Supergirl will return for its fourth season in the fall, and the Season 3 finale upended the status quo in a way that has left plenty of room for new characters to turn up. We already know the identity of a new villain played by a Smallville veteran. Now, the show has announced the introduction of no fewer than three new characters, and one of them will be a superhero. Here's what you can expect.
The new superhero will be named Nia Nal but goes by the name Dreamer for her superhero exploits. She'll be the very first transgender hero on television. Dreamer will be played by transgender activist Nicole Maines, known for her work on Royal Pains, The Trans List, and the Becoming Nicole book). Nia Nal will enter the scene as the newest member of the team at CatCo, where she'll be a reporter. Her fierce drive to protect others will fuel her to become a superhero. CatCo has gone through a lot of changes, and it's looking more and more unlikely that we'll ever get Cat Grant back in any regular or even recurring capacity; some fresh blood at CatCo can only be a good thing, and who doesn't love a new superhero on a superhero show heading into its fourth season? She's the latest actor on board as a series regular, so viewers will see plenty of her.
Another new character sounds like another good guy, but she may not be quite as consistently on the up-and-up as a superhero would be. April Parker-Jones, known for The Last Ship and If Loving You Is Wrong, landed the role of Colonel Haley. She's a woman who has made her entire career throughout her lifetime in the military, and she operates based on what her commanding officers require and ask of her. Absolutely dedicated to her country, she intends without fail to further the greater good, even if that greater good is bad for her. Supergirl and Co. don't always have the best luck with military people, so it should be interesting to see if Colonel Haley's determination to act in the country's best interest will put her in Supergirl's way. Hopefully you're excited at the prospect of Colonel Haley's introduction, as she too is a series regular.
Unlike Dreamer and Colonel Haley, this third character will not be entirely original to Supergirl. David Ajala (Jupiter Ascending, Falling Water) will play Manchester Black, who will be based on a DC Comics character. He'll have some differences and similarities to his comic counterpart, so even his biggest comic fans may not know what exactly to expect from him. The Supergirl version of Manchester Black reportedly could be expected to do something seemingly foolish like bring a knife to a gunfight, but it doesn't seem so foolish when he walks away from the fight as the victor. He comes to Supergirl with a dark past that affects how he views the world, and he attempts to offset the violence and ruthlessness of his quest with a sense of humor and as much charm as he can muster. David Ajala will recur in Season 4.
Stay tuned to CinemaBlend for the latest in superhero and Arrow-verse news. Supergirl will move to a new time slot when it returns in the fall, so be sure to check out The CW's fall premiere guide for the details. If you're not up on the shows available before the fall, swing by our summer TV premiere schedule. Our 2018 Netflix lineup is worth checking out as well, as plenty of superhero shows are available streaming, including all three current seasons of Supergirl. Don't forget to swing by our list of Supergirl characters we absolutely want to see return in Season 4.
