A common criticism lobbed at Supergirl is that it borrows too much from stories pertaining to Superman, a point that I wont’ argue. Despite that, I’ve been quite happy to see villains such as Livewire and Parasite brought to life in ways that shows such as Superboy, Lois & Clark and even Smallville simply didn’t have the budget to achieve, or in a film franchise that just can’t seem to get past Lex Luthor and Zod. It’s because of this that I’ve said Supergirl has often felt like a live action answer to Superman: The Animated Series.
On that note, you can expect for the Maiden of Might’s show to generously be inspired by one of the quintessential Elseworlds stories come fall. As you may recall, last night’s finale left off with Kara’s duplicate surfacing in Siberia, an entity that was produced by the aura which left her during the final showdown with Reign.
So, if you’d figured this had much to do with Red Son, then you’re absolutely correct. Here’s what executive producer Robert Rovner said about the situation while speaking with TV Line:
“For fans of the comics, I think they might recognize that the story we want to tell is inspired by the iconic DC Comics’ Red Son, which told an alternate origin story for Superman.”
Succinctly summing up that classic arc was his colleague, executive producer Jessica Queller:
“What happened if — as a baby — Superman landed in Russia and became a hero there instead of in America. It’s an homage to that.”
Given the current geopolitical climate, I’m guessing the creative minds behind the series will be exploring this premise far beyond what the beloved comic penned by Mark Millar entailed. Plus, it’ll give Melissa Benoist a chance to don yet another costume, so there’s something else fans can look forward to.
Supergirl returns for its fourth season on Sunday nights this fall on The CW.