CBS has found the lead of their first superhero adaptation since The Flash debuted in 1990.
Melissa Benoist, who appeared most recently in the indie hit Whiplash, has been tapped for the role of Kara Zor-El in Supergirl, making her the third live action version of the character, following Helen Slater (Supergirl) and Laura Vandervoort (Smallville).
The hour-long drama, which does not yet have a series order, centers on a 24 year old version of Kara. After growing up with the Danvers family, who taught her to be careful in the use of her powers, she’s faced with an unexpected disaster that forces her to use those abilities in public. Kara begins to help the people of her city and thus is given the name “Supergirl”.
The pilot episode will be written by Greg Berlanti (The Flash, Arrow) and Ali Adler (The New Normal).
Benoist is also known for her role on the Fox series Glee, the same series that brought Grant Gustin (star of the current iteration of The Flash) to prominence.
Supergirl finally gets CBS into the superhero game, as ABC (Agents of S.H.I.E..L.D., Agent Carter), NBC (Constantine), and FOX (Gotham) have all already debuted their comics-based series.
A Jimmy Olsen casting announcement, a character known to be a major part of Supergirl, will be announced imminently.