Three Ways Superman Will Benefit "Supergirl" - And Two Ways He May Not

[Tracer Bullet]

I'd rather they'd have started the show after the Death of Spiderman storyline. Mehcad Brooks could've played John Henry Irons. But as is, the only reason to introduce him now is to shuffle him off somewhere. Maybe male use of the actor in flashbacks.

[kalorama]

Considering he's only being cast for 2 episodes, I'm pretty sure they're just bringing him in to write him out (ie create a story reason why he will never be around again for the foreseeable future).

I would be very surprised if this turned out not to be the case. My guess is they'll basically be using Superman as a prop in a larger story to relocate Supergirl permanently to the Flash/Arrowverse Earth-1, but Superman himself won't be making the trip.

There will probably be some kind of cross-dimensional threat that requires both Super folk to defeat it but, as a result, they get trapped on different Earth's with some gobbledygook science-y explanation what Supergirl can't get back and Superman can't get to Earth-1. Either that or Superman dies heroically, trying to save both Earths.

[Steve068]

anyone else think it absurd the article's writer thinks comics Superman wouldn't neglect Supergirl? That's the hallmark of their relationship since the beginning! He tossed her in an orphanage, let strangers adopt her, and through to her death had pretty much zero to do with her when she was Linda Danvers and barely more when in costume. New 52 Supes didn't even realize she was missing until he finally came up with a slim rationale for needing her! Supergirl getting nothing out of SUperman when she needs him is one of parts the TV show gets absolutely dead on from the comics!

[knighted]

I would be very surprised if this turned out not to be the case. My guess is they'll basically be using Superman as a prop in a larger story to relocate Supergirl permanently to the Flash/Arrowverse Earth-1, but Superman himself won't be making the trip.

There will probably be some kind of cross-dimensional threat that requires both Super folk to defeat it but, as a result, they get trapped on different Earth's with some gobbledygook science-y explanation what Supergirl can't get back and Superman can't get to Earth-1. Either that or Superman dies heroically, trying to save both Earths.

And her supporting cast? They arent going to get rid of all of them. What about all the villains? Are they going to make the trip too?

[MarvelMaster616]

I think bringing Superman into the cast of Supergirl will help more than it hurts. Yeah, he'll probably take up a huge chunk of the spotlight, as he often does. But I think overall, he'll help build on Kara's story. It wouldn't make much sense to build her narrative while keeping her cousin at a distance. There's only so much the show can do to work around it. I think having them interact directly makes more sense and opens new doors for future seasons.

[kalorama]

And her supporting cast? They arent going to get rid of all of them.

But they probably will get rid of some of them, as a byproduct of the move and the cost cutting. Coming up for a reason for the rest to make the trip to Earth-1 with Kara should take about 5 minutes of time in the writers' room.

What about all the villains? Are they going to make the trip too?

I hope not because, honestly, most of them were fairly unimpressive. The only ones who aren't dead that are worth keeping around are Toyman, Livewire, and maybe Indigo. And the first two can easily have doppelgangers on Earth-1.

[londeaux]

They should work with DC in creating an original nemesis for Kara. Pretty much all of the villains, other than her aunt, have been Superman villains.

[Sandy Hausler]

They should work with DC in creating an original nemesis for Kara. Pretty much all of the villains, other than her aunt, have been Superman villains.

Dare they . . . . make one up?

Sandy Hausler

[NightMage]

I maintain they are essentially going to send him into space to get him off the show so that people will stop asking where he is. My guess is the thing in the pod is a Kryptonian survivor and will tell them about a lost colony of Kryptonians and Superman will go with him.

Sounds like that would be the idea they're going with for Season 2.

[AJBopp]

My guess is they'll basically be using Superman as a prop in a larger story to relocate Supergirl permanently to the Flash/Arrowverse Earth-1, but Superman himself won't be making the trip.

There will probably be some kind of cross-dimensional threat that requires both Super folk to defeat it but, as a result, they get trapped on different Earth's with some gobbledygook science-y explanation what Supergirl can't get back and Superman can't get to Earth-1. Either that or Superman dies heroically, trying to save both Earths.

And her supporting cast? They arent going to get rid of all of them. What about all the villains? Are they going to make the trip too?

It's always possible that it will be Superman that gets sent to a different Earth (one with Batman, Wonder Woman, and Aquaman, among others), and Kara stays put on an Earth that also gets merged into Flash-verse, leaving her supporting cast and villains with her and also able to interact with the other TV heroes.

[samdemeo]

The best reason to have an actor play Superman would be to establish Superman's face and voice for the series, so the viewers are shocked in a later episode when the actor is standing with his back facing the camera and turns around to reveal the real Hank Hanshaw in Cyborg Superman form.

[kalorama]

It's always possible that it will be Superman that gets sent to a different Earth (one with Batman, Wonder Woman, and Aquaman, among others), and Kara stays put on an Earth that also gets merged into Flash-verse, leaving her supporting cast and villains with her and also able to interact with the other TV heroes.

Unless they merge the Earths retroactively, explicitly ignoring most or all of Supergirl season one and go forward like Kara has been on Earth-1 all along, that scenario seems unlikely to me. The fallout effect from physically combining Earth-1 with Earth-S (or whatever you want to call it) would be so huge that it couldn't really be done just on one show. The plot mechanics involved would be too far-reaching. They'd pretty much have to stage something like that as part of a megacrossover. And while I'm sure there will be one, indications so far are that it won't be right at the beginning of the season. Moving Kara (and some of her friends) to Earth-1 and leaving Superman on Earth-S would be a lot cleaner from a storytelling perspective because it wouldn't require the introduction of any heretofore unseen major elements in the mix, as Supergirl viewers have already been introduced to the existence of Earth-1 via the Flash crossover.

[k von doom]

They could use the Superman Returns angle of Superman going off into space.

[AJBopp]

Unless they merge the Earths retroactively, explicitly ignoring most or all of Supergirl season one and go forward like Kara has been on Earth-1 all along, that scenario seems unlikely to me. The fallout effect from physically combining Earth-1 with Earth-S (or whatever you want to call it) would be so huge that it couldn't really be done just on one show. The plot mechanics involved would be too far-reaching. They'd pretty much have to stage something like that as part of a megacrossover. And while I'm sure there will be one, indications so far are that it won't be right at the beginning of the season.

Flash's meddling with time travel causes time-dimensional breaches in the multiverse. One of the consequences is that Kal-El's ship seems to come to Earth while Kara and Kal are both adults here.

Characters from all DC shows spend half a season dealing with repercussions on their own shows.

Midseason finale:

Monday: Supergirl and Superman attempt to close increasingly catastrophic breaches and meet Flash

Tuesday: Flash & Supers attempt a desperate plan and make things worse.

Wednesday: Team Arrow does whatever the hell they do these days. Don't follow the show.

Thursday: Legends develop an even more desperate plan that requires all the heroes. Something goes wrong and Superman has to personally intervene.

Consequences: Superman is whisked into a reality where he can be with Batman. Universe-S and Universe-1 are merged into one, but only the heroes are aware of it because they were in a space-time bubble at the crucial moment (or whatever nonsense). Nothing that happened on Earth-S or Earth-1 that we have seen on the shows is substantively changed, and everyone has their supporting players and subplots intact.

It is, in my opinion, a lot more important for Superman to be someplace where there is a Batman than someplace where there is a Supergirl.

[Tracer Bullet]

What is the relevance of Batman? Seriously.