15 Actresses Perfect for the Role of Stargirl in the DCU

Courtney Whitmore—better known as Stargirl—is a DC Comics hero created by Geoff Johns and Lee Moder, introduced as a high-schooler who inherits the Cosmic Staff and fights alongside the Justice Society of America. The character’s stories frequently pair teen-life settings with super-heroic action, with the staff’s flight and energy-projection abilities central to set pieces and team-ups across JSA lore.

Within live action, the character headlined the series ‘Stargirl’ on DC Universe and The CW, with creator Geoff Johns shepherding an ensemble that included Pat Dugan/S.T.R.I.P.E., Wildcat, and Doctor Mid-Nite. With the DCU now overseen by James Gunn and Peter Safran, a new take on Stargirl would draw from a rich mix of school-set drama, legacy-hero themes, and the Justice Society’s intergenerational dynamics.

Sydney Sweeney

Sydney Sweeney’s screen work spans prestige television and studio features, including HBO’s ‘Euphoria’ from creator Sam Levinson and ‘The White Lotus’ from creator Mike White, plus the biographical drama ‘Reality’ directed by Tina Satter. Her filmography also includes Sony’s ‘Madame Web’ directed by S. J. Clarkson and the psychological horror ‘Immaculate’ directed by Michael Mohan, alongside earlier genre entries like ‘Nocturne’ from Blumhouse Television.

Outside acting credits, Sweeney trained in mixed martial arts in her youth and has discussed participation in grappling competitions, while continuing to perform physically demanding roles. Her recent projects placed her opposite action-oriented co-stars under directors with large-scale set-piece experience, positioning her with a résumé that features both ensemble storytelling and effects-driven production environments.

Brec Bassinger

Brec Bassinger led the live-action series ‘Stargirl’, portraying Courtney Whitmore under creator Geoff Johns and working alongside Luke Wilson, Yvette Monreal, and Joel McHale. Earlier credits include Nickelodeon’s ‘Bella and the Bulldogs’, with additional appearances across youth-focused series that foreground athleticism and campus settings.

Across ‘Stargirl’, Bassinger collaborated with rotating directors and stunt teams to stage staff-centric aerial sequences and JSA ensemble episodes. The series’ writers room folded in legacy villains like the Injustice Society and recurring mentor figures, giving Bassinger extended experience with the character’s mythology, props, and ensemble dynamics central to the role.

Kathryn Newton

Kathryn Newton’s credits range from the comedy-horror ‘Freaky’ directed by Christopher Landon to franchise entries like ‘Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania’ directed by Peyton Reed. On television, she appeared in ‘Big Little Lies’ developed by David E. Kelley and ‘The Society’ created by Christopher Keyser, blending teen perspectives with large ensemble casts.

Her filmography includes leading parts in genre projects that require stunt coordination and VFX interaction, as well as major studio schedules. Newton has also been associated with athletic pursuits such as competitive amateur golf events, adding a documented sports background to a slate of performances across youth-centric and action-inflected storytelling.

Madison Iseman

Madison Iseman appeared in ‘Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle’ and its sequel for director Jake Kasdan, operating within a blockbuster ensemble that mixes comedy and action. She also starred in ‘Annabelle Comes Home’ directed by Gary Dauberman and in Amazon’s ‘I Know What You Did Last Summer’ series developed by Sara Goodman, where she played dual roles.

Her recent work spans horror, adventure, and thriller formats that make frequent use of stunt and effects teams. The combination of youth-oriented settings and ensemble plots—plus experience balancing practical scares with digital effects—places Iseman within production contexts that mirror the demands of staff-based, team-hero sequences.

Peyton List

Peyton List is known for ‘Cobra Kai’ created by Josh Heald, Jon Hurwitz, and Hayden Schlossberg, portraying Tory Nichols across seasons built around tournament arcs and dojo rivalries. Earlier credits include Disney Channel’s ‘Jessie’ created by Pamela Eells O’Connell and subsequent appearances in youth-driven features such as ‘The Thinning’ directed by Michael J. Gallagher.

‘Cobra Kai’ features sustained fight choreography and training-sequence storytelling, giving List multi-season exposure to screen combat planning. The production’s ensemble framework—co-starring Xolo Maridueña, Mary Mouser, and Tanner Buchanan—integrates high school storylines with tournament spectacles, a structure compatible with team-hero and campus-life elements associated with Courtney Whitmore.

Lili Reinhart

Lili Reinhart starred in The CW’s ‘Riverdale’ developed by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, playing Betty Cooper in a stylized ensemble centered on high-school and small-town intrigue. She appeared in ‘Hustlers’ written and directed by Lorene Scafaria alongside Jennifer Lopez and Constance Wu, and led the Amazon Studios drama ‘Chemical Hearts’ written and directed by Richard Tanne.

Her portfolio combines youth-ensemble mystery arcs and feature-length character studies, with work under showrunners managing longform serialization. ‘Riverdale’ integrated genre-bending episodes and stunt-adjacent set pieces, while ‘Hustlers’ placed Reinhart within a cast executing choreography-driven sequences under a music-and-montage-heavy production style.

Kiernan Shipka

Kiernan Shipka headlined Netflix’s ‘Chilling Adventures of Sabrina’ developed by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, blending high-school drama with occult stakes. Earlier, she portrayed Sally Draper on ‘Mad Men’ created by Matthew Weiner, participating in a period-drama ensemble recognized for writing and direction. Her feature credits include ‘Totally Killer’ directed by Nahnatchka Khan and thrillers such as ‘The Silence’ directed by John R. Leonetti.

