Next week, Supergirl will debut on The CW for the first time when its second season premieres. There has been a lot of anticipation and curiosity for this sophomore season for multiple reasons. First and foremost, the show is now under The CW umbrella along with the other superhero series that have made a name for themselves there. Secondly, Supergirl didn’t perform well on CBS during its first season, so now there is a lot of curiosity as to how the show will differ going forward under a different network. Lastly, with the news that Superman will actually appear in a couple of episodes, it has many excited that this season will draw more from the comics, something that many complained the first season lacked.

Much like when The Flash cast John Wesley Shipp as a callback to the original Flash (1990) series, Supergirl has been just as keen to pay homage to the past by casting actors with ties to DC lore, both on television and in the movies. In the first season we were introduced to Kara’s foster parents on Earth, who were played by Helen Slater and Dean Cain. Slater previously played Supergirl in the 1984 film about the titular character, while Dean Cain many know as Clark Kent/Superman from the 90’s TV show, Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman.


Season 2 of Supergirl will continue this tradition with Lynda Carter, who previously played Wonder Woman on the 1970’s television show of the same name. It was announced back in June that she would be portraying the President of the United States in the third episode, which is titled “Welcome to Earth.” The CW [via ComicBook.com] has now released an official synopsis of the episode, which you can read below:

LYNDA CARTER (“WONDER WOMAN”) LANDS IN NATIONAL CITY AS PRESIDENT OLIVIA MARSDIN — An attack is made on the President (guest star Lynda Carter) as hot-button, alien vs. human rights issues heat up in National City. Supergirl (Melissa Benoist) and the DEO are assigned to protect the President and bring in the responsible party. Alex (Chyler Leigh) teams up with Detective Maggie Sawyer (Floriana Lima) to investigate the case while Kara searches for a recently escaped Mon-El (Chris Wood), who she fears may be the alien behind the assault.

Supergirl Mon El Comics Supergirl: Wonder Woman’s Lynda Carter Arrives in Episode 3
In the synopsis, the character of Mon-El is referenced. It was confirmed back in August that the character was the one inside the pod, which crashed landed on Earth at the end of last season. Mon-El possesses powers similar to Kryptonians, but his species is actually that of a Draxamite. He is also vulnerable to lead, whereas Kryptonians are weakened by Kryptonite and unable to see through lead. In the comics he has also had associations with the Legion of Superheroes. Executive producer Andrew Kreisberg previously said in an interview that Kara will act as a mentor to Mon-El:

“Kara’s always been somebody who’s been taken care of, in a way. But now that Mon-El has arrived, he’s on Earth and everything he knew was lost, just the way it was for Kara, but she’s had 12 years to process it and he’s struggling with it.”

He went on to explain her perspective on it all: “I was sent to Earth not to be a hero. I wasn’t sent here to be Supergirl. I was sent here to protect Clark and take care of Clark. Now, in an odd way, with Mon-El here, I’m getting to fulfill that original mission that I had.”

Meanwhile, Carter’s role as Olivia Marsdin, President of the United States, will be the first of multiple appearances by the actress scheduled for this season. As audiences prepare for another season of the Girl of Steel, we can expect more nods to the DC Universe as the show settles in at its new home, and finds its footing as possibly the next great superhero series in the making.

The Flash season 3 airs Tuesdays at 8pm on The CW, Arrow season 5 airs Wednesdays in the same timeslot, Supergirl season 2 debuts Monday October 10, and Legends of Tomorrow season 2 on Thursday October 13.