DC's Stargirl: Brec Bassinger Talks What Drives Courtney in Season 1 Finale

DC's Stargirl first season wraps up this week with 'Stars and S.T.R.I.P.E. Part 2' seeing the [...]

DC's Stargirl first season wraps up this week with "Stars and S.T.R.I.P.E. Part 2" seeing the Justice Society of America face off with the Injustice Society of America in one last fight as the heroes try to stop the villains from brainwashing millions into following their version of a perfect America. But while the episode will deliver on that much-anticipated showdown, it also marks a shift for series heroine Courtney Whitmore/Stargirl. Over the course of the season, Courtney has gone from picking up the Cosmic Staff and seeking justice for the man she believed to be her father -- Sylvester Pemberton/Starman (Joel McHale) -- to learning that the Staff chose her for other reasons. Now, series star Brec Bassinger breaks down what drives Courtney as a hero heading into the final battle.

Speaking with ComicBook.com ahead of this week's episode, Bassinger said that while Courtney may have initially declared her heroic reason was to get justice for Starman, the reality is that Courtney wants justice for everyone. It's just who she is.

"I think from the very beginning while maybe she vocalized that the reason she was Stargirl was because she wanted justice for this man, but the Staff chose her knowing she had this heroism among her, despite who her father was," Bassinger said. "And so, I think to the core of Courtney, she wants justice for everyone. So, now that she knows who her father is, it doesn't change the person she is. She still wants justice for people. And she's still her."

Bassinger went on to explain that even from when she was cast in the role, the idea that what truly makes Courtney a hero comes not from the Staff but from her heart.

"I mean, this is going way back, but when I first got cast to Stargirl, they're like 'What are super powers?' I'm like, 'Well, she has this Cosmic Staff.' 'Yeah, but what can she do without the Cosmic Staff?'" Bassinger said. "I'm like, 'She's a hero without it. It's her character and her heart that truly makes her a superhero.' And I think her realizing that was really important, too."

It's that idea, that it's Courtney's character that is truly her super power and what makes her a hero, is something that series creator Geoff Johns himself told ComicBook.com earlier this season, noting that he hopes fans take that away from the series as well.

"I think Courtney's true super powers, seeing the good in people and helping that good come out and helping that person recognize it themselves and find value in it," Johns said. "I think that's just to me, that's her greatest power and it's why the JSA works. It's why it's going to work is because of her. She's got a master key that just unlocks it and I hope people take that away."

DC's Stargirl debuts Mondays on DC Universe and Tuesdays at 8/7c on The CW. The Season 1 finale, "Stars & S.T.R.I.P.E. Part 1" debuts Monday, August 10th and Tuesday, August 11th, respectively.

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