Supergirl’smove from CBS to the CW wasn’t the only major change the new superhero series underwent for its sophomore season. As we learned this summer, the show’s executive producers decided to add yet another DC Comics character to the CW-verse with an introduction inSupergirlSeason 2: the Man of Steel himself, Superman. The casting searchdidn’t take long, asTeen WolfandEverybody Wants Some!!actorTyler Hoechlinwas soon announced as the actor who would be donning the tights, and now a new image fromSupergirlhas landed online that shows Supes all suited up alongsideMelissa Benoist’s title character.
The image comes courtesy ofEW, which also has some surprising information on how Hoechlin landed the role. The actor tells the magazine that he didn’t even have to audition for the part—he had one meeting with the show’s producers, and that was that:
“Honestly, it was the strangest thing — there wasn’t an audition. I had a great meeting with [executive producers]Greg BerlantiandAndrew Kreisberg[in June]. I had been told that the meeting would have something to do withSupergirl, but nothing really specific. Halfway through, they brought up the idea of introducing Superman to the show and asked if I’d be interested. I said, ‘Yeah, absolutely. I’m obviously a fan.’ I believe that was on a Monday. On Friday, we got a call with the offer, so it was very quick. It was very flattering, and I wish every job came about that way.”
Hoechlin had a main role on the TV series7th Heaventhroughout its run, but broke out in a bigger way on the MTV seriesTeen Wolf. However, when it came time to prep for that show’s fifth season, Hoechlin abruptly left the series in favor of a role inRichard Linklater’s fantastic 80s-set college movieEverybody Wants Some!!. It turned out to be a wise decision as Hoechlin absolutely shines in one of 2016’s brighter gems, and it’s possible his work in the film played a role in him landing the offer to play Superman without so much as an audition. Moreover, inEverybody Wants Some!!Hoechlin starred opposite Benoist’s husbandBlake Jenner, so the onscreen relatives likely already had a rapport.
It’s unclear how large of a role Hoechlin will have in Supergirloverall, but The CW-verse has been flying high withThe FlashandArrowthus far, with a big four-show crossover that also includesDC’s Legends of Tomorrowon tap for the upcoming 2016-17 TV season. However, Superman is a massive character, and despite the popularity ofGrant Gustin’s Flash orStephen Amell’s Arrow, it’s gonna be interesting to see how the producers refrain from overshadowing those characters when introducing Superman into the mix. Of course it’s entirely possible that Superman stays put onSupergirlfor the time being, but here’s hoping the series is still able to maintain its primary focus on Supergirl regardless.
SupergirlSeason 2 begins on Monday, October 10th on its new network The CW.
