Supergirl is currently in its final season, but it's no secret that the story possibilities are endless.
Season 6 kicked off with a bang by showcasing the battle of the Super Friends against Jon Cryer's Lex Luthor. The intense duel between good and evil ultimately led to Lex's defeat, but the villain had one more trick under his sleeve when he successfully sent Melissa Benoist's Supergirl to the Phantom Zone at the last minute.
As a result, the first batch of episodes of the final season revolved around bringing Kara Danvers back to Earth-Prime, but the multiple attempts of the Super Friends have failed so far. However, upon capturing a Phantom, a new plan has emerged in the form of traveling back in time to obtain some of Kara's DNA.
This newfound strategy is vital in order for the captured Phantom to track Kara while the team is navigating inside the dangerous Phantom Zone. The latest episode, “Prom Night,” showcased the journey of Nicole Maine's Nia Nal and Jesse Rath's Brainy to a vastly different Earth-Prime 2009 to seek a young Kara Danvers.
The episode once again explored the dynamic of Izabela Vidovic's Kara and Olivia Nikkanen's Alex Danvers in a whole different light, especially after the reveal that the original “Midvale” storyline from Season 3 was erased due to post-Crisis changes.
Now, Vidovic sat down with The Direct to talk about her return in the final season while also diving deep into her character's future.
IZABELA VIDOVIC OPENS UP ABOUT SUPERGIRL RETURN
“Oh, we're just really excited,” Vidovic told The Direct when asked about her initial reaction regarding her return in Supergirl's final season:
"I'm really excited because I had no idea in what capacity. We filmed in November, and they had told us like pre-COVID, like in January they had said 'We're going to need you back at the end of the year.'”
The up-and-coming actress pointed out that she had no idea how big her role will be for the season, revealing that she “did not expect” for it to be a two-part flashback special:
"And so Olivia [Nikkanen] and I both got that call, and we're like, well, what do you think it is? Like, what do you think they're going to need us for? Are they just going to like, have us in like a little flashback? Are they going to like, cause any like anything would have been great, but I did not expect a two-part Midvale return. I did not expect time travel, so that was a really pleasant surprise."
Many would agree that the Midvale episode from Season 3 is one of the strongest episodes of the series, especially after impressive performances from the younger actresses that play Kara and Alex. Vidovic and Oliva Nikkanen were introduced to Supergirl lore during that flashback episode, and the pair's return is a welcome sight for every Arrowverse fan.
Having played the character before, Vidovic admitted that Kara was on a “different path” during the time when she played her in the third season while this version is someone “who knows herself and who knows what she wants:”
“I think that, well, without saying too much, I feel like we're seeing Kara in two different universes essentially. I think that the first time I played Kara, she was on a different path. She was discovering herself as Supergirl. Whereas in this version, I am playing a Kara who knows herself and who knows what she wants. And so I think that she's matured, and she has Kenny which is great.”
“Prom Night” did showcase a matured Kara Danvers, but there's still a sense that the character has a lot to learn moving forward, considering that the future superhero is months away from graduating from high school.
Still, the evolution of Season 3 Kara from this Season 6 iteration is clearly defined, and this was evidenced by Vidovic's impressive portrayal of the character in the flashback episode.
At first glance, seeing Vidovic's performance as a young Kara in Supergirl was a delight, with many pointing out that it was a perfect casting alongside Nikkanen's Alex. This was due to the fact that the pair nailed the resemblances, mannerisms, and speech patterns of Melissa Benoist and Chyler Leigh.
When asked if Benoist gave her any tips about her portrayal, the young actress revealed that it was “purely on research and watching the show” on her part:
“I didn't get to see Melissa this time around because she was not in our episodes, and also, it is kind of tough because Olivia and I, well, we got to be directed by Chyler [Leigh] this time, which was very exciting, but it's one of those things where Olivia and I are playing younger versions of Chyler and Melissa. And so we're not really getting to like work with them. So it is based purely on like research and watching the show which has been a lot of fun, because they work so well together. So, it's been a lot of fun to try and emulate that in the younger episodes.”
It's fascinating that Vidovic and Nikkanen based their portrayals through research. The fact that they both displayed the same chemistry to their adult counterparts in the show is one of many reasons why fans are campaigning for a potential spinoff centered around Midvale down the line.
