Supergirl @ Comic-Con: ‘Grounded’ Season 4 Brings Back Kara the Reporter
Supergirl is getting back to her roots in Season 4 — or Kara Danvers‘ roots, to be exact.
“Kara Danvers the reporter is going to be as big of a hero this season as Supergirl,” executive producer Jessica Queller previewed during the show’s San Diego Comic-Con panel on Saturday. The EP promised that there will be “a lot of CatCo.” as journalism is “going to be a big part of the season.”
The more down-to-Earth storyline is driven by a desire to touch on real-life topical issues. “Last year, we were in outer space a lot,” EP Robert Rovner acknowledged. “This year, we wanted to make the show a little more grounded. We wanted to take this opportunity to reflect on some of the things that are happening in our world.”
“We’re living in a very divisive world right, and National City is going to reflect that,” Queller added, revealing that the theme of the season is, “What Is Stronger: Hope or Fear?” As part of that arc, “There is going to be this rising anti-alien sentiment,” leaving Supergirl to wonder, “How can she be a beacon of hope when she represents what people are afraid of?”
Other highlights from the panel Q&A:
* Speaking about the Red Son-ish cliffhanger from the Season 3 finale, Rovner said, “We tease it out in the beginning, and then it becomes a big centerpiece [in] the latter part of the season.”
* “Balance is a big thing for [Alex] this season,” Chyler Leigh previewed. With her new title at the DEO, “she’s stepping in and trying to find her footing,” while also juggling her desire to start a family. “Motherhood, that side of it, will be part of the journey.”
* Now that Jesse Rath is a series regular, “there’s a learning curve” for Brainy back on Earth, the actor shared. “Also this season, socially, he will butt heads with a couple people,” DEO boss Alex included.
* The show’s newest addition, Nicole Maines, described her character, Nia — the first-ever transgender superhero on TV — as “so wide-eyed” and “so pure.” “She’s worked for Cat Grant in Washington, D.C., and she’s been sent to National City,” where “she’s taken under Kara’s wing” as a reporter and superhero, the actress described. “She has this ferocious drive to protect and to fight against discrimination. She’s the superhero we need right now.”
* Mehcad Brooks hinted that there will be “fallout” from James choosing to unmask himself as Guardian last season.
* What will the characters make of Kate Kane aka Batwoman, in this December’s Arrowverse crossover? “I think Alex might really like her,” EP Sarah Schechter surmised with a smile. “I think strong women like each other, and strong women support each other. They definitely have very different ways of behaving in the world, but I think, ultimately, they’ll agree that women should be in charge.”
Supergirl Season 4 premieres on its new night, Sunday, Oct. 14 at 8/7c on The CW, leading into the Charmed reboot.
From the looks of it, i’m going to enjoy season 4.
I am excited too. I still miss Cat and will miss Winn.
But I like Brainy, so that’s a plus. I am excited about the Red Daughter take on the Superman Red Son story. I can her Russian counterpart looking a little Power Girlish.
Glad Clark Kent and Lois lane will be visiting.
Would love Batwoman to exist on SG’S earth.
Would love legends to visit her world and maybe travel back in time to see young Clark.
Would love a black lightning and thunder cross over too.
Those things will probably never happen, but I think S4 will be good and I think the show will survive it’s move to Sunday.
Really thankful for a return to CatCo. I’m pretty much over the constant DEO. And hopefully Alex is a badass again this year and not like she spent most of last season.
Same; the overabundance of the DEO pretty ruined much of last season for me.
i feel the same way. i mean if they’re going to show kara at the deo more often than at her real job then the deo should at least pay her too
I would be more excited if it also had the return of Cat Grant.
Supergirl was already heavy on the not so subtle political overtones. Way too much. So now they are going to “reflect” on current events more in S4? This already badly written and produced show looks to be even worse. Uggh.
god i hope not. they can barely do it well
I see your back with your complaining. Why don’t you not watch and quit coming on here and moaning.
I hear you, Cali56. I think it’s great when tv shows address issues our world has. But it needs to be done right, so that it doesn’t result in out-of-character behavior and/or isn’t downright off-putting. Unfortunately, the Supergirl producers have so far *not* done it right.
Good scoop about the new season. The trailer for Season 4 looks good! So excited to watch the new season!
Was there any talk about how often we’ll get to see Winn?
Looks like the series is shooting for Emmy recognition next season. Hopefully, the production delays from Season Three are in the rear view mirror.
