DC’s Stargirl: Ysa Penarejo on Bringing Jade to the Arrowverse

In the Season 2 premiere of DC’s Stargirl last week, fans got their first introduction to Jennie, the daughter of Alan Scott/Green Lantern. It was an exciting moment for fans of The CW‘s Arrowverse who have eagerly been awaiting the arrival of a Green Lantern of any sort for years, but especially since Stargirl teased the potential of Green Lantern in Season 1. Now, in this week’s “Summer School: Chapter Two”, fans will finally get to see things come together and for Ysa Penarejo who is bringing the character to life, it’s an exciting experience, even if she had to do a bit of research first.

“I would say this was a completely new adventure,” Penarejo told ComicBook.com. “When I auditioned, it was under a different name, there was a different storyline for it. So, I had a very general idea of like, ‘Oh, it’s Stargirl.’ I’ve been a fan of Brec [Bassinger] so seeing a little bit of the show was like, ‘Oh, this is really cool.’ But once I booked the job and I spoke to Geoff Johns, I was just, I was excited. I didn’t know how to react and I definitely had to do my research.”

Penarejo said that the research was a family affair. She explained that she sat down with her dad to do a deep-dive into Jennie/Jade in the comics.

“I sat down with my dad and he explained it to me, but he’s like, ‘Here, we’ll do it together.’ And that’s something that I’m still learning, too, is just deep-diving into Jennie/Jade and her story and how she plays a big part in the DC Universe.”

Given how much fans have wanted to see Green Lantern become part of the Arrowverse, Penarejo also said that she felt some pressure to get things right and do justice to her character as the first Lantern to arrive in the shared universe.

“I think it came from a place of knowing how much people love the Arrowverse, which Green Lantern they love, and seeing the first come to life in a show like this is definitely… I want to do justice and make sure that her character evolving in Stargirl is definitely one to remember. So, I still feel that pressure, but I want to make sure that it’s great for the audience.”

DC’s Stargirl airs Tuesdays at 8/7c on The CW. “Summer School: Chapter Two” will air tonight, Tuesday, August 17th.