Stargirl (TV series)


DC's Stargirl, or simply Stargirl, is an American superhero teen drama web television series created by Geoff Johns that premiered on DC Universe. It is based on the DC Comics superhero Courtney Whitmore created by Johns and Lee Moder. The series follows high school student Courtney Whitmore, portrayed by Brec Bassinger, who discovers the cosmic staff and becomes the inspiration for a new generation of superheroes who become the Justice Society of America.
DC Universe ordered the series in July 2018. Bassinger was cast that September, with additional castings for her family members, the Justice Society of America, and the Injustice Society of America through February 2019. Filming for the series began in March 2019 in the Atlanta metropolitan area in Georgia.
Stargirl premiered its first season on May 18, 2020, which consists of 13 episodes. The series also aired the following day on The CW and was made available on The CW's digital platforms. Ahead of the series premiere, characters from the series were featured in the Arrowverse crossover "Crisis on Infinite Earths", establishing Stargirl as existing on a parallel Earth to the Arrowverse series. In July 2020, the series was renewed for a second season by The CW, resulting in Stargirl moving to the network as a CW original series.

Premise

One decade after nearly all of the Justice Society of America were killed in a battle against the Injustice Society of America, high school student Courtney Whitmore discovers the Cosmic Staff of Starman and, upon learning that her stepfather Pat Dugan used to be Starman's sidekick, becomes the inspiration for a whole new generation of superheroes.

Cast and characters

Main

A high school student from Los Angeles who finds a powerful weapon, the Cosmic Staff, and becomes the teenage superheroine Stargirl. As Stargirl, she also becomes the leader of the second incarnation of the Justice Society of America. In preparation for the role, Bassinger did not look at the character's previous portrayals by Britt Irvin on Smallville and Sarah Grey on Legends of Tomorrow because they were depicted as "older, more mature version" of Stargirl. Bassinger added that the series follows the comic Stars and S.T.R.I.P.E. more "in that she's young, high school, naive, which I wanted to bring that into this version of Stargirl." Maizie Smith portrays a 5-year-old Courtney.
A once popular kid at Blue Valley High until a scandal made her an outcast and a disgrace to her Catholic parents. A skilled boxer, she becomes one of Courtney's friends and a member of the new JSA as the new Wildcat.
A high school delinquent with anger issues and the son of the original Hourman, Rex Tyler, whose parents were killed in a staged car accident when he was seven. He becomes one of Courtney's friends and a member of the new JSA as the new Hourman. Boston Pierce portrays a 7-year-old Rick.
A student at Blue Valley High as well as its star football player. He later develops psionic powers after experiencing emotional distress following his father becoming comatose. His deceased mother was Merry, Sylvester Pemberton's sister.
The daughter of the Dragon King, girlfriend of Henry King Jr., and the most popular student at Blue Valley High with enhanced abilities and wields wrist blades from her skin. While she is the school's cheerleading captain, she is determined to follow in her father's footsteps. In pursuit of this, she acquired a powerful suit of armor and a flame-throwing staff.
The leader of the Injustice Society of America, an "astute" businessman with the power of cryokinesis, and founder of The American Dream, a firm responsible for the revitalization of Blue Valley. Jackson initially thought "Icicle" was "a silly name" and made the character sound "like a My Little Pony", but Johns' pitch helped make the character credible for Jackson.
A member of the ISA with psionic abilities, the father of Henry King Jr., and a successful neurosurgeon at Blue Valley Medical Center. Baker stated that Henry King Sr. was the "mask" of Brainwave, as opposed to the other way around, believing Brainwave "is the true being."
Courtney's stepfather, the former sidekick to Starman, and a mechanic who owns a repair garage where he stores a 15-foot robotic vehicle of his own creation made from spare car parts. Pat serves as a reluctant mentor and father figure to Courtney and her JSA teammates. Despite his superheroics, Pat wants to provide a normal life for his family.
A student at Blue Valley High, aspiring artist, and the son of Jordan Mahkent who takes a liking to Courtney. He later develops cryokinetic powers like his father. Roger Dale Floyd portrays a younger Cameron.

