The biggest news about Supergirl (at least since the announcement that the show would be moving to The CW) has been much more about Clark Kent than Kara Danvers. Superman himself is on the way for Season 2, and we'll be getting a double dose of all things Super when the cousins team up to fight for truth, justice, and the Earth-3 American way. According to executive producer Andrew Kreisberg, the timing is perfect for a Kryptonian family reunion, and here's how he defended the upcoming introduction of Superman on Supergirl.
I think we've spent a year establishing her, and the year ended triumphantly with her saving the world, so there wasn't any sort of doubt that Supergirl couldn't do it on her own. It felt like you weren't bringing him in to save the day. It was bringing him in the same way that the crossovers with Flash and the Arrow...it becomes about a partnership. It becomes about deepening the characters' relationships, not "Well, Arrow couldn't do it alone!" or "Flash couldn't do it alone!" So that's why it felt right.
Kara certainly did end Season 1 on a pretty high note. Unlike the other two DC TV shows with a single superhero lead, no love interests and/or best friends were unceremoniously killed off or brought back to life via time travel. She saved the whole world from a terrible fate on her own accord, and even her cliffhanger wasn't too foreboding. Kara got as close to a DC TV happily-ever-after as possible after Season 1. There's no doubt that she's a superhero in her own right, even if her cousin happens to be more well known.
It makes a certain degree of sense that Supergirl will properly introduce Superman in its first season on The CW, rather than keeping him in the background. A huge crossover between Supergirl and the network's other DC shows is in the works, and Kara will soon be interacting with heroes galore. Kicking off Season 2 by introducing one of the most legendary comic characters of all time as her side character could be the perfect way to ease her into a TV universe filled with similarly big personalities. Kara may currently live on a different Earth than Barry on The Flash and Oliver on Arrow, but they'll be interacting sooner rather than later. Her world is about to get a lot bigger; the growth may as well start with the Man of Steel showing up to say hi to the Girl of Steel.
Of course, there are some major differences between a Supergirl/Superman team-up and the first Flash/Arrow team-up. Barry and Oliver are very different kinds of superheroes with very different strengths and weaknesses. Their relationship has deepened thanks to their differences as vigilantes as much as their similarities as good guys. Superman's debut on Supergirl would be akin to a Batman appearance on Arrow. Arrow is Oliver's show, but Batman is Batman. Supergirl is amazing and fantastic and has proved her worth as a hero, but Superman is Superman.
Supergirl may have a hard time finding a way to keep the focus on Kara as it introduces Clark. Hopefully Andrew Kreisberg and the Supergirl team can strike a balance to make Superman fun without overshadowing Supergirl, even if it's a temporary stay. Kreisberg did go on in his chat with IGN to tease that Kara won't be overly impressed by her cousin's fame.
Only time will tell how Superman will do when he makes his grand entrance on Supergirl. Season 2 premieres on Monday, October 10 at 8 p.m. ET. on The CW. Check out our fall TV premiere schedule to see when your other favorite shows will return to the airwaves.
