There’s not a ton of mystery surrounding CBS’ Supergirl series. We already know a lot about Supergirl herself and the actress, Melissa Benoist, who will be playing her, but one question we’ve had on the casting front has been about who Dean Cain and Helen Slater will be playing. Now, new evidence indicates that Cain and Slater have signed on to play Kara Zor-El’s adoptive parents, the Danvers, in the new series.
Former Lois & Clark: The Adventures of Superman actor Dean Cain and Supergirl actress Helen Slater signed on to the series just a couple of weeks ago. At the time, their roles were still a mystery, but new evidence indicates Cain will be playing Kara’s adoptive dad Fred Danvers and Slater will play Kara’s adoptive mother, Sylvia. CBS hasn’t officially confirmed the actual nature of the two actors’ castings, yet, but Supergirl’s IMDB page says that is who Dean and Slater will be playing. If it proves true, it would make a lot of sense, considering the other characters who have already been cast in the series and the roles they have signed on for. Slater and Cain are both in the right age range to play parents, as well.
The two actors have had connections in the Superman universe for quite some time, now. Cain actually played Superman in Lois & Clark, and appeared in the CW series Smallville. Slater is known for playing Supergirl in the 1984 film of the same name; she also played Superman’s mom Lara-El in Smallville. It’s clear they are a good fit for the universe and it should be nice to see them take on substantial roles in Supergirl should the news hold true.
While casting has not been 100% confirmed for Cain and Slater, we do already know a lot about Supergirl, which will follow Kara Zor-El as she begins to deal with her powers on Earth. Kara Zor-El will be adopted by the Danver family after coming to Earth at the age of 12 and at the start of the series, she will be in her twenties, although her origin story on Earth will also be a part of the CBS drama. A slew of names have already been cast, as well.
Chief among them is Calista Flockhart, who has joined Supergirl as Kara’s boss. Chyler Leigh will play Kara Danvers’ sister Alexandra, Laura Benanti will play Kara’s Krypton mother Alura, and Mehcad Brooks will take on the role of Jimmy Olsen. On the baddie end, David Harewood will play Superman villain Hank Henshaw and Faran Tahir has signed on as a villain in the pilot. We know who most of the actors involved will be playing, but it’s nice to know who Cain and Slater should be on board to play, as well.
Supergirl has already earned a series commitment from CBS, and a pilot is currently in production. We’ll let you know as more details from the new drama emerge.
