
Elle Fanning’s credits range from ‘Super 8’ and ‘Maleficent’ to the satirical series ‘The Great’, showcasing experience across blockbuster fantasy, period dramedy, and coming-of-age adventure. She has collaborated with directors including J.J. Abrams, Sofia Coppola, and Nicolas Winding Refn and has undertaken leading roles that require balancing youthful tone with high-stakes plotting.
Her work in effects-heavy and studio-scale productions includes familiarity with prosthetics, green-screen acting, and coordination with large costume and art departments. Fanning has carried series-long character arcs, worked with ensemble casts, and participated in international publicity campaigns, all of which mirror the demands of a cross-title DCU hero introduction.
Olivia Holt
Olivia Holt led the Marvel series ‘Cloak & Dagger’, which focuses on teen superheroes navigating powers, social issues, and investigative plotlines in an urban setting. She has a background in gymnastics and cheer, translating to comfort with stunt collaboration and wire-assisted sequences. Her screen career also includes music and voice roles, adding cross-media experience.
Work on ‘Cloak & Dagger’ included location shoots, VFX integration, and season-long mystery arcs that required layered performance across episodic structures. Holt’s previous training and dance experience have supported choreography-driven scenes, and her teen-centered storytelling background aligns with high-school settings, mentorship themes, and ensemble dynamics.
Kiernan Shipka
Kiernan Shipka headlined ‘Chilling Adventures of Sabrina’, a supernatural series featuring spellcraft action, practical effects, and ensemble storytelling that marries horror with teen drama. Her earlier work includes ‘Mad Men’, providing experience with prestige drama, period production design, and multi-season character development.
Shipka’s genre projects have involved stunt coordination, practical and digital effects, and collaboration with large writers’ rooms to sustain serialized arcs. She has anchored crossover episodes and holiday specials, participated in global press, and worked across soundstage and location shoots—logistics consistent with franchise superhero production.
Sabrina Carpenter
Sabrina Carpenter is a singer and actor with credits including ‘Girl Meets World’, ‘The Hate U Give’, and ‘Work It’. Her background features extensive touring, choreography-driven performances, and on-camera musical storytelling. She has worked across studio films, streaming features, and network television.
Her production experience includes dance rehearsals, performance blocking for multi-camera shoots, and music-video set work that requires precise timing and coordination. Carpenter’s teen and young-adult roles have involved ensemble casts and campus or high-school settings, aligning with the tone and setting often associated with Courtney Whitmore’s origin stories.
Cailee Spaeny
Cailee Spaeny’s filmography includes ‘Pacific Rim Uprising’, ‘Bad Times at the El Royale’, ‘On the Basis of Sex’, and ‘Priscilla’. She has collaborated with directors such as Alex Garland, Sofia Coppola, and Drew Goddard, and has experience in effects-driven action and intimate character studies.
Spaeny’s work spans large-scale sci-fi productions and awards-season dramas, involving both second-unit action coordination and close-up performance under exacting direction. She has participated in international festival circuits and studio marketing, and has experience with stunt and VFX departments that handle mech, creature, or energy-effect sequences common in superhero narratives.
Chloë Grace Moretz
Chloë Grace Moretz is known for action and genre roles including ‘Kick-Ass’, ‘Let Me In’, ‘The Peripheral’, and ‘Suspiria’. She has worked with directors such as Matthew Vaughn, Luca Guadagnino, and Martin Scorsese and has a history of portraying physically demanding characters within stylized action frameworks.
Her projects have combined practical stunts, wire work, and extensive VFX, and she has headlined both streaming series and theatrical releases. Moretz’s participation in ensemble casts, franchise-adjacent marketing, and action choreography provides a foundation for coordinating with stunt teams and visual effects supervisors on energy-projection and flight sequences.
Madelyn Cline
Madelyn Cline stars in ‘Outer Banks’, a series centered on treasure-hunt plotting, coastal location shoots, and stunt sequences involving watercraft and chases. She also appears in ‘Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery’, a whodunit ensemble led by director Rian Johnson, illustrating range from action-adventure to mystery.
Her production experience includes extended location schedules, coordination with marine units and stunt departments, and ensemble interplay across teen and adult casts. Cline’s work in contemporary adventure settings and large ensemble features aligns with team-based superhero narratives and fast-paced set pieces.
Thomasin McKenzie
Thomasin McKenzie’s credits include ‘Leave No Trace’, ‘Jojo Rabbit’, and ‘Last Night in Soho’, working with directors such as Debra Granik, Taika Waititi, and Edgar Wright. Her projects span intimate drama, satire, and psychological thriller, incorporating period detail and stylized sequences.
Her experience includes international co-productions, extensive rehearsal processes, and collaboration with departments handling practical effects, period costuming, and choreographed camera movement. McKenzie has worked in ensemble environments and led roles that require sustained emotional throughlines across complex plots.
Lili Reinhart
Lili Reinhart starred in ‘Riverdale’, a series that blends teen drama with noir, mystery arcs, and heightened genre episodes. She also appears in ‘Hustlers’, a crime drama with an ensemble cast that includes Constance Wu and Jennifer Lopez, directed by Lorene Scafaria.
Her television work includes multi-season arcs, musical episodes, and cross-event coordination typical of shared-universe television. Reinhart’s experience encompasses location shoots, stunt-adjacent sequences, and collaboration with writers’ rooms on season-long mysteries, aligning with superhero ensemble and high-school settings.
Haley Lu Richardson
Haley Lu Richardson’s filmography features ‘The Edge of Seventeen’, ‘Split’, and ‘Five Feet Apart’, along with television work in ‘The White Lotus’. She has collaborated with filmmakers including M. Night Shyamalan and Kelly Fremon Craig across teen drama, thriller, and ensemble satire.
Her projects involve location and studio shoots, careful coordination for physically sensitive material, and ensemble timing within large casts. Richardson’s experience in young-adult narratives and suspense structures aligns with heroic origin plots and team missions that require clear arc progression across episodes or films.
Hunter Schafer
Hunter Schafer appears in ‘Euphoria’ and ‘The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes’, spanning teen drama and dystopian action. She has worked with directors such as Francis Lawrence and has additional experience in fashion and visual art that intersects with costuming and production design.
Her projects include large-scale studio productions and series that rely on visual storytelling, practical sets, and VFX integration. Schafer’s participation in ensemble casts, press tours, and franchise world-building provides familiarity with continuity demands and collaboration across departments for action set pieces.
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