Like her famous cousin, Supergirl has a visually distinctive costume. While most iterations of her look have borrowed the colors and S-shield from the Superman suit, she has made adjustments to make herself look unique, whether it’s substituting a skirt or differentiating the color scheme. For the upcoming Supergirl TV series, no official details have been released about the costume she’ll be wearing when fighting crime, but now we know one element from the comics will probably be kept for live-action: the cape.
According to a Supergirl audition video posted by actor Jesse Liebman (via ComicBook.com), Kara may wear the iconic cape in Supergirl, and if so, it will be designed by main character Winslow “Wynn” Schott, better known in the comics as Toyman. As the dialogue below shows, there’s actually a good reason for keeping the cape beyond merely looking cool.
Wynn: I always thought a cape was a little presentational and over-the-top, but it aids with aerodynamics. I should've thought of that.
The other lines of dialogue from the audition videos show that Winslow is fully aware Kara has superpowers and is from another planet, and he's fully on board with helping her start her superhero career. In this case, thanks to his mom teaching him how to sew, he will be the one creating the costume and cape she’ll wear while fighting crime. Being a smart guy, he knows that the cape will come in handy while flying, although is it really worth it when a powerful enemy could just grab it to toss her aside during battle?
There are also lines that confirm previous details about Winslow, such as him being her neighbor and having a crush on her. With the latter, he’s not exactly subtle about expressing his feelings. In the comics, Schott as Toyman is one of Superman’s more well-known (if not powerful) villains, so if he starts out as Kara’s friend on the series, viewers shouldn’t be surprised if he turns to the dark side if she rejects him, or for some other reason.
Supergirl has worn a cape in most of her appearances outside comic books, most notably in Supergirl: The Movie and Superman: The Animated Series. One exception was Laura Vandervoort’s Kara in the TV series Smallville, although her clothes were still the traditional red and blue. Speaking of, the article didn’t give any hints on what the Supergirl TV costume or cape would look like, although if they’re adhering to the source material, as well as taking into account that Superman also exists in this world, it’s likely that the cape will be red and possibly have the S-shield emblazoned on it.
Supergirl has earned a series commitment from CBS, so stay tuned for more information on its progression in the coming months.
