Some new evidence is pointing towards Supergirl casting a transgender character for season 4. This will be the first time a transgender individual has appeared in a major role in any of the four Arrowverse shows that air on The CW, so it’s definitely a big deal.
According to ComicBook.com, the news comes from a casting notice for a character named “Nia Nal,” described as a transgender woman in her early 20s. The role is open to all ethnicities and she appears to be a new employee of CatCo. Nia has a “strong journalism background” and is described as “a young Cat Grant type,” which makes it appear as if this new character might be filling in for Calista Flockhart’s much-missed media mogul.
The site has also obtained a breakdown of Nia which says she’s “a confident, wunderkind of a fashionista. Once a political speechwriter, Nia is the newest addition to the CatCo investigative reporting team. With her she brings sparkling wit and biting humor but under that banter-y, chic facade, lays a soulful young woman who has much to offer the world.”
Adding some fresh blood to CatCo likely means that Kara Danvers’ day job will have a bigger role in season 4 than it’s had in season 3. Despite Lena Luthor purchasing the company at the beginning of the year, the emphasis on Kara’s journalistic career seen back in season 2 has dwindled. Though it seems that there’s an aim to fix this in the next run of the series.
On the other hand, we wonder if there’s more to Nia Nal than meets the eye. The name’s very similar to Nura Nal AKA Dream Girl, a member of the Legion of Superheroes from the comics. Seeing as the Legion has been a big part of season 3, we can see new members of the team being added into the mix next season as well. If this is the case, we’re pretty sure that would make Nia the first ever transgender superhero in either a Marvel or DC screen property.
Hypothetical nice going, Supergirl!