Greg Berlanti and company have been surprisingly closed-lipped about the new series that is preparing to swoop across the television landscape in October. The new CBS series, "Supergirl" has been preparing for its opening episode very quietly, especially compared to the publicity-tsunami that has been barraging fans who want to know all that they can about the second season of "The Flash" or the fourth season of "Arrow."
There has been very little discussion about casting, costumes and plot ever since the initial announcements came out back in January. In fact, the last truly newsworthy event was the unveiling of the fairly unimpressive costume that would be worn by the main character herself.
The DC faithful that have been inquiring about the CBS heroine have been left with very little to talk about, until now. This week, CBS finally gave us all something to chew on. The studio released the latest photos of the arch-villain/eventual-hero "Red Tornado" played by Israeli born actor Iddo Goldberg.
The makeup, costume and overall look of the character have met with mixed reactions amongst fans, to say the least"¦
Perfect Casting
Played by Iddo Goldberg, of "Salem" and "Pinky Blinders," the casting of the Red Tornado seems to be spot on. Goldberg has a quiet intelligence about him that comes through in his acting, which should play well with the character created by the infamous DC scientist, Dr. Morrow. Morrow is a brilliant geneticist in the comics and gets his funding from the military.
His experiment-gone-wrong results in a highly intelligent being in the Red Tornado, who at first threatens, then later defends the people of Earth. Goldberg's range as an actor will be tested in this role, as he not only plays the Red Tornado, but also Dr. Morrow. The actor should be fine.
Unfortunately, as you will see in the next page, the costume simply is not.
Not What We Were Waiting For
The character is red, basically all red, and the costume is apparently constructed out of some sort of wool blended fabric. It is fine for a character that is playing a minor role on a low budget TV show, but it lacks the showmanship of some of the more colorful villains that have raced across our small screens recently.
The yellow and blood-red visage of Reverse Flash actually became a terrifying moniker for a villain that had no value for human life during the first season of the Flash. The Dark Archer made an impression on us all as he added to the body count of Starling City each week on Arrow.
The producers have to know that a strong villain could set this show up for success right off the bat. So the question has to be asked as to why they would deliver a costume that is almost campy in its appearance. Having a premier villain like the Red Tornado dressed up in a red-screened Lacrosse outfit seems to be a bit underwhelming for a series that is already facing an uphill climb.
Well, there are ways to make this compensated
They Don't Need Another Roadblock
After all, the idea of Supergirl has enough roadblocks and stumbling stones to overcome without adding a poorly clad villain into the mix. It has been a well-known axiom that the villain makes the movie, especially when superhero movies are called into question.
The villain actually defines the hero in many cases, as the X-Men, Batman and the Avengers have proven time and time again. In this case, however, a strong villain like the Red Tornado should be maximized and used as an asset in aiding a struggling series to find its wings. Unfortunately, this costume makes it appear to us fans that the producers disagree.
This makes no sense for a Berlanti led team"¦
Following the Proven Path?
This entire thought process flies in the face of what the Berlanti group usually does with their superhero projects. In both "The Flash" and "Arrow," the main characters started off against some lesser-known and weaker villain types prior to meeting their arch-nemesis in battle.
Oliver Queen starts off against a swindling businessman and his army of thugs, and a few hired guns that are supposed to question him about his time on the island. Grant Gustin's Flash character gets to go against a fairly tame meta-human and then saves a guy on a bad bike ride.
Supergirl however, doesn't get a preliminary undercard bout right off the bat. Kara Danvers is going to decide to embrace her superpowers, find a costume, and battle one of DC's bigger villains all in the first episode before the critics have even had a chance to sharpen their pencils.
Why are they doing this?
Probably a Good Long-Term Move
Berlanti is doing this because the cards are stacked against this show from the opening credits. This is a show about Superman's female cousin. Like it or not, that flies in the face of the target demographic.
So the producers look as if they have decided to not take any chances. They are opening the gates, pouring it on, and going for broke. That's the only plausible reason to bring out this major league bad guy so early in the game.
The costume also tells us that the previews are accurate, and that this is going to be a more lighthearted show as opposed to a gritty crime drama. That's probably a good idea, as Supergirl fits better into a Flash-type category much better than a category that includes Arrow: Season 1 or the Netflix series Daredevil.
Time will tell whether these decisions are sound. How do you feel about the costume and its departure from the DC comic? Let us know!
