From the very first episode of Supergirl, the show has not shied away from tying its mythology to that of Krypton’s most valuable former citizen, Superman. But as far as him actually being on the show, we’ve only seen him at a distance or in other ways that keep him somewhat hidden. That’s all changing soon, as the producers are looking to cast the Man of Steel for a later Season 1 episode. Only, he’s actually going to be the Boy of Steel.
It turns out the show still isn’t looking to make Superman a major character in the show’s present day, but they’re looking to get a younger version of the character for a Kal-El-infused flashback scene. According to TVLine, there’s a casting notice out there that states the show’s creative team is hunting down a 13-year-old actor to take the part, and one who has “future leading man looks.” And though it’s initially being set up as a one-off role, there’s a chance that he could be a recurring character later on.
No real details have been provided on what we might expect to see from lil’ Superman, only that the flashbacks establish the bond between him and cousin Kara. Considering we’ve already met Kara’s mother Alura, as well as the twin sister Astra, it’ll be pretty great to meet up with another member of this family. And if it takes place on Krypton, that’s even cooler.
One has to wonder whether bringing in proto-Superman was an idea that developers Greg Berlanti, Andrew Kreisberg and Ali Adler were keeping in their back pocket from the beginning, or if the recent ratings issues caused them to rethink how and when they wanted to bring Superman to the story, knowing that he’s an instant attention-grabber. Nobody could blame them for going the latter route. It’s entirely possible we were always going to meet him at some point, even though it was stated time and again that he wouldn’t be a part of the show as not to take focus away from Melissa Benoist’s costumed hero. I guess the best way to skew that is to make him a teenager.
If Supergirl manages to stay on the air for another bunch of years, we could perhaps see Kal-El grow into his more recognizable persona later on, after he gets all those games of Seven Minutes in Heaven out of the way. His debut will come during Episode 13, which is expected to air at some point in early 2016 after the show returns from its midseason hiatus.
Supergirl airs every Monday night on CBS, with the next episode “Red Faced” pitting Kara with DC great Red Tornado.