Recurring

A member of the ISA who wields sports-themed weapons and believes that all of his targets are just part of a game to win. Crusher is the owner of a gym in Blue Valley, married to Paula Brooks, and father of Artemis Crock.
A member of the ISA who hunts the world's most dangerous humans. She is a gym teacher at Blue Valley High, married to "Crusher" Crock, and mother of Artemis Crock.
Additionally, Solomon Grundy, a towering zombie and member of the ISA, appears through CGI.

Guest

A member of the original JSA and the father of Rick Tyler who was "a master chemist and adrenaline junkie" with the ability to acquire super-strength for one hour a day using a substance of his own invention in his hourglass amulet.

Production

Development

On July 19, 2018, it was announced that DC Universe had given a series order to Stargirl, consisting of thirteen episodes. The pilot is set to be written by Geoff Johns who will executive produce alongside Greg Berlanti, Sarah Schechter, and Melissa Carter. Production companies involved with the series are Mad Ghost Productions, Berlanti Productions, and Warner Bros. Television. The series was said to be a "reimagining" of Stargirl. On July 6, 2020, The CW renewed the series for a second season, resulting in the series moving exclusively to the network as a CW original series.

Writing

Johns described Stargirl as having a similar tone to 1980s films such as E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial and Back to the Future. The start of the series sees the deaths of the original members of the Justice Society of America. With the younger generation taking up their mantle, Johns said their "paths aren't complete. They don't know where they're going to be or what they're going to be. And so, there's all sorts of mistakes they can make and choices they can make, and who knows what their ultimate destiny will be?... It makes for a lot of fun and a lot of unpredictability." The members of the Injustice Society mirrors those on the JSA team, with Johns teasing that just about everyone who has been a member of the Injustice Society in the comics would appear in the series. Speaking to classic JSA members such as Alan Scott and Jay Garrick, Johns called them the "elderly statesmen" and that they "are spoken of and they exist in the JSA" with "their legacies... felt throughout the show". There were also "plans in the future for things". For the first season, star Brec Bassinger felt the original Doctor Mid-Nite, Charles McNider would have "a significant role to play", while Johns added the season would establish the Seven Soldiers of Victory as the first superhero team before the JSA and explore the history of the Cosmic Staff.

Casting

In September 2018, it was announced that Brec Bassinger had been cast as Courtney Whitmore / Stargirl. Johns called the casting of Stargirl a difficult process, auditioning hundreds of actresses for the role. On why Bassinger was perfect for the role, Johns said, "Immediately... I knew she was Courtney. She has the humor, she has the enthusiasm, the energy, the innate optimism, and Brec really embodies who Stargirl is". In November 2018, the following roles were cast: Anjelika Washington as Beth Chapel / Doctor Mid-Nite, Yvette Monreal as Yolanda Montez / Wildcat, and Christopher James Baker as Henry King / Brainwave. In January 2019, Luke Wilson was cast as Pat Dugan / S.T.R.I.P.E. Amy Smart joined the cast as Barbara Whitmore the next month, along with Neil Jackson as Jordan Mahkent / Icicle, Trae Romano as Mike Dugan, Hunter Sansone as Cameron, and Cameron Gellman as Rick Tyler / Hourman, with Jake Austin Walker cast as Henry King Jr. and Meg DeLacy cast as Cindy Burman, rounding out the cast.
In December 2018, the following members of the Justice Society of America were cast, all recurring roles: Joel McHale as Sylvester Pemberton / Starman, Lou Ferrigno Jr. as Rex Tyler / Hourman, Brian Stapf as Ted Grant / Wildcat, and Henry Thomas as Charles McNider / Doctor Mid-Nite. As well, Joy Osmanski was cast as Paula Brooks / Tigress, Neil Hopkins was cast as Lawrence "Crusher" Crock / Sportsmaster, and Nelson Lee was cast as Dr. Ito / Dragon King, members of the Injustice Society. In April, Hina Khan was cast as Anaya Bowin.

Design

Costume designer LJ Shannon "tried to stay as true to the lore as possible" in her designs. Each of the costumes are "utilitarian" with individual looks. Johns described Doctor Mid-Nite's as " little steampunky" with canvas and leather and Hourman's as "a little more slick". Legacy Effects created a practical S.T.R.I.P.E. for use during filming.

