We’ve got the Arrowverse on The CW, the MCU on ABC, Gotham on Fox, and now CBS wants a piece of this superhero business, giving Supergirl her own TV series tonight.
In reality of course, CBS is no stranger to comic book adaptations, having been the go-to channel for shows like The Incredible Hulk and Wonder Woman in the 70s. Still, it’s an entirely different scene these days, and Supergirl will need to do a lot to stand out among the already established DC universes.
What’s this Supergirl TV series about anyways?
CBS’s Supergirl fits loosely into the classic Superman origin story. As Krypton faces destruction, 13-year old Kara Zor-El is sent to Earth to protect her infant cousin and fellow exile, Kal-El (aka Superman). However, an unexpected trip through a wormhole delays her journey, and she ends up arriving decades late, long after Superman has established himself as the world’s foremost hero.
Kara grows up in her cousin’s shadow, taking on the human identity of Kara Danvers and hiding her powers. In her 20s now, Kara is a mild-mannered assistant at the media company CatCo; but of course, the world really needs her to be more, and she must decide whether or not to take up the mantle of a superhero.
Is it connected to Arrow or the DCEU?
Nope, Supergirl is completely its own thing. It does draw a ton of inspiration from the comic books (Jimmy Olsen is just one of many familiar names to appear), but otherwise, it is neither an extension of any existing universes, nor a straight adaptation of any previous Supergirl stories.
There was some talk early on of a potential crossover with Arrow, but those plans fell through pretty quickly. Expect to see Supergirl building its own lore and unique version of the DC universe, separate from any of the other ongoing TV series, or the DC Extended Universe movies.
When is it on?
Supergirl premieres tonight on CBS at 8:30/7:30c, continuing on Mondays through November.
How can I watch it?
You can watch it live on TV of course, but if that’s not an option, most regions can also watch it live on CBS All Access, the channel’s streaming platform. If you miss that, the episode will be available tomorrow on All Access as well.
You can sign up for a one week free trial of the service here to check it out, just in time for the Supergirl premiere.
