Why ‘Stargirl’ Is the Geoff Johns Adaptation We Want Most

One of the biggest pieces of news to come out of San Diego Comic-Con has been the official announcement of a live-action Stargirl television series set to be an exclusive for the DC Universe streaming service.

The new show based on the high-flying adventures of young legacy hero Courtney Whitmore will feature her following in the shoes of her new stepfather, a former member of the JSA, after moving to a small town in Nebraska. It will also be produced by Greg Berlanti, the mastermind behind much of the Arrowverse, and Geoff Johns, the creator of Stargirl and DC Comics‘ recently departed CCO. It is Johns’ involvement with the series that has us and many other comics fans excited.

Over the course of almost 20 years, Johns has created and reimagined much of DC Comics, writing formative runs on titles like JSA, The Flash, Green Lantern, and Teen Titans. It is difficult to imagine any of these teams or heroes today without Johns’ influence. But there are few characters more important to Johns’ career and creative projects than Courtney Whitmore though.

While the writer has developed many superhero projects on both television and at the movies, this new series will likely be his most personal project and one we expect to astound comics fans and Arrowverse audiences alike.

Coming Full Circle

Stargirl is both the first original DC Comics character created by Geoff Johns and the central figure in his first ongoing series. While working for director Richard Donner, Johns met multiple personnel at the DC Comics office and was eventually invited to pitch for a comics series. He originally considered this work to be a sideline for his Hollywood career, but it quickly became a multiple decade detour that reshaped superhero comics.

It was in these early meetings that Johns pitched the series Stars and S.T.R.I.P.E., which is very similar to the synopsis for the Stargirl series currently in development. The pitch and new series impressed enough people at DC Comics that he was invited to join the creative team behind a relaunch of JSA.

As they say, the rest was history, with Johns quickly developing new series following the success of JSA and becoming a leader for most events and relaunches at DC Comics in the past 20 years. It has remained apparent that the writer who first pitched DC Comics was a natural leader and some with a great command over the superhero genre.

Even after so many other successful series, Stars and S.T.R.I.P.E. remains a highlight of his career and one of the characters most associated with Johns name. Returning to develop a new Stargirl series after 20 years of additional writing experience and functioning in executive roles in Hollywood is the perfect opportunity for Johns to reimagine and refine one of his best ideas.

A Personal Touch

Courtney Whitmore means a lot more to the career of Geoff Johns than being his first notable interaction with DC Comics, although that certainly means a lot. Johns has been clear that the superhero was developed based on his sister Courtney’s personality following her death in the explosion of TWA Flight 800. When reading the original Stars and S.T.R.I.P.E. comic series, the amount of love poured into the story is apparent.

It captures the struggles of adolescence, including moving as a young person, but never allows these struggles to overwhelm the incredibly optimistic and clever Courtney. She is an inspiration to both her family and peers in the JSA, providing a regular bright spot in every series she appears in.

As Johns’ role quickly grew, he always made special efforts to take care of the characters who were special to him, especially Courtney. When James Robinson left his beloved Starman series and essentially retired his creation of Jack Knight, the duo agreed that Jack would pass on both his Cosmic Rod and the mantle of Star-person to Courtney, who changed her name from Stars to Stargirl.

Even after Johns left JSA, Courtney remained an important part of the team and the long legacy of Star-characters at DC Comics. While she has not made too many appearances in the wake of the New 52 reboot, Courtney’s role within DC Comics has never been in doubt or dismissed. Her special place connection to Johns has ensured a long career for this still relatively new superhero.

Doing What He Does Best

The reason we are most excited to see Geoff Johns help adapt the character of Stargirl for a DC Universe series is that the character brings out the absolute best parts of Johns as a superhero writer. She is a legacy character, someone who both builds upon the long history of DC Comics while reimagining costumes, powers, and rivalries. It was an apparent talent in Johns’ earliest work on series like JSA and The Flash, in which Johns would synthesize stories from every age of superhero comics into a cohesive mythos. This managed to make complex stories, even that of Hawkman, accessible to new readers while rewarding long-time fans in acknowledging many of their favorite, forgotten comics.

The Stargirl series plans to both build upon the history of the JSA while having Courtney befriend and lead new heroes; there is no better pitch for a series written by Geoff Johns.

This concept also brings out the optimistic and positive side of Johns’ stories. His more recent comics work, like Doomsday Clock, has focused on the dark side of superheroes. Longtime fans of the writer know that while he has always pushed the stakes of these stories, there was a much greater focus on the potential, hope, and heroism of superheroes in comics like JSA and Teen Titans.

Courtney Whitmore is a character who is every bit as good for Johns as he is good for her, summoning stories that have remained classics at DC Comics and play well to all ages. That’s why we expect Stargirl to be a spectacular show. It’s not simply that the series presenta a great character or premise, but that it is being written by the best possible person for the job.