In the promo of the upcoming episode, Vidovic can be seen doing heavy action scenes involving punching aliens for the first time. The actress bared that it was a “blast” doing those stunts, describing it as the "stunt-iest" type of work that she's ever done:
"It's a blast. It's so much fun. Well, also because the whole team on Supergirl is so good and so experienced, and they know exactly what they're doing. So it's just a lot of fun to work with people that have a lot of experience in that world, because I don't, like, I'm not, I don't really do stunts. I would say it's probably like the "stuntiest" type of work that I've done because it is physical. And so it was really cool to be able to play with that."
It remains to be seen when a young Kara will return to throw some more punches around, but it's good to know that Vidovic enjoyed doing stunt work for the episode. This should bode well for future story opportunities centered around the young hero.
A POTENTIAL MIDVALE SPINOFF?
The synopsis for this week's episode, “Prom Again,” revealed that this will be the first time that Kara will be exposed to Kryptonite. Given that the previous flashback episode from Season 3 established the start of Kara and Alex's deep sisterly bond, the post-Crisis change made this installment a significant addition to the pair's relationship.
Vidovic said that Alex seeing Kara “vulnerable physically” is a big deal since it's the first time that the former sees “a level of humanity” toward the Girl of Steel:
"As we saw in the very first episode or [the] first part of this two-parter last week, Alex says it was the first time that [she] had seen her bleed, it was the first time that she had seen Kara vulnerable physically, which like, it's a big deal. I think it's the first time that Alex kind of sees a level of humanity to Kara that she didn't know was there.”
Seeing Kara hurt for the first time creates a turning point for Alex. Vidovic revealed that this incident served as a launching pad for Alex to become more protective of her sister in the future:
“It's one thing for somebody to look like a human and act like a human and talk like a human, but another thing for them to not be able to be physically harmed, there's that barrier that I think Alex kind of created. I think that gets kind of knocked down a little bit when she sees her hurt. I mean, I would say [that it's a launching pad] because she realizes, 'Oh, like Kara is not, I mean, she's a superhuman, but like we all have our little fault, some cracks,' and she's starting to learn Kara's.”
One of the strongest aspects of Supergirl is the bond between Kara and Alex, and seeing the younger versions of themselves presents a whole new light on the sisterly connection of the duo. Kara being exposed to Kryptonite will no doubt present a significant shift in that dynamic, and Vidovic's tease suggests a heartfelt moment will be in store in the episode.
Origin stories of young versions of heroes are compelling story ideas for a show to explore, as evidenced by the success of the ten-season run of Smallville. It is currently unknown if the CW will give a spinoff centered around Midvale a chance, but Vidovic admitted that it would be “very cool” to explore this narrative about Kara:
"I think it would be really cool kind of like with what we did with Superman and with that spin-off [Smallville]. I think it would be really cool to see Kara vulnerable and not a full adult and not fully matured and not Supergirl yet, [and] to see her journey and see how she discovers herself."
Vidovic pointed out that it would be “awesome” to see Kara go through “the trials and vulnerabilities of becoming an adult” before ultimately becoming Supergirl:
“II've always loved seeing, cause superheroes feel so far away, they feel so unattainable and there's something so unique about seeing a superhero with all of their vulnerabilities and all of their faults and all the things that make them seem human, you know? I just think that would be awesome to see Kara go through the trials and tribulations of becoming an adult and becoming Supergirl. Let her roll the transformation. I think that would be fun. And like also just seeing her be young, like seeing her just mess up and be a teenager and fall in love and, do the things that we all do.”
The post-Crisis changes definitely open up a wide array of story opportunities that could showcase a different heroic transformation for Kara, one that would retcon some events from the past. This installment proved that a big moment from Season 3 was already changed, and there's a chance that this will not be the only event in Kara's life that was altered by Crisis.
As the season progresses, it will be interesting to find out what else is different in Kara and Alex's story in Earth-Prime, thus opening up an unexplored chapter for Supergirl that could be expanded by a potential spinoff in the future.
The sixth episode of Supergirl Season 6 is set to air on The CW on May 4 at 8/7 c, and it will be available the next day for free on the CW app.
