Supergirl Writer Reveals Sasha Calle’s Canceled DCEU Movie Was “Completely Different”
Before Milly Alcock stepped into the role of Supergirl in DC Studios’ new universe, a very different movie was being developed for Sasha Calle. Although that project was eventually canceled, screenwriter Ana Nogueira has now revealed just how different it was from the version that is finally reaching theaters.
Speaking with Entertainment Weekly, Nogueira reflected on her experience writing the original Supergirl film during the final years of the DC Extended Universe. The movie was created specifically for Sasha Calle, who made her debut as Kara Zor-El in 2023’s The Flash. However, after James Gunn and Peter Safran took over DC Studios and launched a completely new cinematic universe, those plans were scrapped.
According to Nogueira, almost nothing from her first screenplay survived. “It was completely different. I don’t think I can even say what it was about, but it could not have been more different.” She made it clear that the changes went far beyond the story itself.
“Everything. Nothing transferred over from one to the other [Supergirl movie], which is crazy.”
Instead of continuing with the DCEU version, Nogueira was asked to write an entirely new film that would fit into the rebooted DC Universe. The new movie stars Milly Alcock as Kara Zor-El and is based on Tom King’s acclaimed comic book storyline Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow.
The upcoming film follows Kara as she meets a young alien girl named Ruthye, who is searching for justice after her family is murdered. At first, Supergirl is reluctant to get involved. However, everything changes when the villain Krem poisons her loyal companion, Krypto. Kara suddenly has only a few days to find the antidote and save her dog, leading her into a dangerous adventure across space.
Although the original Sasha Calle project never moved forward, Nogueira said writing it still helped her prepare for the new version. She explained that the early work allowed her to better understand Supergirl’s abilities and how to write action scenes involving such a powerful character.
“It was useful to me. There is a real thing when you’re doing this, you have to really onboard yourself on things like power set, what these characters are capable of, what a fight would look like, how strong you want them to be.”
She continued by explaining that superhero powers are often shaped by the needs of the story.
“How strong is Superman? He’s as strong as the writer needs him to be. Do you need them to throw a planet? Then you can do it. Do you need him to get the s— kicked out of him? So that was really useful, that I knew that power set for [Supergirl] in and out.”
While Sasha Calle never received her own solo movie, she has spoken positively about her time playing Supergirl. Earlier this year, she told Entertainment Weekly that she remains thankful for the opportunity because it opened many new doors in her career.
“I’m so, so, so utterly grateful that it’s brought me into this world where I can make art. I loved it.”
Even though fans will never see the original Supergirl movie written for Calle, Nogueira’s comments show that it would have been an entirely different take on the character. Instead, audiences are about to see a fresh version of Kara Zor-El as DC Studios begins a new chapter with Supergirl.
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