The first trailer for “The Flash” broke into the social media. Fans loved seeing Michael Keaton and Ben Affleck return as Batman for one last time in the DCU. Also, Michael Shannon’s return as General Zod and the recreation of the climactic events of “Man of Steel” made audiences gasp. But it was the introduction of one character that drew the most cheers from fans who have been anticipating her arrival: Sasha Calle’s Supergirl. But not all fans are happy about her. Some think she doesn’t even look like the traditional “Supergirl,” instead looks more like Superman’s daughter. What does this even mean? Let us decode it.
Superman’s Dream Daughter: Lara Lane Kent
Sasha Calle’s Supergirl/Kara Zor-El might be the first time the character appears in the DCU, but it certainly isn’t the first time overall. It was in the 1984 “Supergirl” film that the character made her debut in live-action. Helen Slater portrayed Kara Zor-El. The movie was a critical and commercial disaster, and that made the character disappear from the public eye for about 25 years before the “Smallville” TV show brought her back in its seventh season.
There, she was played by Laura Vandervoort. But the character achieved her peak popularity thanks to the “Supergirl” TV show, which ran from 2015 to 2021. There, Melissa Benoist portrayed the titular character. So technically, Sasha Calle is the fourth actress to play Supergirl in live action. However, she differs from the previous three actresses who played the role. For one, she’s Latina. But most importantly, as seen in the trailer of “The Flash,” Kara doesn’t sport the typical long blonde hair that has become synonymous with the character.
Instead, her hair is short and dark. This, combined with the blue and red costume seen in the trailer, makes her resemble another Supergirl on the pages of DC Comics, one who isn’t Kara Zor-El. If this shocks you, then don’t be shocked. In superhero comics, various characters carry the same mantle over time. The title of “Supergirl” has been bestowed on multiple female characters, one of whom is Lara Lane Kent, Superman and Lois Lane’s imaginary daughter.
Her only appearance is in the comic “Injustice: Gods Among Us, Year Three,” issue 7. She is Superman’s imaginary daughter because the hero hallucinates her existence under the influence of a hallucinogenic extraterrestrial plant. In the comic, her appearance and costume are remarkably similar to the ones sported by Sasha Calle. As such, this has made plenty of DC fans wonder why the movie changed her appearance into something so different from Kara Zor-El’s Supergirl.
What Do DC Fans Think Of Sasha Calle’s Supergirl Appearance?
In various DC subreddits, ranging from DCEU leaks to DC Cinematic and even the DC Comics one, most fans have one question: was it that hard for “The Flash” makers to make Calle’s hair blonde? After all, Kara’s hair color has no impact on her backstory or characterization, but over the years, it has become associated with her costume and is one of the things that makes her easily recognizable among the sea of superheroes.
Many further explained that just like it’s jarring to see Kara with short black hair, similarly, it would have been eyebrow-raising to see Superman with blonde hair too. Simply because that’s not what the character looks like. However, others have a different explanation. Supporters of Calle’s version of the character think that “The Flash” makers decided to choose a drastically different appearance to intentionally separate her from the previous live-action versions of Supergirl.
Also, as seen in the trailer, it looks like Calle’s Kara was locked up in a facility. There are shots of her looking skeletally thin. So it’s possible that her hair was chopped off by her captors. As such, if that turns out to be the case, then it makes sense for her to have short hair. As for her hair being black, since she’s supposed to be related to Superman (as she’s his cousin), it makes sense for her to have the same hair color as his.
However, aside from this, there’s another possibility that only a handful of fans have highlighted. In the trailer, she doesn’t give her full name. She just says that her name is Kara. So the general audience is just assuming that her full name is Kara Zor-El. But what if that’s not the case? It’s possible that she’s instead playing Kara Zor-L, who goes by the alias Powergirl. In DC comics, she is from Earth-2, and since in the trailer of the movie we see Barry Allen traveling to another universe, there’s some proof to back up this theory.
However, since the movie is adapting the “Flashpoint” arc from the comics, it’s pretty clear that Supergirl is just taking Superman’s place in the storyline. In “Flashpoint,” Superman was captured and experimented on, similar to what we see Kara undergo in the trailer. Also, he too killed his captors when he escaped from the facility, something Kara does as well. As such, in that case, her having short black hair, like a gender-bent version of Superman, makes sense. But the actual reason will be revealed when “The Flash” premieres on June 16, 2023.
See more: James Gunn Mentions Talking To Netflix About Some Projects; What Could They Be?