Supergirl - Season One

[Richard Willis]

From Variety.com:

MARCH 6, 2015 | 01:00PM PT
Elizabeth Wagmeister
@EWagmeister

“Supergirl” has finally arrived.

The first photos of Melissa Benoist as Supergirl were released Friday, just as production begins on the CBS pilot, which is based on characters from DC Comics.

The costume (pictured) was designed by three-time Oscar winner Colleen Atwood, who also designed the suits for two other DC Comics television properties, “The Flash” and “Arrow” of the CW.

Atwood, who’s been nominated for Academy Awards an additional eight times, was also the costume designer behind “Into the Woods,” “Snow White and the Huntsman,” “Alice in Wonderland,” “Memoirs of a Geisha” and “Chicago,” among others.

“Supergirl,” in contention for the 2015-16 season, follows Kara Danvers/Kara Zor-El (Benoist, “Glee,” “Whiplash”), Superman’s cousin, at age 24, when she decides to embrace her superhuman abilities and be the hero she was always meant to be, after leaving Krypton and hiding her powers.

Other series regulars include Calista Flockhart (“Ally McBeal,” “Brothers & Sisters”), who will play Kara’s tough boss at CatCo, Cat Grant; Mehcad Brooks (“Desparate Housewives,” “True Blood”), who will co-star as Kara’s love interest, Jimmy Olsen; Chyler Leigh (“Grey’s Anatomy”), who’s been cast as Kara’s doctor sister, Alex Danvers; and David Harewood (“Homeland”), as supervillain Hank Henshaw, better known as Cyborg Superman in the DC Comics world.

Laura Benanti will appear in a major recurring arc, playing Kara’s birth mother, Alura Zor-El.

Helen Slater, who starred in the 1984 “Supergirl” feature, and Superman vet Dean Cain (“Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman”) are set for secret roles.

The project hails from exec producers and writers Greg Berlanti (“The Flash,” “Arrow”), Ali Adler and Andrew Kreisberg. Sarah Schechter will also serve as an exec producer, and Glen Winter will direct the pilot. Berlanti Productions and Warner Bros. Television will produce.

[Captain Comics]

Such a dark outfit. So, so dark ...

[Captain Comics]

Here's the press release:

SUPERGIRL FIRST IMAGES REVEALED AS PRODUCTION BEGINS ON

NEW PILOT FOR CBS FROM WARNER BROS. TELEVISION,

BASED ON THE CHARACTERS FROM DC COMICS

 

Iconic Costume Designed by Three-Time Academy Award® Winner and

Eleven-Time Nominee Colleen Atwood

 

Please find attached the first two images from CBS’s new pilot SUPERGIRL, from Warner Bros. Television and based on the characters from DC Comics.

 

• SUPERGIRL stars Melissa Benoist as Kara Danvers/Kara Zor-El and Supergirl

 

• The costume for Supergirl was designed by three-time Oscar® winner Colleen Atwood, who also designed the costumes for THE FLASH & ARROW and whose motion picture credits include Academy Awards® for her work on Alice in Wonderland, Memoirs of a Geisha and Chicago, as well as eight additional Oscar® nominations for films such as Into the Woods, Snow White and the Huntsman, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street and Sleepy Hollow, among others

 

• Colleen Atwood said, “In designing Supergirl, I wanted to embrace the past, but more importantly, thrust her into the street-style action hero of today.”

 

• Production begins on the SUPERGIRL pilot this week

 

Born on the planet Krypton, Kara Zor-El escaped amid its destruction years ago. Since arriving on Earth, she’s been hiding the powers she shares with her famous cousin. But now at age 24, she decides to embrace her superhuman abilities and become the hero she was destined to be.

 

The SUPERGIRL pilot is from executive producers/writers Greg Berlanti, Ali Adler and Andrew Kreisberg. Sarah Schechter is also executive producing, with Glen Winter directing.

 

Based on the characters from DC Comics, SUPERGIRL is produced by Berlanti Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television.

 

© 2015 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved. Photo Credit: Bonnie Osborne

[Richard Willis]

What jumps out at me is that the character is 24 years old and Jimmy Olsen is her boyfriend. Is this what's going on in the current DC universe?

