Why CBS's Supergirl Should Be Superman-less

[AndyB]

I have been thinking about this for an incredibly long time ever since the show was announced and it's something that I wouldn't have any problems with, although I can see how some will see it as controversial but....I think Supergirl should be the only Kryptonian on the show and actually exclude Superman all together.

I'm honestly not interested in getting allusions, hints or nods to Superman at all in this show because the show should be about Kara and people should be excited about her show rather than watch the show and ask, "Sooooo, when will Kal-El show up?". Yes, I know that they are going to future a number of Superman characters on the show, but we already know that characters like Hank Henshaw, James Olsen and even Cat Grant will be done very differently on this show, so who is to say that we can't use Superman characters but put a Supergirl take on them?

Something that I think this show can succeed with easily - and this is something that I know that DC has been working with a lot for many years - is to make Kara/Supergirl more of her own character and fade away from the status of "Superman's cousin" because a lot of people simply know her as only that, even though she is such a great character by herself.

I'm not saying that they should essentially give her Superman's origin and all of his friends and villains, because they would only be making a Superman show, but with Supergirl. I do think we should have some characters from his rogue gallery as well as new ones too, but at the end of the day, I want to see the story of an amazing superhero and see a brand new take on her. And to do that, I think they shouldn't have a Clark Kent/Kal-El/Superman at all in this universe.

Now I know for a lot of big Superman fans (including me) will probably not be too happy about this idea/possibility, but I want to hear from you all: would you be fine if Supergirl didn't have a Superman out there somewhere in the new TV show?

[BoyScout-ManOfTomorrow]

I'd be fine without Superman appearing on the show. It's better than getting pandering nods and winks. Kickass guest star appearances would be sweet though. IF Superman is going to appear then use them sparingly and to the fullest effect a TV-show allows it to happen.

What I wish the show would tackle is the Legion of Superheroes and effectively making Kara a member. It's tough on a TV-show budget but a couple Doctor Who episodes per season could potentially be amazing.

[AndyB]

I'd be fine without Superman appearing on the show. It's better than getting pandering nods and winks. Kickass guest star appearances would be sweet though. IF Superman is going to appear then use them sparingly and to the fullest effect a TV-show allows it to happen.

What I wish the show would tackle is the Legion of Superheroes and effectively making Kara a member. It's tough on a TV-show budget but a couple Doctor Who episodes per season could potentially be amazing.

I would love to get Legion of Super-Heroes on the show, that's another great aspect that I like of her where she is separated from Superman. I'm sure with CBS money, they could do at least one or two of those per season.

[MysticJeddai]

Please keep your comic book fantasies separate from the TV shows and movies. Nobody at the studios care what you want or what you think. Deal with it. I just hope it's good.

[KSiteTV]

I actually agree with this post, so much. If Superman is in this world the #1 question, ALWAYS, will be "where is Superman?" kind of like S.H.I.E.L.D. always has the fans wondering why Iron Man just doesn't save the day instead. And - this was a problem when Kara herself was a regular on Smallville - having another character with the same powers and possibly more, makes your lead character look lamer.

Now, I might be okay with thinking Clark Kent is still young and learning of his powers in Smallville as a kid while Kara is doing her thing wherever she is... but if they're contemporaries, like I said, big can of worms.

The other possibility is that they tie things to Man of Steel somehow, which I don't expect but hey, anything's possible... and, again, we'll just wonder where her famous cousin is. That was one weird thing in the 1984 movie, where all we saw of Superman was on a poster on her wall. At least there they had the excuse that the movie was only so long, whereas a weekly TV series, the guy is bound to show up sometime.

[AndyB]

I actually agree with this post, so much. If Superman is in this world the #1 question, ALWAYS, will be "where is Superman?" kind of like S.H.I.E.L.D. always has the fans wondering why Iron Man just doesn't save the day instead. And - this was a problem when Kara herself was a regular on Smallville - having another character with the same powers and possibly more, makes your lead character look lamer.

Now, I might be okay with thinking Clark Kent is still young and learning of his powers in Smallville as a kid while Kara is doing her thing wherever she is... but if they're contemporaries, like I said, big can of worms.

The other possibility is that they tie things to Man of Steel somehow, which I don't expect but hey, anything's possible... and, again, we'll just wonder where her famous cousin is. That was one weird thing in the 1984 movie, where all we saw of Superman was on a poster on her wall. At least there they had the excuse that the movie was only so long, whereas a weekly TV series, the guy is bound to show up sometime.

