Supergirl: 13 Things We Know About the Show’s Upcoming Fourth Season

Supergirl Season 4 kicks off in just over a month, and there’s a lot to look forward to. While Season 3 as a whole was an uneven mixed bag of highs (World Killers anyone?) and lows (what exactly was Kara’s story arc last season?), it finished on a strong note and set up a number of exciting possibilities for the show moving forward.

To prepare for the upcoming season, here are 13 things we know so far about Supergirl Season 4.

1. It’ll have a more grounded tone

According to series producers Jessica Queller and Robert Rovner, Season 4 will have a more grounded tone and be more reflective of things happening in the world. During the Supergirl panel at San Diego Comic-Con, Ravner said:

“Last year, we were in outer space a lot and off-world fighting World Killers, and this year we wanted to make the show a little more grounded. And, you know, Supergirl and Superman have always been able to talk to issues that are going on in our country, and we wanted to take this opportunity to use the show to reflect on some of the things that are happening in our world.”

As much as this is the specific story of Kara Danvers, the series is always at its best when it’s tackling big ideas and telling stories that resonate with viewers, outside of the fictional world of National City. As great as the World Killers were in Season 3, it’s nice to know that they plan to lean into one of the series’ biggest strengths and be a bit more “down-to-earth” for Season 4.

2. There’s a growing anti-alien sentiment

Also during the Comic-Con panel, it was revealed that one of the real-world issues Supergirl will tackle in Season 4 is xenophobia, as National City sees a rise in anti-alien sentiment. This is not exactly a new theme for the show, but it does seem to be one that they plan to focus on more directly and explicitly.

While there are some obvious implications for Supergirl as her city’s very public alien superhero, it will also be interesting to see how this development impacts other characters.

What impact will this have on J’onn J’onzz, as he embarks on his new post-DEO life? How will Alex and the DEO respond? Or the ever-complicated Lena Luthor? The depth of characters and the unique perspective each brings has the potential to provide the writers with some rich storytelling opportunities that they will hopefully take advantage of.

3. Its theme will be “Hope vs. Fear”

The big question of Season 4 will be about what’s stronger: hope or fear. According to Queller and Rovner, it’s a question that will present some interesting challenges for Kara. As Queller stated during their Comic-Con panel,

“We all know that Supergirl stands for hope and is always a beacon of hope, and there is going to be this raising anti-alien sentiment that starts at the beginning of the season, and so it’s going to be quite a challenge for Supergirl. How can she be the beacon of hope when she represents the thing that people are afraid of?”

Supergirl has always been, at its heart, a show about hope, so this is not exactly surprising news. It is, however, welcome news nonetheless. As with the more grounded tone of Season 4, the exploration of hope vs. fear builds on the show’s strengths and takes the series back to its roots. It will hopefully provide the series with some of the focus it has lacked in the last two seasons.

4. We’ll see a more confident Kara

As Melissa Benoist discussed during Supergirl’s Comic-Con panel, after successfully defeating the World Killers in Supergirl Season 3 Episode 23, “Battles Lost and Won,” Kara will start Season 4 with the most confidence she’s ever had.

Benoist went on to say, “You don’t become a woman and grow into your own overnight, but I think if in every episode she finds a bit of ownership of herself, then that’s a success.”

Hopefully, this will result in a stronger, more cohesive story arc for Kara this season, as that was distinctly lacking in Season 3.

5. More CatCo!

At Comic-Con, the cast and creators teased that Season 4 is going to have a lot more CatCo and will focus a good deal on Kara as a journalist. As the anti-alien sentiment grows in Season 4, we’ll see Kara the journalist step into her own as a hero, which is something we haven’t seen in a long time.

It will be nice to revisit Kara’s CatCo roots and explore that part of her life again. It’s something the show has been missing since Kat Grant’s exit in Supergirl Season 2.

It will also hopefully mean more interesting stories for James, as he’s been somewhat sidelined with the increased focus on the DEO and Kara’s Supergirl activities.

6. Dreamer’s introduction

The most exciting Supergirl news to come out of Comic-Con was the announcement of Nicole Maines as Dreamer, the first trans superhero on TV.

Dreamer, whose real name is Nia Nal, is a former intern for Cat Grant. In Season 4, she’ll be sent to CatCo to be a cub reporter under Kara’s mentorship. She is the great-great-great grandmother of “Legion of Heroes” member, Nura Nal (known as Dream Girl in the comics). Like Nura, she has the power to dream the future.

Maines, who was cast after a nationwide search, is also a longtime trans activist and said during the Comic-Con panel that she’s working closely with the show’s writers to make sure they tell the best possible story for this groundbreaking character.

7. Other new characters will arrive

Dreamer might have been the biggest and most exciting announcement to come out of Comic-Con, but Season 4 will also introduce us to a number of other new characters.

Some of the new characters making their debut along with Dreamer are alien hate group leader, Agent Liberty (Sam Witwer); Lex Luthor bodyguard, Mercy Graves (Rhona Mitra); the super-powered vigilante, Manchester Black (David Ajala); and possible foil for Alex, Colonel Haley (April Parker Jones).

Next Page