15 Actresses Perfect for the Role of Zatanna in the DCU

Zatanna Zatara brings together stagecraft and sorcery, with a comic history that includes speaking spells backward, headlining sold out illusion shows, and taking on supernatural threats with groups like Justice League Dark. The role asks for someone comfortable with theatrical presence, physical performance, and a character who moves between celebrity magician life and occult investigator work. It also benefits from an actor who can handle stylized dialogue and practical onstage movement while still grounding the emotional side of a legacy hero who follows in her father Giovanni Zatara’s footsteps.

To help imagine what could work on screen, here are fifteen actresses with backgrounds that align with Zatanna’s blend of spectacle and mysticism. The details focus on concrete experience like action training, stage or musical performance, genre credits, and voice work that maps cleanly to the demands of an illusionist who battles demons and headlines a Vegas act in the same week.

Ana de Armas

Ana de Armas trained in Havana at the National Theater School and has worked across Spanish and English productions, which supports the vocal control and timing needed for stage sequences and stylized incantations. She has experience with large scale franchise sets and wire assisted action, as well as close quarters choreography, which translates to magic scenes that mix sleight of hand with movement.

Her filmography includes action and genre titles such as ‘No Time To Die’, ‘Blade Runner 2049’, ‘The Gray Man’, and ‘Knives Out’. She has also led character driven dramas that require precise emotional beats, a useful match for plotlines where Zatanna navigates family legacy, occult responsibilities, and public performances.

Alexandra Daddario

Alexandra Daddario has navigated fantasy and horror storytelling, including worldbuilding heavy shows and features where mythic rules matter. She studied the Meisner technique and has stage credits early in her career, which supports rehearsal heavy magic set pieces and live show blocking.

Her work spans ‘Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief’, ‘The White Lotus’, and ‘Mayfair Witches’. She has also appeared in thrillers and indies that rely on tight close ups and controlled reactions, a useful skill for magic reveals and practical effects captured in camera.

Lily Collins

Lily Collins brings experience from fairy tale and urban fantasy projects alongside contemporary comedy and drama. She has a background in singing and onstage presentation from promotional tours and special performances, which helps with stage magician patter, audience engagement, and confident presence under lights.

Her credits include ‘Mirror Mirror’ and ‘The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones’ on the fantasy side, as well as the ongoing series ‘Emily in Paris’. She has headlined projects that require fast wardrobe and style changes, an asset for costume heavy sequences that blend classic tuxedo looks with modern performance wear.

Eiza González

Eiza González trained as a singer and performer before transitioning into major action films, which gives her rhythm and breath control useful for precise incantation delivery and choreographed movement. She has completed stunt intensive shoots with driving rigs and wire work, supporting sequences where illusions pivot into combat.

Her filmography includes ‘Baby Driver’, ‘Alita: Battle Angel’, ‘Ambulance’, and ‘Godzilla vs. Kong’. She has also carried heist and ensemble stories that rely on timing and teamwork, which aligns with Zatanna’s collaborations with other mystic heroes during multi character set pieces.

Emilia Clarke

Emilia Clarke has extensive experience with lore heavy fantasy and ensemble leadership across long form television and franchise filmmaking. She has theater training from the Drama Centre London, supporting stage presence and projection for magician scenes that play to a crowd.

Her credits include ‘Game of Thrones’, ‘Terminator Genisys’, and ‘Secret Invasion’. She has also performed in productions that involve significant prosthetics and effects driven environments, which helps with interacting believably with creatures and magical elements on set.

Jodie Comer

Jodie Comer is known for dialect versatility and rapid shifts in performance style, which can support Zatanna’s showmanship on stage and more restrained investigative work off stage. She won acclaim for a one woman stage run in London and on Broadway, reflecting stamina and precision under live conditions.

Her on screen work includes ‘Killing Eve’, ‘Free Guy’, and ‘The Last Duel’. She trained for action sequences and has handled comedic timing as well as intense drama, a combination that fits a character who flips from patter to power in a single scene.