I think you are right about there being too much of the same re: Kara on Smallville, but I didn't mind it initially because Laura Vandervoort made me like her so much in that role. But with Supergirl, it's a fresh start and I think they should just make it a thing from the get-go that Superman doesn't exist. Heck, I even want Supergirl to lead to the creation of Superboy where he could perhaps show up on a superhero group show that could come to cable some day, if they happen to be in the same universe and so on, but that's a huge question for another day.

I understand what your statement about having a young Clark Kent somewhere out there still discovering his powers in Smallville, but just offscreen. To me though, I would prefer to not have him in the universe at all. I think she should get to be the only Kryptonian in this universe. Also, with the chances of Supergirl being part of the Flarrow Universe, I would be even happier if Supes didn't exist then - DC TV Trinity (Arrow = Batman, Flash = Superman and Supergirl = Wonder Woman) which I strongly believe in.

But if he exists somewhere out there, I feel that we will have to live the question of "where is he?" all the time in the media (panels etc). Even though there will still be people asking where he is, I think it will be much better to make it clear from day 1: Supergirl Has No Superman In Her World.

[DigificWriter]

^ We already know, as per the official synopsis, that Superman DOES exist in the series' world.

However, the very fact that he exists does not equal - and should not be seen as equaling - a requirement that he show up, and, personally, I think any argument/viewpoint to the contrary is rather flawed.

If the series has a strong narrative, people are going to be focused on that narrative without worrying about things like Superman existing but not showing up occasionally to help out.

The fact that people keep wondering why people like Iron Man don't show up on AoS is more of a negative reflection on that series' internal narrative than it is a 'requirement' that that character - and others like him - have an ongoing presence in said series.

[Halberdier17]

I think since the synopsis says he exists and with the ages of Cat Grant and Jimmy Olsen to be in their 30s or 40s that Superman would have to be in his late 40s to early 50s in this show.

[DigificWriter]

^ How do you figure that Clark/Kal-El has to be that old, especially if Kara's journey directly mirrors that of his own (as seems to be a distinct possibility given the official synopsis and character description of Kara herself)?

[Halberdier17]

^ How do you figure that Clark/Kal-El has to be that old, especially if Kara's journey directly mirrors that of his own (as seems to be a distinct possibility given the official synopsis and character description of Kara herself)?

Superman is usually older than Cat Grant and Jimmy Olsen.

They are looking for someone early to mid 30s to play James Olsen. They are looking for someone in their late 30s to early 40s to play Cat Grant.

[DigificWriter]

^ "Usually" is not a word that should EVER be used in conjunction with an adaptation.

There's no mandate saying that, in this show's universe, Jimmy and Cat can't be older than Clark, nor should there be.

[Stebob1984]

Superman is the be all and end all of the DCU for me however I agree with Superman not appearing in Supergirl. Set it in its own universe there's your explanation (could even be the Arrow/Flash Universe). Infact they should redesign the S so it's unique to this version of Supergirl aswell.

I do however think they should use this series to reintroduce Superboy/Kon-El to the DCU on TV. Have Cadmus be the villains on Season 2 and in Season 2 they get Supergirl's DNA and create Superboy. Have him almost destroy Kara on the mid season finale of Season 2 and by the end of the season have it so he's switched sides and joined up with Kara.

[DigificWriter]

^ As has been said, we already know Superman exists in the show's universe, so the statement that he shouldn't exist is already pretty much a 'non-starter'.

However, as has also been said, his existence doesn't mean that the show has to include him, and I could very easily see Berlanti, Adler, and Schecter crafting a perfectly viable narrative reality for the show without ever doing anything more than occasionally referencing him and his exploits.

[Stebob1984]

^ As has been said, we already know Superman exists in the show's universe, so the statement that he shouldn't exist is already pretty much a 'non-starter'.

However, as has also been said, his existence doesn't mean that the show has to include him, and I could very easily see Berlanti, Adler, and Schecter crafting a perfectly viable narrative reality for the show without ever doing anything more than occasionally referencing him and his exploits.

No we don't that synopsis did not confirm that as people have said.

[DigificWriter]

^ Yes, it did.

The original CBS synopsis for Supergirl (with emphasis added by me):
"Based on the DC Comics character, the drama tells the story of Kara Zor-El, who was born on the planet Krypton, but escaped amid its destruction years ago. Since arriving on Earth, she’s been hiding the powers she shares with her famous cousin Superman. But now, at age 24, she decides to embrace her superhuman abilities and be the hero she was always meant to be."