Every Live-Action Supergirl Costume, Ranked

The first trailer for the upcoming Supergirl movie is out, and fans are eagerly awaiting its release on June 26, 2026! Everyone’s excited about Milly Alcock’s portrayal of Kara Zor-El – she’s bringing a smart and direct energy to the role. The movie is directed by Craig Gillespie and inspired by the 2022 graphic novel by Tom King and Bilquis Evely.

People haven’t said much about her outfit, likely because we’ve already seen a version of the suit in the DC Universe since early 2025. That still leaves us wondering how this new live-action Supergirl costume compares to those worn by past Supergirls.

Melissa Benoist’s First Supergirl Suit Is A Joke

The Supergirl movie in the DC Universe isn’t out for a while, so it’s too soon to say if Milly Alcock will become known as the best live-action Supergirl. Many fans still consider Melissa Benoist, who wore a memorable costume on the Supergirl TV show, to hold that title. In the movie, Kara Zor-El experiments with a few different outfits before deciding on her final superhero look. She quickly dismisses her first attempt, and it’s clear why – it just doesn’t quite fit.

Kara immediately jokes about how ridiculous the outfit is, pointing out she wouldn’t even wear the extremely revealing two-piece suit to the beach. It’s also missing a cape, because her friend Winn thinks capes are outdated. While the outfit does use her character’s traditional colors, that’s the only good thing about it.

Laura Vandervoort Hated Her Smallville Outfit

A clear indicator that a superhero show’s costume design has failed is when the lead actor really dislikes wearing it. It’s one thing if the costume is simply uncomfortable physically, but it’s much worse when the actor feels self-conscious or uneasy while wearing it.

Laura Vandervoort played Supergirl for 23 episodes across four seasons of the show Smallville. Her costume was a simplified version of the classic Supergirl suit – a blue crop top and red skirt. However, the actress later admitted she disliked the outfit so much she wished she could have burned it, for reasons similar to why Melissa Benoist didn’t like her initial Supergirl suit. At least this costume wasn’t as revealing as the infamous Supergirl joke outfit.

Melissa Benoist’s Second Supergirl Outfit Was A Slight Step In The Right Direction

Just moments after first appearing in a somewhat embarrassing costume from the Supergirl pilot, Kara quickly changed into a more familiar one-piece suit. This new outfit was much more modest, covering her upper body while still leaving her legs visible.

Plus, the costume is still missing a cape – and let’s be honest, a cape is essential for this job! – and the House of El crest, which would really finish the look. Even if the show is aiming for a more grounded and less classic take on Supergirl, this basic costume design just doesn’t quite measure up.

Helen Slater Wears A Feminized Version Of Christopher Reeve’s Superman Suit

Helen Slater was the first actress to play Supergirl in a live-action movie, appearing in the 1984 film of the same name. While the film wasn’t a critical success, Slater’s costume wasn’t the reason. In fact, it’s considered better than many other Supergirl outfits, largely because it prominently features the iconic House of El crest.

The design feels unoriginal, largely mirroring Christopher Reeve’s Superman costume with the addition of a red skirt. While the resemblance was apparent from the start, it became even more noticeable when both costumes were compared in the 2023 film, The Flash. However, it’s still the most faithful recreation of Supergirl’s comic book suit in live-action so far.

Melissa Benoist’s Third Outfit Became Her Definitive Look

When adapting comic books to live-action, a costume doesn’t have to be perfectly true to the source material to be successful. The changes made to Supergirl’s costume in the TV show – like toning down the yellow on her chest emblem and using a more realistic gold belt – actually make it a better design than the one Helen Slater wore.

The addition of the iconic red cape, the El family crest, high boots, and a longer skirt truly finished Kara’s costume for the show. Melissa Benoist loved how it looked, but also admitted it could be difficult to wear when it was cold. Fortunately, this wasn’t the last version of Supergirl’s costume in the Arrowverse.

Milly Alcock’s Supergirl Suit Is A Decent Return To Tradition

It’s too early to fully judge Milly Alcock’s performance as Supergirl, as we haven’t seen enough of her in the role. However, the glimpses of her costume reveal she looks fantastic as Kara Zor-El, even if the design feels a little too similar to other versions. Like Helen Slater’s suit, this costume largely appears to be a modified version of David Corenswet’s Superman suit, simply with the addition of a skirt.

Just like David Corenswet’s Superman suit is a standout in James Gunn’s upcoming film, Supergirl’s costume is also successful. The redesigned family crest and brighter blue color are key improvements. Importantly, the design avoids past mistakes by keeping the skirt and boots closely fitted, preventing a potentially unflattering look. Plus, Kara’s trench coat – though not an official part of the suit – is a stylish and interesting addition to her character.

Melissa Benoist’s Final Supergirl Suit Corrected An Age-Old Flaw

Supergirl first appeared in DC Comics in 1971, and twelve years later, she briefly traded her classic skirt for a full bodysuit in issues #412 and #413 of Adventure Comics. It wasn’t until the fifth season of the Supergirl TV series that a similar design finally appeared on screen. In that version, Kara receives a new suit powered by nanotech, and happily notes that it includes pants.

Supergirl finally has a suit that’s more functional and less focused on appearance, addressing years of criticism about the previous, impractical design. While the golden brackets holding the cape are a bit of a misstep – they cluttered the look compared to earlier, cleaner designs where the cape was hidden under the collar – this new suit is a welcome and beautiful upgrade to Supergirl’s overall appearance.

Sasha Calle’s Supergirl Suit Is One Of A Kind

Usually, when a comic book character is reimagined in a completely new way, it doesn’t quite work. But many fans believe Sasha Calle’s Supergirl in the 2023 film The Flash is actually the best version of the character. The movie largely takes place in a different reality where Supergirl (Kara Zor-El) arrived on Earth instead of Superman. Calle not only made history as the first Latinx actress to play Supergirl, but she also wore a costume that was completely unique.

Past Supergirl costumes often closely resembled Superman’s outfit, but Millie Calle’s suit only shares the same blue color and the El family crest with Henry Cavill’s Superman. A bold red collar and shoulder design replaces the traditional look, and she wears a full blue suit instead of red boots. This unique design was a highlight of Calle’s brief time playing Supergirl, making its cancellation even more disappointing for fans of the DC Universe.

2025-12-15 05:38