WOW, we are still bouncing off the walls with today's news that Melissa Benoist will play Supergirl on CBS! We've never had this amount of retweets, follows, comments and likes since we started this fan site. I suppose that can be expected since our title character has been cast! What a journey its been to find out who. We had Claire Holt as our standout and the curveball rumor of Gemma Atkinson, but it was twitter spying and research that really gave the biggest hint (Superwomenmania). Melissa had her hair dyed blonde for a "secret project". Ha! So interesting where we find information.
As many of you take time to hear the news, process, blurt out your gut reactions, kick the ground, jump for joy, or whatever else it may be, let's take a look at the facts and why Benoist is the right choice for Kara.
- Melissa is the perfect age, build, and had the exact right amount of experience for this role.
- Melissa is 5'8" which is on the taller side of females but not Amazonian like a Wonder Woman would be.
- She is fit, but not overly muscular, feminine but can kick some ass, the perfect balance and clearly hits on the "every woman" they wanted to cast.
- She has had a major role on a huge TV show (Glee), so she has experience carrying a show, but not overly much that she won't humbly throw herself fully into the role.
- Melissa was born October 4, 1988, which makes her the perfect 26 years old!
- She sings. She SINGS! That doesn't sound like a requirement for playing Supergirl (which it isn't) but can you imagine a more difficult way of expressing emotion and staying in character than singing right in front of someone?
- Melissa has what you can't change. Its easy to change an actor's or actress's look. We even have photo evidence of Melissa being blonde now. But she is going to bring the eagerness and fragility to the character that we will all fall in love with.
- Supergirl is arguably the strongest being on the planet, stronger than even Superman. Melissa will be charged with making the audience feel for a being that frankly has no way of being hurt (I hear you shout Kryptonite). Ok almost no way of being hurt.
- Melissa will need to capture the audience and make them want to go on her journey of self discovery and superherodom. She definitely has the acting chops to do that.
- Melissa is quirky! If you are one of the lucky few who saw the audition tapes, or you've been through our spoilers and read the lines from the audition, you know there is an element of nerdiness that Kara has. Well when it was officially announced that Melissa would be Supergirl, her tweets show her nerdiness.
Besides Melissa, We have faith in Greg Berlanti, Ali Adler, and Rapaport Casting. Stephen Amell wouldn't have been our first choice for Oliver Queen, he isn't blonde either. But can you imagine Arrow now without him? (ignoring the winter mid-season premiere). What about when Christopher Nolan cast Heath Ledger as the Joker, or Anne Hathaway as Catwoman. Hell, I bet even Ben Afleck will end up being a great Batman. We have faith in crew leading this show and Melissa. This is going to be Super-epic!
If Melissa isn't your 'type' or you thought some other actress was more attractive than her, then you don't get what this show is going to be about. Supergirl is more than who looks good in a superhero costume. Like a real superhero, it will be about who belongs in the costume. Though we rarely offer personal opinion here, I will say this, I am excited. I want more than just a pretty figure in a costume. Don't get my wrong Melissa is beautiful, but she has more than that. I really feel that Melissa will make us all care about Kara Zor-El. She'll give life to a more than impossible out-of-this-world-character and at the end of the day I think we'll all be left with our jaws on the floor. We'll see how a simple 26 year old actress can make us believe a girl can lift a train, sneeze a hurricane, and save a planet.
