Over the course of three seasons, Kara Danvers has faced as many obstacles in her personal life as she has as National City’s hero. But it’s been through those times of hardship that she’s learned about herself, as well as managed to use them as moments of growth.
And as we head into Supergirl season 4, we’re going to find a different kind of Kara than we’re used to. In fact, given everything that she’s experienced – especially over the past season – we’re going to see a confident Kara as she heads into the season.
“What I’ve loved that we’ve done is throughout the first three seasons (Kara) grows consistently,” Melissa Benoist told us during a roundtable interview at San Diego Comic-Con. “She’s experienced heartbreak, trauma, and pain and loss and suffering, but she always perseveres. So I think at the top of season 4, she has a lot of confidence. More than I think she’s ever had on this show. I think she’s going to need it for what they have planned this season.”
While we didn’t get too much of a reveal of the upcoming season – given Benoist’s Broadway schedule – one significant revelation was the introduction of Agent Liberty and the Children of Liberty, which look to persuade mankind to rise up against aliens. Kara will have to face ignorance, perhaps one of her most challenging threats to date.
One of the big reveals of the season 3 finale was the final scene, where we found a Kara doppelganger roaming around Russia. Soon after – as in, right after the finale aired – showrunners Jessica Queller and Robert Rovner revealed that the Kara doppelganger was inspired by the Red Son storyline in the Superman mythos.
Immediately, there’s this innate desire to jump to the conclusion that “Red” Kara is our Big Bad for the season. That she’s somehow the antithesis of our Kara. But that’s not what Benoist believes. She sees it more as an opportunity to explore the effect of cultural upbringings on a person – or alien, in this case.
“I don’t know if she’ll be dark,” Benoist said of “Red” Kara. “I think the whole idea of that is to look at the nature versus nurture and see how two people with the same abilities, that are extraordinary, how they would turn out differently being raised in such different cultures.”
Watch our interview with Benoist below, where she also discusses the importance of Shethority:
Supergirl season 4 premieres Sunday, Oct. 14 at 8/7c on The CW.