Casting continues for CBS’s Supergirl pilot, which recently began filming. The latest addition to the cast is Faran Tahir.
Tahir will play The Commander, a character who is described as “an alien military expert leading the forces aligned against Supergirl.”
The phrasing of this description is ambiguous; the Commander could be a military expert who is an alien or an expert on alien militaries. He is not given another name or alias, so either way, his identity remains a mystery for now.
Tahir will guest star in the pilot, and the character has the the potential to recur.
The most recent of Tahir’s many credits include appearances on The Blacklist, How to Get Away with Murder, Criminal Minds, and Elementary. He also appeared in films, including Elysium and Iron Man.
Tahir joins a cast that includes Melissa Benoist (Kara Zor-El), Mehcad Brooks (Jimmy Olsen), Laura Benanti (Alura Zor-El), Calista Flockhard (Cat Grant), Chyler Leigh (Alex Danvers), David Harewood (Hank Henshaw), Dean Cain, Helen Slater, and Jeremy Jordan (Winslow “Winn” Schott).
This casting news comes on the heels of the Supergirl pilot beginning filming. Some of the cast and crew took to social media to celebrate:
Up, up and away!!!! @GBerlanti @Glen__Winter @AliAdler @itsmmbenoist #Supergirl pic.twitter.com/e12OuRFkfd
— Andrew Kreisberg (@AJKreisberg) March 4, 2015
Supergirl follows the story of Kara Zor-El. “Born on the planet Krypton, Kara Zor-El escaped amid its destruction years ago,” the series synopsis reads. “Since arriving on Earth, she’s been hiding the powers she shares with her famous cousin, Superman.
“Now 24, Kara feels un-empowered, a slave to having repressed her innate abilities. She’s still pretty, but with her face hidden behind glasses and her hair pulled back, she doesn’t know it herself. An unexpected disaster forces her to use her powers in public. Energized by her heroic deed, for the first time in her life, Kara begins embracing her extraordinary abilities. She begins helping the people of her city and they soon take notice — and she’s even given a new moniker: Supergirl.”
CBS has already given Supergirl a series commitment.