The stars of Supergirl sat down with Hypable at San Diego Comic-Con to talk about the very real impact of diverse representation.
Much has been made of the fact that Supergirl is the first female superhero to have her own series, and it is something that the stars and creative team behind the new CBS show are very cognizant of. We asked Chyler Leigh, who plays Supergirl’s sister Alex Danvers, what it was like to be involved in such a groundbreaking project.
“It was a very big part of why I was so excited to be a part of this,” she said. “I have daughters, and there’s not a lot to look up to. From an industry standpoint, there’s not a whole lot.”
Leigh especially appreciated that Supergirl makes it clear that while Kara has superpowers, “She’s got all these things that are kind of seemingly against her, but she’s figuring it out. And that it’s okay, it’s okay to figure stuff out like that, and to be comfortable as who you are. It gives my girls a lot to look up to and I appreciate that tremendously.”
Related: Why Supergirl is the female-driven superhero show we need
For executive producer Sarah Schechter, the feminist connotations of Supergirl were apparent from the beginning. “I think it’s sort of a shame that it’s such a big deal,” Schechter told Hypable, “but the only way we’re going to make it not a big deal is to continue to have real representation and a variety of representation. So if we can help to do that and start to level the playing field, then we take that responsibility really seriously.”
Schecter went on to echo Leigh’s sentiments, saying, “We also think that she’s a really cool, really interesting character. But certainly I have friends with daughters and I want them to be able to look up to a superhero who’s not overly sexual, who’s not a damsel in distress, who’s strong, and capable, and powerful, but also wrestles with insecurity. At the same time, I think it’s important for boys to see it too — I think it’s just as important.”
While female representation often dominates the conversation about Supergirl, Mehcad Brooks noted that making classic comic character Jimmy Olsen a person of color in the series is a decision that is just as impactful, especially for younger fans. The decision to cast Brooks as Olsen has proved somewhat controversial, but Brooks explained just why he finds it so important.
“Growing up as a kid, I didn’t have anybody to look to. One time I dressed up as Superman, and one of my friend’s parents told me, ‘Oh you can’t be Superman! You’re black.’ I’m 10 years old, 9 years old. I’m like, well he’s from Krypton, so he’s probably not white either really. He’s an alien.”
He went on to add of Supergirl, “It goes to show, that mentality is leaving us, and I’m really happy to be part of the fact that there’s going to be little kids who look like me, who can now look at somebody and go, ‘Oh! I can do that!'”
The musical possibilities of ‘Supergirl’
On a lighter note, we couldn’t help but notice the musical prowess of the Supergirl cast. We asked stage veteran Jeremy Jordan if we could expect to see a nod in Supergirl to the cast’s musical background. Jordan explained that he would be okay with that — just not right now. “People see especially Melissa and I as singers — especially me more than her probably — ahead of being just an actor. I think it would be cool to do that down the line though. Or we could also do fun promo things, and keep it out of the actual show.”
He then pitched an idea to us which we are totally on board with. “I was thinking next year at Comic-Con before our panel, we should just do a big group number to introduce the show. I’m already pitching that, so if it doesn’t happen next year, it’s not my fault!” We’ll stay tuned.