Filming

Filming had begun by March 14, 2019, with Glen Winter directing the pilot. Christopher Manley and Scott Peck were directors of photography on the series. Filming occurs throughout the Atlanta metropolitan area, including: Marietta, Virginia–Highland, Duluth, Lithia Springs, Dallas, Marietta Square, West End, Westlake High School, the Atlanta Center for Medical Research, Campbell Middle School, Paulding County, Smyrna, Arbor Place Mall, Vinings, Mableton, and Douglas County High School. Walter Garcia serves as the series' stunt coordinator and second-unit director. He was hired to help Stargirl's staff "have a personality and be alive when she fights with it".
The series will continue to film in Atlanta for the second season.

Visual effects

provided visual effects for the series. According to Johns, Stargirl was the first Warner Bros. Television series to utilize previsualization for their effects scenes. Previsualization was handled by The Third Floor, Inc. Johns brought his experience working on the films Wonder Woman, Aquaman, and Shazam! to help the series have visuals not "seen in superhero shows before".

Music

In June 2019, Pinar Toprak revealed she would be composing for the series.

Release

Stargirl premiered on DC Universe on May 18, 2020, and consists of 13 episodes. The series was originally intended to premiere on May 11, 2020. The series is released in 4K Ultra HD on DC Universe.
In November 2019, it was announced that The CW would broadcast each episode the day after it premieres on the streaming service, with each episode available to stream on The CW's online platforms after its broadcast. Stargirl started airing on The CW on May 19, 2020, at 8 pm. Some episodes have content removed when they air on The CW to allow for the network's commercials, notably approximately eight minutes in each of the first two episodes. DC Universe streams the full episodes, and Johns said starting with the third episode, both releases are "almost identical". The series release plans shifted and it stayed in post-production longer to accommodate the broadcast on The CW in order to accomplish the adjustments that had to be made.
Scenes removed in the first episode from The CW broadcast included: establishing shots of Barbara Whitmore's new job, and Pat's auto shop; an interaction between Courtney and Cindy Burman in the halls of Blue Valley High School that Alex Zalben of Decider said was "clear set-up for later" but helped strengthen Courtney's emotional arc; and Mark Ashworth's scenes as "a mysterious, extremely creepy bearded janitor", which Zalben said was more of "a fun Easter egg that will pay dividends down the road"; and Courtney finding a newspaper article about Starman and Stripesy.
The second season of the series will air exclusively on The CW.

Marketing

On December 7, 2019, a teaser trailer was released.

Reception

The CW ratings

The following table represents viewership data for each episode's airing on The CW, as DC Universe does not release viewership information.
The pilot episode was tied for the second-best series debut on The CW for the 2019–20 television season with Nancy Drew after Batwoman, and was the best summer series premiere on the network since Whose Line Is It Anyway? season nine in 2013. Through the first seven episodes of the season, Stargirl was averaging a 0.2 rating for adults 18-49 and close to 1 million initial viewers per episode, which was "on par" with The CW's Arrowverse series.

Critical response

On Rotten Tomatoes, the series has an approval rating of 90% based on 31 reviews, with an average rating of 7.33/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "A stellar series perfect for anyone looking for a little hope, Stargirl is delightful fun the whole family can enjoy." On Metacritic, it has a weighted average score of 68 out of 100 based on 7 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".

Arrowverse

Stargirl and her team were briefly introduced in the Arrowverse crossover "Crisis on Infinite Earths" in January 2020, from footage from "The Justice Society" episode. Stargirl is set on a new Earth-2, created during the crossover. Earth-1's Stargirl had previously appeared in three episodes of season two of Legends of Tomorrow, portrayed by Sarah Grey, between October 2016 and February 2017.
Regarding any proper crossovers with the Arrowverse, Johns and Bassinger were keen on the idea. In April 2020, Johns said, "right now the main concern is making sure that this show is great, that these characters are great, that they have their own stories and they get the proper screen time and the proper episodes to develop on their own. So hopefully in the future we can do something fun, but the first season is all about making sure that Stargirl is the best show it can possibly be." Bassinger added that there had already been preliminary discussion about crossing over with The Flash, and she was hopeful to be able to crossover with Melissa Benoist on Supergirl.