Stargirl Showrunner Geoff Johns Talks the Personal Journey from Comic to Screen

DC's Stargirl is a series unlike anything else in the superhero television space. The series, [...]

DC's Stargirl is a series unlike anything else in the superhero television space. The series, which airs on both DC Universe and The CW, is a family-friendly show that manages to pull off a seemingly impossible task in offering something for everyone as it follows Courtney Whitmore's journey from high school student to leader of a new generation of justice as the titular heroine. There's action, adventure, heart, and even a bit of mystery to keep fans of all ages coming back for more. But for showrunner Geoff Johns, DC's Stargirl is something a bit more. It's the culmination of a career's worth of work with very personal meaning.

In a recent conversation with ComicBook.com, Johns spoke about what it was like to see Stargirl come to life on the small screen, describing the experience of seeing the first comic book he wrote realized this way as "emotional."

"Emotional," Johns said about the journey. "It was really great, I mean, it was a really positive thing. When I pitched the character way back when, when I was working as [Richard] Donner's assistant and was pitching, was writing scripts at night and so I was just wanting to be a writer. My goal was to get the Writer's Guild union card. When I moved out here, I was like 'when I get that union card, that's going to be it.' And it was. Getting the Guild was just the coolest thing ever."

"But pitching that comic, it was really special, and I remember when Lee Moder started doing designs for Stargirl, he was faxing them to me. We were shooting Lethal Weapon 4 out in Malibu and we were in a trailer with one of those old fax machines that had rolled paper and he was faxing them over," he continued. "It was so cool and exciting."

Stars and S.T.R.I.P.E. would end up being the first of many comics that Johns would write, but Courtney Whitmore/Stargirl has remained one of his favorite characters to write. Johns went on to say that when he saw Bassinger's audition for the role, he knew she was a perfect fit , bringing to life that character he'd created years before in tribute to his late sister, Courtney Johns. But for him, it all came together when he saw The CW's latest poster for the series.

"It was all such a whirlwind. It wasn't actually until this poster came up that I was like, they got the spirit of the show in this image," Johns said. "I was like, that's awesome. That poster was almost like the bookend to the comic coming out for me and I don't know why it's taken that long to just sink in, but maybe it's because it's like, I'm taking a breath for the first time in two years because we're finally out."

"The image captures the spirit so perfectly to us, that was like the end cap for me," he said. "I was like, 'oh my god, it's real.'"

Stargirl airs Tuesdays at 8/7 on The CW. New episodes debut Mondays on DC Universe.

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