Exclusive: Final Supergirl Season Will Establish Supergirl Is Stronger Than Superman
Our exclusive source has filled us in on what's in store for Supergirl in this final season.
This article is more than 2 years old
The sixth season of Supergirl on The CW has a responsibility to tell the last of what they can about Kara Danvers. Fans waited for a delayed release due to the coronavirus pandemic. They’ve stuck with this character for all these years. If the writers have anything left to say about Supergirl, now is the time. Well, according to our trusted and proven source, the writers would like to establish one last important detail about the Kryptonian played by Melissa Benoist: she’s stronger than her cousin, Superman.
The first question we had is about their plans for how they’ll establish this, and the second question was when. Our source wasn’t able to share what episode this will first be established in. We’re currently part way through the airing of the sixth and final season in the United States. Actress Melissa Benoist told Entertainment Weekly that she knows the series ending and that she’s really happy about it. At this point, it’s not out of the question that they won’t bring this up until the final episode. We’re nearly halfway through the season, so that’s possible, but would be disappointing. Wouldn’t it be better for them to establish that Supergirl is stronger than Superman as early as possible, so they have time to explore this better?
Fans of DC Comics may be less surprised by the news that Supergirl is stronger than Superman since this has long been established in the books. Supervillains mention that she’s physically stronger. Batman has a lot of musings about why this could be. One of the possibilities is that as Kryptonians, their energy source comes from solar radiation. This isn’t about muscle mass, but about absorbing and using energy. In the various backstories her character has been given in the comics, she’s had more opportunity for radiation to make her stronger. Over the decades in the comics, this is something that’s been brought up a fair amount.
How is this going to go down with audiences for The CW series? The execution is going to matter. It wouldn’t take much for it to feel cheap or extraneous. In the few episodes they have left, they’ll need to make it matter somehow to the story they’re telling for Supergirl. It may also need to matter for Superman, played by Tyler Hoechlin, who still has his own show on Superman & Lois for The CW.
Unless the writers find a satisfying way to tie this into the story, it may only be frustrating, because of the lost potential for what could have been if they had established this earlier on the show. We could have seen Supergirl and Superman navigate this terrain. We could have seen an Arrowverse where the two navigated what this really meant for what they could do, who should handle what situations, and how Clark Kent handled this. He’s stronger than other humans, which Superman often almost sees as a burden because he has to be careful not to hurt them.
Clark Kent’s secret has always been something that keeps him separate from others. And yet, it would still be understandable if Supergirl being physically stronger than him made him question some of his perceptions of himself, as his superior strength is an important part of his identity. This is a relatable issue, and would have been something that could have been explored at various points during the series. Tyler Hoechlin, who plays Superman for The CW, was on six episodes of Supergirl. This wouldn’t have necessarily been the theme of the whole show, but could have been better explored in those episodes if it had been established earlier.
In terms of what it means to Kara Danvers, it would have been good to see more about how she handles this. There could be a lot of value to seeing a strong superhero on screen, not doing anything to diminish her own power. Never making herself smaller to make Superman feel better. It will be good to see Supergirl discover this and establish it on screen. And while it will hopefully mean a super powerful and great touch to the ending of her character’s journey on this series, it would have been something interesting to see established sooner than right before the end. Of course, the show writers may have an idea for this that fully justifies waiting. All fans can really ask for at this point is that after six full seasons on The CW, they give Kara Danvers the send-off she deserves. Here’s hoping they make it awesome.