I am sad to see they are going to be more political this season. One of the reasons I watch these shows is to escape from the horrible that is happening around us daily. I am not sure I want to watch this season if this is going to bring all the stress and conflict of our world into the show. To me Supergirl does not take place on this earth so why do we have to bring our political mess onto this show.
It is really too bad. I keep hoping for good things with this show. I just don’t think I can spend another hour being bombarded with the current political conflicts.
Because without the political reflection the show is peaceful and serene??? You just don’t like the view it presents, that’s all.
Actually you know nothing about me. I absolutely agree with ALL of their political views. I have been to the marches, donated money and have written my Congressmen/ women. I just need an escape from it every once in a while. I don’t need peaceful, but I don’t need to see the hate of OUR current political climate on the show.
Please don’t assume that just because someone needs an escape means they are against the views they are presenting. I know many friends who are also liberal and agree with the views presented that are disappointed in the current course. Sometimes people just need a place to go to have fun and forget sometimes.
There is subtlety and there is the sledgehammer. Star Trek presenting a former freedom fighter as first officer and her gender being the mundanest fact about her is subtle. Blatantly exclaiming that thanks to Supergirl someone’s daugher has finally a female hero to look up to is sledgehammer. And on-the-nose is always way more annoying and thus counter-productive than subtle.
What is your comment in response to?
fiberlicious
Well. Hope for a S4 with things to actually like just went *poof*. Berlanti & Co. should have gotten rid of Queller and Rovner before they finished sabotaging this show to death. I hear almost nothing from this panel to look forward to.
Alex’s OOC kid obsession? Hard no. Wrong for the show, wrong for the character. Let it go.
Trans character they will surely do a disservice to – check
More no chemistry James/Lena relationship – check
Teasing another insulting, character damaging hookup for Alex – check
Dumb Supergirl/Lena “conflict” – check
Doubling down on OOC Kara deceiving Lena – check
The only thing I hear I like is more reporter Kara and more CatCo. But I bet they screw that up too.
ATTN: Supergirl Staff. You can’t do romantic relationships (except Alex & Maggie, which someone sabotaged) so STOP TRYING! It won’t fix everything but it’s something.
You always have so many complaints and hate for this series. Stop watching then if you don’t enjoy it.
They’ve given us a lot to complain about. No hate though, I love the show, or I want to. I haven’t given up, I want love it again like I did in S1 and most of S2. People have thrown in the towel and walked away in huge numbers. I don’t want to be one of them, I don’t want to be pushed to that. But I also want a quality story that’s worth caring about. Simply accepting whatever junk is thrown at the screen is not how you get better shows.
I can’t stand Alex storyline. I don’t want to see her adopting a baby or talking about that. This season was annoying enough. They need to drop that ASAP.
Totally agree.
If Kara is returning to journalism, can we please get Calista Flockhart to return as Cat Grant for a few episodes?
AGREED.
I think in this day and age, they can figure a way to incorporate Cat Grant and limit the time she has to spend in Canada to accommodate her family schedule.
A little Cat goes a long way. CatCo is mismanaged and Kara needs a mentor.
“This year, we wanted to make the show a little more grounded. We wanted to take this opportunity to reflect on some of the things that are happening in our world.”
Oh dear, with the cast full of LBGTQ+IA* characters this is going to be the year of the hashtag. We will probably have a full episode about the crime against humanity equal to the holocaust when a straight white male fails to properly address a trans person with the pronoun “zer” when talking about that human being in the third person.
Nothing about David Harewood’s character? He was at Comic Con so I thought J’onn was still a part of the story. Bummer.
I hope he returns. He adds much to the show.
So basically more forced propaganda didn’t they learn anything from last season. That was one of the big turn offs to the show. Needs to get back to more season 1 the last two haven’t done the character justice.
Left-wing propaganda. I blame the writers — not the actors. I like all the actors a great deal, but I am so tired of television thrusting a left-wing social agenda into our faces. What happened to writing that deals with universal psychological struggles and philosophical questions, rather than 1-sided political agendas? The writing is trite and superficial.
There should be fallout for James coming out as a vigilante. He cannot be in charge at CatCo. Plus he is dating his boss. Surely Cat Grant had a clause to take her company back if her good name was sullied.
The Alex as mom storyline needs to go to the backburner.
I think running the DEO will take more of her time. At least, it should.
I’m still hoping Batwoman lives on Kara’s earth.
I wonder if the red “daughter” version Supergirl will be a quasi Power Girl. The red and white Power Girl outfit could lend itself to Russian tweaking.