Shipka’s projects frequently situate teen protagonists at the center of supernatural or time-twist plots, coordinating visual effects with practical set pieces. Working with veteran ensemble casts and showrunning teams, she has navigated serial arcs, myth-heavy worldbuilding, and stunt-light action, aligning with hero-origin frameworks that emphasize school, family, and legacy.

Sabrina Carpenter

Sabrina Carpenter starred in Disney Channel’s ‘Girl Meets World’ created by Michael Jacobs and April Kelly and appeared in Netflix’s dance comedy ‘Work It’ directed by Laura Terruso. She co-starred in the music-drama ‘Clouds’ directed by Justin Baldoni, which adapts a real-life story and integrates performance-centric staging.

Carpenter’s background includes touring and recording, pairing on-camera acting with live performance logistics. Her screen roles engage school settings, ensemble friendship narratives, and music-driven choreography, providing familiarity with productions that emphasize youthful perspective and coordinated set pieces within a campus environment.

Meg Donnelly

Meg Donnelly co-led Disney’s ‘Zombies’ musical trilogy directed by Paul Hoen, portraying Addison across cheerleading and dance-forward set pieces. She also starred in ‘The Winchesters’ developed by Robbie Thompson, a ‘Supernatural’ prequel series with action and lore-heavy narration, and appeared in ABC’s ‘American Housewife’ created by Sarah Dunn.

The ‘Zombies’ films required sustained choreography, performance numbers, and team-sport staging, while ‘The Winchesters’ integrated monster-of-the-week action with ongoing mythology. Donnelly’s work encompasses rehearsal-intensive ensembles and stunt-coordinated sequences, aligning with production rhythms common to hero-team television.

Olivia Holt

Olivia Holt starred in Marvel’s ‘Cloak & Dagger’ created by Joe Pokaski, playing Tandy Bowen opposite Aubrey Joseph’s Tyrone Johnson in a New Orleans-set series mixing teen drama with super-powered action. She later led Freeform’s ‘Cruel Summer’ created by Bert V. Royal, a thriller told through alternating perspectives and timelines, and earlier featured in Disney XD’s ‘Kickin’ It’ created by Jim O’Doherty.

Across these projects, Holt worked within action-training environments and thriller ensembles, balancing character-centric arcs with set pieces staged around urban settings and school-age narratives. The combination of martial-arts-inflected youth television and effects-assisted superhero storytelling maps to production needs typical of legacy-hero adaptations.

Elle Fanning

Elle Fanning leads ‘The Great’ created by Tony McNamara, a satirical period series co-starring Nicholas Hoult and known for elaborate sets and swift tonal shifts. Her film credits include ‘Super 8’ directed by J. J. Abrams and produced by Steven Spielberg, ‘Maleficent’ directed by Robert Stromberg opposite Angelina Jolie, and ‘Teen Spirit’ directed by Max Minghella.

Fanning’s work spans effects-heavy fantasy, auteur-driven drama, and music-performance storytelling. These productions involve large art departments, costuming demands, and sequences requiring VFX interaction, giving her an established track record across roles that integrate spectacle, ensemble dynamics, and character-driven plotlines.

Jenna Ortega

Jenna Ortega headlines ‘Wednesday’ developed by Alfred Gough and Miles Millar, with episodes directed by Tim Burton and an ensemble including Gwendoline Christie and Emma Myers. She appears in the ‘Scream’ franchise directed by the Radio Silence team of Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett and in the horror feature ‘X’ directed by Ti West, alongside the drama ‘The Fallout’ written and directed by Megan Park.

Her credits concentrate on genre storytelling that blends school settings, mystery structures, and action-light tension with practical effects and stunt coordination. Working across streaming series and theatrical horror, Ortega has collaborated with directors known for visually stylized sequences and ensemble casts.

Sadie Sink

Sadie Sink portrays Max Mayfield in ‘Stranger Things’ created by the Duffer Brothers, a series that pivots between teen ensemble drama and supernatural action. She starred in the ‘Fear Street’ trilogy directed by Leigh Janiak and appeared in ‘The Whale’ directed by Darren Aronofsky, a character-focused drama adapted from a stage play by Samuel D. Hunter.

Sink’s background includes stage work and screen roles that feature running, stunt coordination, and VFX-assisted sequences. The projects place teen characters at the center of high-stakes plots, with production teams that coordinate creature effects, wire work, and practical sets—elements that match hero-origin television and film workflows.

Hailee Steinfeld

Hailee Steinfeld earned an Academy Award nomination for ‘True Grit’ written and directed by Joel and Ethan Coen, later leading ‘Bumblebee’ directed by Travis Knight. She stars in Marvel’s ‘Hawkeye’ created by Jonathan Igla and voices Gwen Stacy in ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse’ directed by Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers, and Justin K. Thompson; her voice work also includes ‘Arcane’ from Riot Games and Fortiche.

Her career combines live-action action-adventure, grounded coming-of-age pieces, and animation with extensive stunt and VFX components. Steinfeld’s projects involve second-unit action photography, archery choreography, and effects-driven sequences, providing documented experience with production scales typical of superhero franchises.

Sofia Wylie

Sofia Wylie stars in ‘High School Musical: The Musical: The Series’ created by Tim Federle, a mockumentary-style show that integrates singing, dancing, and school-theater staging. She also headlines ‘The School for Good and Evil’ directed by Paul Feig, adapted for Netflix and co-starring Sophia Anne Caruso and Charlize Theron.

Wylie’s background includes professional dance training and choreography-heavy sets, with production environments focused on ensemble performance and youth-centric narrative arcs. These roles blend campus settings, rehearsed movement, and effects-assisted fantasy, aligning with hero stories that emphasize teamwork, training, and school life.

Share your ideal DCU Stargirl casting in the comments and tell us who you think should wield the Cosmic Staff next!