[SPOILER] Dies in Supergirl's "Distant Sun" Episode

03/27/2017 08:59 pm EDT

Spoilers ahead for tonight's episode of Supergirl, titled "Distant Sun." We originally stated that it was titled "Star-Crossed," the name of last week's episode. We regret the error.

Tonight on Supergirl, the death of a major character seemingly changed the trajectory of the rest of the season.

Following a a battle between the Daxamite royal family, Supergirl, and the Martian Manhunter, Daxamite king Lar Gand found himself betrayed and murdered by his wife, who was enraged that he had surrendered their son Mon-El into the custody of Supergirl and the DEO.

Teri Hatcher, who plays Queen Rhea, was cast within days of the announcement that Kevin Sorbo would come on. Both of them were at the time designated as villains in unnamed roles, although Hatcher was said to be the season's big bad, while Sorbo was not confirmed to be sticking around that long.

"Since his days as Hercules, Kevin Sorbo has brought such a strong presence to the screen and we couldn't be more excited to have him join us on Supergirl," said executive producer Andrew Kreisberg at the time of the actor's casting.

Sorbo became a '90s TV icon by playing the title role in Hercules: The Legendary Journeys. He is also known for his roles in Kull the Conqueror, Andromeda, and The O.C.

In the comics, "Lar Gand" was the true, Daxamite name of Mon-El, who adopted a Kryptonian-sounding name due to his interest in Kryptonian culture. Rhea, for her part, isn't Daxamite at all in the comics but rather one of the Titans of myth, married to her brother Cronus and the mother to Zeus.

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