Supergirl returns for Season 5 this fall and at SDCC the cast had a lot to say about the challenges this new season will bring for their characters!
We have been huge fans of Supergirl from the very first episode where Kara takes off those glasses and saves Alex and a crashing plane. Seeing the cast each year at Comic-Con is always such a highlight, and this year was no different. We sat down with Melissa Benoist, David Harewood, Chyler Leigh, Mehcad Brooks, Azie Tesfai, Jesse Rath, Nicole Maines, and EPs Jessica Queller, Robert Rovner, and Sarah Schechter, and they had several teasers to bring to the table! Take a look at our interview:
According to David Harewood and Jesse Rath (0:10 – 5:38), this season, J’onn is dealing with family issues with the return of his brother and will pose challenges. For Brainy, we can look forward to him having a role with a new tech company called Obsidian and their VR technology. We will also see Brainy’s relationship with Nia deepen as we watch him try to be vulnerable.
When asked about J’onn’s relationship with Manchester Black last season and Manchester challenging J’onn’s path of non-violence, David shares that, att his heart, J’onn is a law enforcement officer and will lean towards the side of justice. David also shares that he will will direct Episode 511, and he loves that he got to start his directorial journey on Supergirl.
Mehcad Brooks and Nicole Maines (5:48 – 10:46) chatted about how this is Mehcad’s last season. For him, it’s difficult to leave this family, but he’s looking.forward to new projects (developing a cable TV series). Mehcad also describes his exit as a gracious one and he’ll never say never to coming back to the series. The door is open!
For Nia, there is definitely unresolved conflict between she and her sister. But Nicole tells us that this will not be left up in the air. Resolution is coming and we will see character growth emerge from that. We will also see Nia learn even more about the full extent of her powers as Dreamer. There will be issues with balancing work with being a hero, plus a new relationship with Brainy.
We learned from Melissa Benoist and Sarah Schechter (11:06 – 15:39) that Melissa will direct an episode this season, which is both exciting and nerve-wracking for her. In terms of her character, Kara will continue to increase her journalism game. Supergirl doesn’t shy away from tackling timely issues (e.g. xenophobia) and Melissa says she’s proud of the writers room for doing so and proud to take a stance and state your values.
When asked about Lex Luthor, Sarah says the story will move along. Lex has been dealt with, but the shadow of the Luthor family continues to loom. Melissa and Sarah also talk about Episode 100 being this season!!! They don’t have too many details, but they want to make it special for fans.
Chyler Leigh and Azie Tesfai (16:01 – 21: 06) tell us that Alex and Kelly continue to get closer in their relationship. BUT it’s all about taking things one step at a time. Last season, the foundation of friendship was established, which allows the transition to romance to make sense. This season is about them finding balance and staying connected in spite of the chaos unfolding around them.
Chyler tells us that Alex is still very much thinking of adoption, but the trick is to portray the story delicately and tastefully. Yet, Alex and Kelly are very likeminded, so there’s no reason to rush. Azie also discusses Kelly’s new job at Obsidian Tech and the cool set. With that said, this company will put Kelly in serious danger.
EPs Jessica Queller and Robert Rovner (21:30 – 24:44) tell us that the writers love telling stories that reflect what’s going on in the real world, so this season, the series tackles the complicated role of technology in our lives and society. We’ll definitely see inspiration from shows like Black Mirror.
For the SuperCorp drama, Lena learning that Kara is Supergirl will be a huge test of their friendship and a central storyline in the next season.
While they don’t have much to tease about Supergirl in the CRISIS crossover, the writers do say that despite all the work to take on the crossovers every year with logistics and schedules, it’s very important to make them bigger and better for the fans.
As a major teaser for Season 5, we see that Kara is getting a new supersuit! The new suit, conceptualized by Supergirl costume designer Victoria Auth and created by Ironhead Studios and Bill Hargates Costumes, follows the evolution of supersuits in executive producer Greg Berlanti’s “Arrowverse,” which has seen redesigns of both the Arrow and Flash suits in recent years.
Kara is getting pants, y’all, and we can’t wait to see it in full effect.
Supergirl returns for its fifth season on Sunday, October 6, at 9/8c on The CW.
