Next week, on Tuesday, January 11, The CW is introducing another DC Comics-based series… but this one is different from what we’ve seen in quite a while. Much like Smallville 20 years ago, there’s no costume in this one (for now)… and like that series set in a leafy little hamlet in the days of The WB, it instead begins at the very start of the hero’s journey. The show is Naomi, based on the comic book series by Brian Michael Bendis, David F. Walker, and Jamal Campbell, and is brought to television by the legendary Ava DuVernay with Arrow’s Jill Blankenship. Playing the lead character of Naomi McDuffie is Kaci Walfall who many may have seen on The Equalizer in the past year.
Without making a full review (yet), we will say that Kaci Walfall is fantastic in the role, playing a character that all audiences can relate to regardless of age or background. In playing Naomi, Kaci is going to find herself as a hero to a lot of young people, and it’s a role she plays flawlessly. KSiteTV was among a group of journalists who were able to speak with Kaci Walfall before the holidays in anticipation of the series premiere… and of course, the first thing we asked her about was something we have in common with Naomi McDuffie: Our love of Superman.
On the show, Naomi runs a fan site dedicated to Superman (but alas, it’s not KryptonSite nor is there any mention of it on the show…) and the pilot episode features a “whoosh and you’ll miss him” appearance by what at least appears to be the Man of Steel. But how would Naomi react if she ever came face to face with the world’s greatest superhero?
“You know, she has a couple interactions with him in the comic, and I think that they are so hilarious,” Kaci points out (indeed, Naomi is currently a member of the Justice League in the comic books). “I think that if she were to be him in person, she would probably probably faint…. not in the way [she did] in the pilot, but in the way that it’s like ‘this is real!’ and she would ask him 20 million questions,” she adds. And now being in the DC TV world, of course there are some actors Kaci Walfall herself would like to meet.
“I would love to meet Grant Gustin… I love The Flash,” Kaci enthuses. “Candice Patton. Melissa Benoist, I love Supergirl. Javicia Leslie…. there are so many great people telling great stories within the DC world that I would love to meet.” But, alas, for now at least, Naomi is not in the same spot in the multiverse as those other people.
“It’s a different universe. She can’t necessarily call on the Flash, and she can’t necessarily call on Supergirl,” Kaci confirms. “But then, I also think that that allows for her to grow more, and it allows for her to learn for herself. In her universe, she has people like Dee. He doesn’t have all the answers, but he can teach her more about her hero life that she’s navigating it throughout the series. I also think the show is different because it’s a different narrative and a different story that’s told. The show is kind of lighter, but it’s also much darker and much more personal.”
So, without having Barry Allen on speed dial, who else might Naomi rely on in her super squad?
“Her friends are crucial to the story, because it’s she’s a teenager and it’s set in a teenage world,” Kaci explains. “She has her best friend Annabelle, who’s also very crucial in the pilot played by Mary-Charles Jones, and that is one of my favorite relationships in the show. I think that she leans a lot on Annabelle, and I think that Annabelle’s positivity really helps Naomi have a sense of normalcy.”
Naomi also has a friend named Lourdes (Camila Moreno) who works in a comic book shop. “I think Naomi thinks that Lourdes is really cool and loves being around her,” Kaci teases. Also rounding out the group of friends are Anthony (Will Meyers), a friend of Naomi’s who is in the school debate club with her, and Annabelle’s boyfriend Jacob (Aidan Gemme) who is also in the club. Finally, there’s Nathan (Daniel Puig), Naomi’s ex-boyfriend who has still maintained a great friendship with her.
Going back to the launch of Smallville 20 years ago, that show had the promise of “no flights and no tights.” Might Naomi have a similar mantra? Perhaps not, judging from Kaci Walfall’s response.
“I think that the suit in the comics is amazing, and I can’t wait till Naomi gets one,” she says.
Stay tuned… Naomi premieres January 11 on The CW. Visit KSiteTV’s Naomi portal NaomiDCTV for more on the series, including several trailers, preview images, and more!