Also, in Variety and the press release they have her civilian identity as Kara Danvers, not Linda.

Also it should be noted that CBS and Warner Bros have a joint venture called The CW, so the show could still join Flash and Arrow (and Atom) rather than be on the CBS network.

[Ron M.]

In the George Reeves show Jimmy was 22, Lois was just a couple of years older, and Superman's rocket had landed 25 years ago.

Seems like they should have started a new Superman series before putting this out. Wouldn't those boots cause her some trouble when she runs?

[Captain Comics]

No, Jimmy and Supergirl aren't dating in The New 52. Jimmy as part of the Supergirl mythos is a new development.

That, and Supergirl being on Earth-CW (that is the announced plan), makes me wonder if Supergirl will be the last survivor of Krypton in DC's shared TV universe, with no Superman at all. Perhaps Kara will work at the Daily Planet (but I suspect that's a bridge too far).

There's precedent -- in Smallville, Green Arrow substituted for Batman when the Dark Knight's TV rights weren't available. So Supergirl might sub for the Man of Steel in a universe that already has Green Arrow, Flash, Atom and Firestorm, but no Superman or Batman.

Incidentally, Captain Cold, from Flash, has been announced as a recurring character in Supergirl.

Richard Willis said:

What jumps out at me is that the character is 24 years old and Jimmy Olsen is her boyfriend. Is this what's going on in the current DC universe?

Also, in Variety and the press release they have her civilian identity as Kara Danvers, not Linda.

Also it should be noted that CBS and Warner Bros have a joint venture called The CW, so the show could still join Flash and Arrow (and Atom) rather than be on the CBS network.

[Richard Willis]

Captain Comics said:

Incidentally, Captain Cold, from Flash, has been announced as a recurring character in Supergirl.

What I remember seeing was a statement that the actor, Wentworth Miller, would be in the Supergirl series. It's possible he would be playing a different character. Did you see a definitive statement that he would be playing Captain Cold? Justin Hartley went from playing Aquaman to playing Green Arrow in Smallville.

The Hank Henshaw character will be an apparently regular human in charge of the DEO.

[Ron M.]

Didn't Jimmy and Supergirl date a few times during the Silver and/or Bronze Age?

[Captain Comics]

He will play Captain Cold, but I was wrong about everything else!

What CW has been talking about is a superhero team-up show with Firestorm, Captain Cold, Atom and the girl who played Black Canary, although it's uncertain if she'll reprise the role (since her version of Black Canary is dead).

So I don't know if Supergirl will have any connection to the Arrow/Flash universe. I humbly apologize for bad information!

Richard Willis said:

Captain Comics said:

Incidentally, Captain Cold, from Flash, has been announced as a recurring character in Supergirl.

What I remember seeing was a statement that the actor, Wentworth Miller, would be in the Supergirl series. It's possible he would be playing a different character. Did you see a definitive statement that he would be playing Captain Cold? Justin Hartley went from playing Aquaman to playing Green Arrow in Smallville.

The Hank Henshaw character will be an apparently regular human in charge of the DEO.

[Ron M.]

Captain Cold is a good guy now?

They wouldn't try that crazy "It's not Black Canary, it's her daughter!" gimmick...would they?

[Dave Elyea]

Does anyone else wonder if they decided to call her "Kara Danvers" (which I suppose is no worse than when the comics version went by "Linda Lang") as a preemptive strike at the still to come live action version of Marvel's Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel?

[Commander Benson]

Ron M. said:

Didn't Jimmy and Supergirl date a few times during the Silver and/or Bronze Age?

Nope. There were a couple of Imaginary Story conjectures involving Jimmy-Supergirl pairings, but never in the actual mythos.

[Mark S. Ogilvie]

  I think the costume will look better in daylight.  I like the boots, can't tell if those are heels or not.  Other than that I'm curious about this show, because in the comics she did start out as hiding her self at Superman's instructions (he didn't come off very well as I think a past column pointed out).  As to occupations she was a reporter, actress, guidance counselor and I think a few other things in her series back in the 1970's, so everything is open.

  I don't know about the Danvers name (but if marvel can grab Captain Marvel...) but I wonder how much of a secret ID she'll have.