'Supergirl' Season 4: Everything We Know So Far

A new night

When Supergirl returns next month, the show will return to a brand new night -- Sundays.

Earlier this year, The CW announced that they were expanding their programming to six nights a week, adding Sunday back into the schedule with original programming for the first time since 2007. The decision was due, in part to the increase in the network's original programming according to CW president Mark Pedowitz.

Supergirl won't be alone on Sunday nights, either. Supergirl will be followed by the network's Charmed reboot with both shows premiering October 14th.

A more "topical" season

Last season, Supergirl faced something of an intergalactic threat courtesy of the Worldkiller Reign, but this fall, the series will take on stories grounded not just on Earth, but in the real world as well.

Melissa Benoist told Deadline recently that the show's upcoming fourth season will take on stories that are more topical as well as the idea that not all villains are tangible.

"The writers' room is being really great this year," Benoist said. "Last season, it was a lot of fire and brimstone and a lot of homages to Buffy the Vampire Slayer, which was great because I was such a big fan of that show. This season they really want to thematically tackle more topical stories that maybe mirror what's going on with the state of the world and our country. There's a lot of anti-alien sentiment at the beginning of Season 4 that Supergirl is going to have to grapple with. I think their main premise is that fear itself is a villain, and can hope conquer it? Supergirl stands for hope, so we'll see. I think fear is her biggest opponent yet because it's more of a wildfire-type emotion."

According to Chyler Leigh, those topical stories may include gun control as well.

In an interview with BamSmackPow during July's San Diego Comic-Con, Chyler Leigh was asked if the DEO's new policy on lethal weapons will factor into Season 4. With Leigh's character, Alex Danvers, now the leader of the DEO, she hinted that there could be a way for that debate to return.

"That is a good question", Chyler said. "We haven't really gotten to at least that part of it from the DEO perspective yet. It's still incorporated in the world outside of the DEO. I mean, you do see that. That's life. That's reality. That's where we are right now and it's more and more prominent."

The "Red Son" homage

That Siberian Kara we got a glimpse of in the third season finale? It reminded a lot of viewers of the 2003 comic book miniseries Superman: Red Son and it turns out that will intentional. The series is set to explore their own versionof that story in the upcoming season, showrunners Robert Rovner and Jessica Queller told TV Line back in June.

"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," Rovner explained.

"What happened if — as a baby — Superman landed in Russia and became a hero there instead of in America?" Queller added. "It's an homage to that."

Lots of new characters

Supergirl's fourth season will also see a lot of new characters make their appearance on The CW series.

Sam Witwer will play the show's take on Agent Liberty, the ruthless and terrifying leader of the Children of Liberty, a human-first hate group. The character is described as "a brilliant orator in the guise of a family man", who can easily convince people that he's right.

David Ajala will play Manchester Black, a dangerous and manipulative psychic and telekinetic, and as the head of a team of self-styled superheroes called The Elite, he sought to upstage Superman and the Justice League in his first appearance. The story, titled "What's So Funny 'Bout Truth, Justice, and the American Way?," is widely considered one of the best Superman comics in the last 25 years.

April Parker Jones is set to play Colonel Haley, a character described as a hardline career military woman who lives and dies by the orders of her commanding officers. Haley's dedication ot her country leads her to always act in its best interest, even if that means acting against her own.

On top of those listed above, Rhona Mitra is also joining the cast as Mercy Graves, the former bodyguard of Lex Luthor, as a recurring threat for Supergirl. She will be joined by Robert Baker as Mercy's brother, Otis Graves.

And these aren't the only new characters...

TV's 1st transgender superhero

Supergirl's fourth season will see the introduction of television's first transgender superhero.

Nicole Maines, a trans actress prehaps best known for her work on Royal Pains, will play Nia Nal, described as a soulful young transgender woman with a fierce drive to protect others. Nia will be on a journey in the season to fulfill her destiny as the superhero Dreamer much in the same way Kara came into her own as Supergirl. She is also described as a "young Cat Grant type" and can be seen in the trailer for the season premiere "American Alien" being mentored by Kara.

A new suit for Supergirl

The trailer for Supergirl's season premiere has given fans a look at the Girl of Steel's new costume.

The purpose of Supergirl's new costume is not yet clear in-story, although it is likely that it helped get episodes made while series lead Benoist was on Broadway at the start of filming this summer. An opaque face mask likely means that Benoist's stunt double could do most of the work in everything but close-ups.

As for the appearance, it looks a bit like the space suit Emil Hamilton designed for Superman in the DC Animated Universe, so it could be explained that Supergirl is using it while traveling between Earth and visiting her mother in space.

Premiere information

The fourth season of Supergirl will debut on Sunday, October 14th, at 8/7c on The CW with the episode "American Alien."

Will you be tuning into Supergirl? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.