Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow: Why Emilia Jones Is The Best Casting Choice

Reports have broken about who DC Studios will be casting as Supergirl in the upcoming DC Universe film Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow – and possibly some earlier projects. Three actresses have been revealed as final candidates on the Supergirl casting shortlist: Milly Alcock (House of the Dragon), Meg Donnelly (American Housewife, Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths Part One), and Emilia Jones (CODA, Cat Person). 

Out of those three candidates to play the DCU Supergirl, this article focuses on why Emilia Jones is the candidate that James Gunn and Peter Safran should go with. 

Who IS DC’s Supergirl?

Superman’s cousin Kara Zor-El (aka Supergirl) is one of the more nebulous DC superheroes in terms of having a clearly defined identity. Since her debut in 1959 (Action Comics #252), the Kara Zor-El and/or Supergirl character has had more retcons, makeovers, new identities, and variants than just about any other comic book character that comes to mind. So before we even get to why Emilia Jones is the best fit for the role, let’s talk about what kind of Supergirl we’re getting…

The Woman of Tomorrow

Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow was an eight-issue miniseries (2021-2022) by acclaimed comic writer Tom King (Wonder Woman, Batman) and artist Bilquis Evely (Wonder Woman). Woman of Tomorrow has become the new defining portrait of who Kara Zor-El/Supergirl is as a character – to the point that Gunn and Safran have brought King on board to help shape the DCU movie(s). So, that answers the question of what version of Supergirl we will be seeing onscreen in the DCU. 

If you didn’t read it (and you should), Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow follows Ruthye, a young alien girl who sets out on a quest for murderous revenge against the criminal who killed her father. Ruthye catches a depressed Supergirl trying to drink away her birthday, and the two become connected as Kara tries to help Ruthye get justice the right way – i.e., without the young girl losing her soul in the process. The intergalactic odyssey is told in standalone chapters that each help Ruthye see deeper into the layers of who “Kara” and “Supergirl” are. King’s ultimate portrait of the character is rich, and complex, and catapulted her to the top echelons of compelling DC hero characters. 

Why Emilia Jones Should Play the DCU Supergirl

“Complexity” is the key word to remember when trying to envision the DCU Supergirl we need for a film like Woman of Tomorrow. The story shows Kara as being a mix of nobility, compassion, rage, loneliness, bravery, fortitude, selflessness, intelligence, vulnerability, humor, and fun. The actress who takes that on has to have both range to handle all those aspects of a character, and a blank enough canvas of expectation to paint it all on. It’s a challenge that goes far beyond appearance, and it’s why Emilia Jones is the best candidate for the job. 

In a short amount of time, Emilia Jones has been quietly but confidently showing that she’s one of the most versatile young talents around. The UK actress has been stacking up film credits since age eight (Including a notable role on Doctor Who and a bit role in Pirates of the Caribbean 4). She got mainstream acclaim from playing one of the main roles in Netflix’s Locke & Key TV series, before making the jump to Oscar-worthy dramatic work in CODA, for which she learned American Sign Language and met the physical challenge of operating a fishing boat. Most recently (and tellingly), Jones showed wit and femme-ferocity in the romantic thriller Cat Person, while once again taking on complicated familial ties in Sofia Coppola’s period drama Fairyland. 

Looking over that filmography it’s clear that Emilia Jones is by far the most proven, versatile, and experienced performer on the shortlist; and yet, she’s accomplished all that far enough off the mainstream radar to be “new” to most movie audiences as Supergirl. It’s also obvious that Milly Alcock and Meg Donnelly strike a chord with audiences because their respective onscreen appearances are the easiest to compare to Supergirl’s traditional look. However, if The Flash movie taught us anything, it’s that getting too hooked on a “traditional look” for the character is a mistake; Emilia Jones can use that same mainstream obscurity to transform her looks into Supergirl, and few would know there’s even a difference. And when it comes to the most important part – the look in Kara’s eyes – Jones has what it takes. 

…And as far as which actress looks the most like she could be David Corenswet’s cousin, Jones wins in that category, as well. 

Superman: Legacy will be released on July 11, 2025. Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow is in development.