Sometimes the first real clues we get as to what a new TV series will be like comes from the casting call descriptions, which are often vague to some degree but reveal a few basics. Such is the case as we’ve gotten a look at what’s being called in for the title character, her sister and those she works with. As we’ve seen with other adaptations, there are always changes from the mythology, but the comics change so often that it’s hard to fault them for finding a way to bring it out to this medium. This series, which has a pilot being produced for CBS, comes from Greg Berlanti and Ali Adler. Berlanti has handled Arrow and The Flash and that certainly earns him a lot of space to figure out what works and what doesn’t in bringing this Kryptonian to the TV series.
Interestingly, while we get the basics of the characters here, we can also see some villains being put together for the pilot as well as Henshaw was the Cyborg Superman from the Death of Superman storyline and Schott plays up the Toyman concept that could be worked nicely. It’s also worth noting that there are often some deceptive things put into casting calls to keep the real ideas from being leaked out.
Supergirl character: As the series’ mythology goes, Kara at age 12 was sent from her dying home planet of Krypton to Earth, where she was taken in by the Danvers, a foster family who taught her to be careful with her extraordinary powers. After repressing said skills for more than a decade, Kara is forced to bust out her super moves in public during an unexpected disaster. Energized by her heroism for the first time in her life, she begins embracing her abilities in the name of helping the people of her city, earning herself a super moniker along the way.
Alexandra Danvers: Growing up, Alex was partly jealous of her sibling yet also fascinated by her abilities, prompting Alex to learn as much as she could about alien anthropology, sociology and culture. Today, Alex works for a secret government organization and, alongside her heroic sis, will face many challenges, both mundane and super.
Cat Grant: The project is eyeing females in their 40s, open ethnicity, to play the founder of CatCo, a media conglomerate that Cat built from the ground up. Kara (Supergirl’s mild-mannered alter ego) will work as a personal assistant to Cat, who is described as “J.Lo by way of Anna Wintour.”
James Olsen: In his late 20s/early 30s, open ethnicity, James is a smart, worldly and (duh) attractive photographer for CatCo. Though an alpha male, his salt-of-the-earth nature elicits a huge ol’ crush from Kara.
Winslow ‘Winn’ Schott: This twentysomething tech whiz/Comic-Con stalwart toils for CatCo as a programmer, unaware of his own (toying?) potential. Unware of her secret, he carries a torch for Kara, whom he lives next door to.
Hank Henshaw: As an upstart CIA agent, Hank grew obsessed with intergalactic intel. Now in his 40s and lording over the DEO (Department of Extra-Normal Operations), he is on high alert when Supergirl reveals herself, worried that her otherworldly abilities pose a threat to humankind.
