‘Supergirl’ EP Talks Legacy Casting

One of the hallmarks of The CW’s Arrowverse shows is their clever use of actors who have portrayed DC Universe characters in previous incarnations. Supergirl in particular is no stranger to creative legacy casting giving and according to executive producer Robert Rovner it’s not just fans who enjoy seeing the old familiar faces in new ways.

In a recent interview with Rotten Tomatoes, Rovner said that not only do fans love seeing the nods to previous installments of the DC Universe, but those on the show enjoy it, too.

“We love it, and we think the fans love it,” he said. “We love seeing people that we know and are familiar with step into other roles. And what’s great about them is that they’re all wonderful actors as well. So, you get the excitement of seeing them in the new role but they also bring a lot when they take on these new characters.”

One familiar actor stepping into a new character when Supergirl returns for its third season is Erica Durance. Durance, who previously played Lois Lane on Smallville, is taking over the role of Alura from Laura Benanti who had to exit the role due to work commitments in New York. Rovner said that while Benanti’s departure was sad, he’s enjoyed seeing Durance return to the DC family.

“We always love bringing people who have been part of the DC Universe back into the fold in different roles, so it’s been kind of great having her back in the DC family,” he said. “We were sad that Laura Benanti couldn’t continue, and we loved her in the role of Alora, but it’s great to have Erica stepping into the role. Kara’s roots and her parents and that loss are so central to her character, so we thought it was important that we continue to have that presence in her life on Earth.”

However, while it’s nice for both those on the show and the fans to continue to see legacy actors return to the DC Universe there don’t appear to be any plans to bring anyone else on — at least on Supergirl — at the moment. Rovner said that Durance and Helen Slater, who plays Kara’s adoptive mom on Supergirl but played Clark’s biological mother on Smallville in addition to playing Supergirl herself in the 1984 film, are the only two on the slate right now.

“We love having them on and so whenever a new character comes up, we think about if there’s somebody that’s been involved in the DC Universe that could play that part,” he said. “But besides Erica and the ones we have, like Helen Slater, who continue on the show, we don’t really have any other plans at the present. We love it, and we think the fans love it.”

Supergirl season three premieres Monday, October 9th, at 8/7c, on The CW.