Supergirl has a knack for finding the perfect actors with sci-fi and/or superhero experience to tackle roles, and the show has now cast an important role with a performer that Star Trek franchise fans are sure to recognize. Brent Spiner, who debuted in the Trek universe as the android Data on The Next Generation, will appear throughout the fourth season of Supergirl. Spiner is on board is the Vice President of the United States. Here's what we know.
Brent Spiner landed the role of Vice President Baker for Supergirl Season 4. Despite holding one of the most significant offices in the United States government as VP, Baker is not a man who many would consider a likely leader. He'll need to rise to the occasion when his country comes to need him in some key ways, although it's not currently known what those ways are. He has the intelligence and political savvy to serve as a competent public official, but leadership is not something that comes naturally to him. The role is recurring, so we can count on seeing Spiner as VP Baker throughout the fourth season when it kicks off on a new night this fall.
While we can only speculate about what will force Vice President Baker to rise to the occasion in Season 4, my money is on Agent Liberty having something to do with it. The President of the United States as of the end of Season 3 was Olivia Marsdin, a.k.a. an alien posing as a human to live a normal -- if rather high-profile -- life on Earth. Lynda Carter reprised the role a couple of times after appearing in early Season 2, but there is no sign at the moment that she's returning for Season 4.
Is VP Baker's suddenly prominent role due to President Marsdin being outed as an alien to remove her from office by Agent Liberty? From what we know of Agent Liberty courtesy of the Season 4 trailer, such a move certainly sounds like something he would do, and it would explain why Baker will need to step up into an unlikely role. He is described as "Vice President," so Marsdin may not be totally removed from office if this is the case, but we'll have to wait and see. Could this be what brings Superman back into the fold?
How fantastic is it that the man playing the VP to the woman who played one of the most iconic superheroes of all time will be played by one of the most iconic actors from the Star Trek franchise? In addition to his work on Star Trek: The Next Generation in the Trek universe, Brent Spiner appeared in Trek films Generations, First Contact, Insurrection, and Nemesis. He also appeared in 1996's Independence Day as well as its 2016 sequel.
On the small screen front on top of Star Trek, Brent Spiner has appeared on The Librarians, The Blacklist, and Outcast, to name a few. Throw in the fact that he's an accomplished voice actor, and we can bet that he has the right amount of experience to make his mark on Supergirl. You can find him in action as Vice President Baker when Supergirl returns for Season 4, with the premiere airing on Sunday, October 14 at 8 p.m. ET on The CW. Our fall TV schedule can fill you in on other important dates in the coming months.
