BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. — The producers of “Supergirl” say Melissa Benoist was the first actress they saw for the role of Kara Zor-El, the caped cousin of Superman.
Executive producer Greg Berlanti describes her portrayal as “the most evocative since Christopher Reeves,” who played Superman.
Benoist and Berlanti, along with Calista Flockhart, Jeremy Jordan and other cast members and producers of the CBS series, spoke about the show at a panel discussion Monday at the Television Critics Association summer meeting.
The series premieres 8:30 p.m. Oct. 26.
Superman’s presence will be felt in “Supergirl,” but he won’t be seen.
“He will be a back-burnered life,” said Geoff Johns, DC Comics chief creative officer. “You won’t see him exactly on-screen. You will see him in the background, but he does play a part in her evolution of becoming a superhero.”