Light spoilers for The Flash lie ahead, so read at your own risk.
The Flash may have predominantly focused on the character of Barry Allen, but the narrative also included a number of other powerful players. One of those is the imposing Kara Zor-El a.k.a. Supergirl, who’s played by Sasha Calle. The actress did an impeccable job playing the Girl of Steel and was easily one of the standouts of the 2023 new movie release. Based on interviews she’s given, it sounds like Calle relished the opportunity to join the franchise in such a major role. Doing so meant that she had to put in a lot of hard work, though, and there was apparently one scene that was a “real pain in the ass” for her to film.
Incredibly physical work typically comes with the territory when you’re playing a superhero, and it seems that was indeed the case for the Young and the Restless alum. She got candid about her experiences while doing press for the long-awaited DC Extended Universe film. When it comes to the sequence that she found to be the most strenuous, the star made note of the silo sequence. She did make it a point to note that it was “fun” but, on the whole, it sounds incredibly tiring to me, based on her comments:
I guess the real pain in the ass – but by pain in the ass, meaning my body was hurting a lot, but I was having a lot of fun – was the silo scene. It was, like, about a week of me at the silo scene, and I was really blessed and honored. Eunice [Huthart] was our stunt coordinator [who] allowed me to do my stunts, and it was exhausting. I love stunts so much, and they give me this adrenaline, and I love the fighting. I love becoming, I love learning, and just getting better at it, so those were very exhausting days.
The silo sequence marks Supergirl’s debut in The Flash, as Ezra Miller's two Barry Allens and Michael Keaton’s Batman seek to escape after liberating Kara from her prison. It’s a long and winding sequence and one that ends with Zor-El fighting her captors head on. Given all that was involved in pulling off the scenes, I can understand why the 27-year-old star would've felt somewhat drained. She shared more details about the ordeal while speaking with Collider, making note of how she had to prepare for the work when she wasn’t on set:
My little brother was with me, and after the adrenaline rush, your body kind of gets… you just crumble, and I had to do like 30-minute salt baths every night, and I had to set an alarm, and that's tough work. A bath sounds very nice, but imagine every night you gotta put salt in a bath and you have to sit there for 30 minutes and time yourself. So there was a lot of healing that I needed to do as well. But it was an incredible experience, and alongside me, I did have Jade [Tazmin Robertson], and Talila [Craig], and Eunice to be with me and support me through that whole week, and I love that scene so much.
As tiring as the work was, I’m glad to hear that Sasha Calle still found the experience to be “incredible.” It’s been very clear just how much she appreciates the major opportunity she earned from director Andy Muschietti and the producers. Calle found it “emotional” to be playing the first Latina Supergirl, and she had an all-caps reaction when the first footage of her as the character dropped. She’s now become something of a favorite for fans and stars and even received praise from former Superman actor Henry Cavill.
With the reception to her portrayal in mind, you get the feeling that Sasha Calle’s work has not been in vain. Her future as the character is currently uncertain, but I, for one, am hoping that she gets to don the red cape on screen again. And can also assume that since she’s had a go as the superheroine, she’d be even more prepared for the physical work the second time around.
The Flash is now playing in theaters and be sure to check out CinemaBlend’s schedule of upcoming DC movies for info on other superhero fare.
