David Harewood Doesn’t Like Playing Cyborg Superman On Supergirl

Without a doubt, the second season of Supergirl certainly gave us a lot to remember. Not only did we get to see Kara Zor-El interact with the Arrowverse, but we also finally met her cousin in Superman, played to perfection by Tyler Hoechlin.

As for the constants that have remained for the series, David Harewood’s take on J’onn J’onzz/Martian Manhunter has delighted many fans and, to be completely honest, has become my favorite character on the show. Seriously, Harewood’s ability to play an absolute badass and to juxtapose that by showing a softer side when conveying the loneliness that comes with being the Last Son of Mars – as well as the affection he’s developed for his new “family” – always makes for good television.

What hasn’t gone as smoothly, however, is the other role he’s taken on, that of Hank Henshaw/Cyborg Superman. For those unfamiliar, Henshaw went missing years ago, and J’onn assumed his identity. This past season it was revealed that Henshaw is not only still alive though, but that he’s had some cybernetic enhancements as well.

I could go on about why I haven’t taken to this character, but Harewood himself echoed my sentiments verbatim when speaking at Supanova in Australia:

“I don’t like playing Cyborg Superman. It’s boring. They didn’t really flesh it out, they didn’t really write for the character. They just gave me this rather cheap-looking mask and no costume, and said ‘Okay, you’re Cyborg Superman.’ But it didn’t really pan out – they didn’t really go into why he was a cyborg, how he became a cyborg, what his powers were … it was just kind of randomly calling him ‘Cyborg Superman.’”

He sure is right about that. When they first revealed him as Cyborg Superman, I was a bit perplexed because he wasn’t wearing the costume, nor did they ever explain his motive for taking on the Superman name. So, unless he gets some stylish new threads in season 3, we expect Harewood to keep on saying things such as this:

“I was very excited about it at first, but then I very quickly realized that there wasn’t really much to it … so, it’s kind of boring. Whenever I’m walking to my trailer and I see that costume, I just switch off. Because I know it’s going to be a really boring day.”

Supergirl returns for its third season on Monday, October 9 on The CW. Will you be tuning in? Let us know in the usual place!