CBS is casting Supergirl and a Few Friends

CBS released a casting call sheet for Supergirl, along with four of her friends and enemies. Turns out that not just Supergirl is getting a reworked origin story, either.

While fans will have to wait years to see a female superhero on the big screen, CBS has given the all clear to start casting DC Entertainment‘s Supergirl.

In comics, Supergirl is Superman‘s Kryptonian cousin Kara Zor-El but TVLine dropped the latest news that Kara Zor-El will be going by the name Kara Danvers. In an interesting turn, the studio’s actually looking at actresses around the age of 24 to play 24-year-old Kara. Not always a done thing in Hollywood. However, Kara Danvers will mostly-likely be played by a Caucasian woman–since that’s all the casting calls are requesting.

And this origin story is similar to Smallville‘s relationship to Clark and Kents:

Kara at age 12 was sent from her dying home planet of Krypton to Earth, where she was taken in by the Danvers, a foster family who taught her to be careful with her extraordinary powers. After repressing said skills for more than a decade, Kara is forced to bust out her super moves in public during an unexpected disaster. Energized by her heroism for the first time in her life, she begins embracing her abilities in the name of helping the people of her city, earning herself a super moniker along the way.

‘Supergirl’ TV Series Main Character Details Revealed – http://t.co/TuTMefH7et pic.twitter.com/Z9Ac6NDI4p— Screen Rant (@screenrant) October 30, 2014

The Mary Sue noticed the Danvers name /4/reference the fact Supergirl’s also gone by Linda Danvers and Linda Lee Danvers in the past. Even though “it’s sure to drive Supergirl purists a little crazy,” the continuity mashup /4/be good for the show.

After all, when DC has an event every couple of years, origins stories are often rewritten or eliminated entirely. Remember, this is the same company that’s changed the movie version of Wonder Woman‘s made-of-clay storyline to Zeus‘s daughter in order to not confuse the audience. Simplicity is best seems to be DC Enterntainment’s motto.

The other main female in the television series is Alexandra “Alex” Danvers, Kara’s foster sister.

TV Line says, “Growing up, Alex was partly jealous of her sibling yet also fascinated by her abilities, prompting Alex to learn as much as she could about alien anthropology, sociology and culture.” Alex’s jealousy will probably cause problems for the siblings, even though she’s brilliant and beautiful all on her own. She also works for a secret government organization, which sounds a bit like Marvel‘s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. And sounds like Alex and Kara will face both ordinary and heroic challenges to overcome.

The Mary Sue also reports that TV Line released a few more character bios for the series…and a few seem a bit familiar.

Cat Grant’s described as “J.Lo by way of Anna Wintour.” CBS’s looking for women in their 40s, open to all ethnicities, to play the founder of CatCo. CatCo is a media conglomerate that Cat built, which means she needs a new personal assistant. Perfect for Kara, right?

James Olsen’ll show up, too. Open to all ethnicities in their late 20s to early 30s, this Olsen’s worldly, smart, and handsome with a side of alpha male. Too bad She/3/Moore’s busy on another CBS hit, and too old. But James is not all alpha male since the character is trustworthy and a good guy. Hello start of Kara’s crush.

Speaking of crushes, tech wiz Winslow ‘Wynn’ Schott’s carrying a big torch for next door neighbor Kara. At 20-something, he works for CatCo as a programmer, but loves his toys and gadgets. Somehow, he remains unaware of his own potential.

Remember that secret government agency? Kara /4/want to be careful when she meets Hank Henshaw. After learning the potential of saving lives, Supergirl gets caught on a do-gooding mission.

As an upstart CIA agent, Hensaw “grew obsessed with intergalactic intel.” And that obsession led him to run the DEO (Department of Extra-Normal Operations) in his 40s. Worried about the galactic future of Earth, Henshaw’s looking to figure Supergirl out.

It looks most of the characters will get a revamped origin story.

In the comics, gossip columnist Cat Grant originally started out as a love interest for Clark Kent/Superman, while Jimmy Olsen’s less worldly and more boy-next-door. And Henshaw’s currently a supervillain in the DC Comics universe, so it’s a shift to simply antagonist (for now).

Incidentally, Wynn’ll be a major superhero since the plot’s already gearing him up to be the Toyman, which uses his toys as very serious weapons, like acid-spraying water pistols, or wind-up tanks that are life-sized.

Supergirl seems to be digging into the depths of Superman mythology to create a well-developed mythos of its own. Greg Berlanti’s known for meaty, well-rounded roles—especially for women. Brothers and Sisters’ Nora Walker (Sally Field) alone shows that. And he’s currently working on the CW’s Arrow and Flash.

Interestingly enough, of the soon-to-be four series on TV, Supergirl and Gotham will not be a part of the CW universe, offering freedom in really developing strong stories away in different universes.

What will happen to the Supergirl series? Only time will tell, but Greg Berlanti is definitely out to make a strong impression from the get-go. Berlanti co-wrote the pilot script with Ali Alder, who is co-producing. Along for the ride is Berlanti Production’s Sarah Schechter and Warner Bros. TV.