If you’re a huge DC fan,you probably have a lot of questions and preconceived notions about the upcoming Supergirl series. Will the show stay true to the comics? Which DC characters are dropping by? Fortunately the cast and crew have addressed some of these questions. We’ve also done some digging and gathered what you need to know about the CBS series before it kicks off this fall.
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It’s All About Girl Power
After bringing Arrow and The Flash on the small screen, putting the spotlight on a female superhero seemed like the next viable option according to executive producer Greg Berlanti, who “felt like it was time for a female lead at the center of one of these shows.”
“It was a story that needed to be told,” executive producer Ali Adler also said during Supergirl‘s Comic-Con panel. “You come in and see her as female and you’ll remember her as powerful. Her gender doesn’t really matter. She’s a badass.”
“It’s important to have women involved in every show in production,” executive producer Geoff Johns added.
Asked whether Supergirl is feminist, Alder, who is just one of the many female presence behind the scenes of the show, told Entertainment Weekly that it’s all about “showing it and not telling it.”
“We’d love her to just be a hero in all situations, and that she’s incidentally female, of course we’re going to be inspired by that,” she explained.
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Meet the Characters
Melissa Benoist as Kara Zor-El/Kara Danver/Supergirl: Kara finally decides to embrace her superhuman abilities after keeping her powers under wraps for 12 years. She lives in National City and works for media mogul Cat Grant.
Chyler Leigh as Alex Danvers: Kara’s adoptive sister, Alex works for the clandestine organization DEO and is determined to learn about Kryptonian culture. According to Leigh,”all may not be as it initially seems with her character.”
Calista Flockhart as Cat Grant: Cat is Kara’s boss and the founder of media conglomerate CatCo.
Mehcad Brooks as James Olsen: A former photographer at Daily Planet, James is hired by Cat as her new art director at CatCo.
David Harewood as Hank Henshaw: The head of DEO, Hank enlists Kara’s help to protect the citizens of National City from evil threats.
Laura Benanti as Alura Zor-El: Kara’s birth mom described as a “strong noblewoman” whose “wisdom and guidance echoes across space and time.”
Jeremy Jordan as Winslow “Winn” Schott: Winn is a tech expert who works alongside Kara at CatCo.
Helen Slater as Eliza Danvers: Eliza is a scientist and Kara’s foster mother.
Dean Cain as Jeremiah Danvers: Jeremiah is a scientist and Kara’s foster father.
Owain Yeoman as Vartox: An alien convict,Vartox is the first villain who seeks out Supergirl after she emerges.
Peter Facinelli as Maxwell Lord: According to the press release, Maxwell Lord is a tech billionaire who “enjoys a friendly rivalry with Cat Grant and a fascination with National City’s newest arrival — SupergirL”
Season one will also introduce villains Reactron and Livewire. According to executive producer Andrew Kreisberg, fans can also expect other DC Comics characters to grace National City– some of which will not necessarily have anything to do with Superman.
The Love Triangle
Not only will Supergirl have a love interest, she gets two. “Winn [Schott] is in love with Kara before he finds out she’s Supergirl,” portrayer Jeremy Jordan revealed. “There’s another very strong, attractive male standing in the way” — in the form of Mehcad Brooks‘ James Olsen.”
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What is DEO?
“The Department of Extra-normal Operations, like the way the CIA discovers what they discover, this is a clandestine organization designed to uncover alien life on earth, but they’re not sanctioned in any way. It’s a covert operation and Hank Henshaw is the director,” Adler explained, adding that the show is going to explore Supergirl’s weaknesses.
Speaking of Supergirl, her sister Alex is revealed to be working with the DEO- a discovery that could possibly cause a rift between the two characters.
“This is the first time that Kara is looking at her sister in a different light,” Adler said. “She did not know that she was a member of this clandestine organization. Of course that brings conflict, but in ways, Alex has been keeping her sister’s secrets for years. We absolutely debut them on the same page.”
Is Supergirl Staying True to the Comics?
Adler says while Supergirl is inspired by certain super villains and story arcs, the show is not bound to history.
“We absolutely are inspired by the incredible canon and the history that’s come before us. We have villains that we can use and we intend to use it as much as we can, while still being inspired and making her our own. She’s a modern superhero and embraces her powers as well as her insecurities in order to be a successful one,” she said.
Supergirl premieres Monday, October 26 at 8:30pm ET on CBS.
(Image courtesy of CBS)
Staff Writer, BuddyTV