Anya Taylor-Joy

Anya Taylor-Joy has carried genre defining projects that depend on atmosphere, controlled stillness, and sharp physical choices. She has dance training in her background, which aids in graceful blocking and the stylized handwork often associated with stage magic and spellcasting.

Her credits include ‘The Witch’, ‘Split’, and ‘The Queen’s Gambit’, as well as the title role in ‘Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga’. She has experience anchoring projects with specific visual language, which is important for a character whose illusions and costumes signal tone and era.

Krysten Ritter

Krysten Ritter brings comic book experience and noir driven characterization from prior genre television. She is also a musician who performs live, which contributes to timing and crowd interaction for stage scenes that require patter and presence between tricks.

Her work includes ‘Jessica Jones’, ‘Breaking Bad’, and ‘Don’t Trust the B—- in Apartment 23’. She has led stories that balance case of the week structure with serialized arcs, a pattern that aligns with episodic investigations into magical disturbances and ongoing family legacy threads.

Adria Arjona

Adria Arjona grew up around a touring musician father and has discussed time spent backstage, which contributes to comfort with live performance environments and technical setups. She has worked in fantasy and science fiction worlds that require steady interaction with complex production design.

Her credits include ‘Good Omens’, ‘Morbius’, and ‘Andor’. She also starred in ‘Emerald City’, which reimagined classic fantasy elements and required physical endurance in costume heavy conditions, matching the demands of a magician hero who operates in both theaters and shadowy alleys.

Camila Mendes

Camila Mendes has a background in musical theater from New York University, which supports vocal projection, beat driven patter, and stage discipline for illusion sequences. She has series length experience with genre storytelling that combines heightened reality and character melodrama.

Her work includes ‘Riverdale’ and the feature ‘Do Revenge’. She has performed in projects that integrate choreography and stylized lighting, an environment similar to magic performances that rely on precise blocking and sightline control.

Elizabeth Gillies

Elizabeth Gillies is a trained singer and stage performer with Broadway experience, which directly supports live show staging, breath control, and audience engagement. She has voice acting credits that demonstrate range and articulation, useful for incantations that hinge on crisp delivery.

Her screen roles include ‘Victorious’ and the ‘Dynasty’ reboot. She has led ensemble casts that require quick costume changes and sharp comedic timing, both of which apply to magician set pieces paced around reveals and reversals.

Sofia Boutella

Sofia Boutella began as a professional dancer and has built a screen career around precise physical performance and stunt informed roles. Her movement training supports elegant handwork and choreography that can sell sleight of hand and ritual gestures.

Her credits include ‘Kingsman: The Secret Service’, ‘The Mummy’, and ‘Rebel Moon’. She has worked extensively with practical and digital effects, which helps in coordinating with puppetry, markers, and plate shots during magical sequences.

Hayley Atwell

Hayley Atwell trained at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and has sustained stage work in London and on Broadway. She has completed high intensity stunt programs and motorcycle and wire training connected to large scale action films.

Her credits include ‘Captain America: The First Avenger’, the series ‘Agent Carter’, and ‘Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning’. She has experience carrying period set pieces and modern thrillers, which fits a character who often references classic stage magic while operating in contemporary settings.

Vanessa Hudgens

Vanessa Hudgens has extensive musical theater experience, including live televised productions that require tight rehearsal schedules and exact timing. She has hosted and performed at events that simulate the atmosphere of a live illusion show with cameras and audience energy.

Her film and television work includes ‘Powerless’ within the DC comedy space, ‘Tick, Tick… Boom!’, and ‘Bad Boys for Life’. She has combined comedy, music, and action across projects, a skill set that lines up with stage sequences followed by sudden practical effects reveals.

Rebecca Ferguson

Rebecca Ferguson has sustained action training across multiple productions and brings a background in dance and music that supports rhythm and controlled movement. She has worked closely with stunt teams on fights and precision prop handling, which aids believable sleight of hand.

Her credits include the ‘Mission: Impossible’ series, ‘Dune’, and ‘Doctor Sleep’. She has handled roles that demand a commanding presence in formal costuming and heavy sets, matching the visual identity of a high profile stage magician who moves easily into occult territories.

Share your picks for who should don the top hat and tails in the comments.