SUPERGIRL Flies to CBS

In a deal finalized last night, CBS has given a series commitment for Supergirl.

Produced by Greg Berlanti (Arrow, The Flash) and Ali Adler (No Ordinary Family), the new series is said to have been given a commitment larger than what Fox gave to Gotham. If that’s the case, it shows CBS has a great deal of confidence in the production team. Berlanti, of course, has a proven track record with his shows on the CW (which is owned, in part, by CBS).

Created by Otto Binder and designed by Al Plastino in 1959, Kara Zor-El is the cousin of Superman. In this version of the story, she’ll be twenty-four years old and will decide to start using her powers instead of hiding from the world. Unlike Smallville, which took ten years to tell a coming-of-age story for Superman, Supergirl will be using her powers from the get-go. No word on whether the Linda Danvers disguise would be a part of this show or not.

It also raises the question as to whether we’d get an appearance by Kara’s cousin sometime throughout the course of the show. Since Geoff Johns has already ruled out any connection between the movies and television shows (but not, we note, between the shows themselves…), it’s likely a different actor would play Clark, if he even shows up.

What’s interesting to note in the Deadline article is the observation that ABC is considered “off limits” for WB/DC shows, given its relationship with Marvel through the Disney ownership. Now all of the broadcast networks have DC-related comic book shows — CW has Arrow, The Flash, iZombie (with rumors of Hourman in development), NBC has Constantine (which may also set up a Spectre spin-off), and Fox has Gotham. TNT is also getting in on the act with the new Titans, based on the long-running Teen Titans team of sidekicks that have been around since 1964.

Supergirl has appeared in filmed media before, in the aforementioned Smallville (played by Laura Vandervoort), and also in her own movie starring Helen Slater, produced by the same team who delivered the original Christopher Reeve Superman movies. She has also appeared in various animated projects over the years.

So, let the speculation begin. Who do you see taking on the Maid of Might?