Superman to Cameo on Supergirl

A casting call go out for The Man of Steel.

Story by Matt Cummings

With CW leading the way in the superhero television universe with Arrow and The Flash, it should come as no surprise that CBS made the decision to get into the mix by producing a Supergirl series. So many questions come to mind: will their be big moments in these episodes, with Kara Zor-El propping up buildings or flying, and does CBS have enough money and a desire to do it right? Say what you want about Melissa Benoist being hired as Kara and CBS' general decision to get into the orgy, one piece of news arrived today that's immediately worth mentioning.

According to a casting report released by CBS, it appears that the Man of Steel himself will appear as either a cameo or straight-up character in the series. The following appears courtesy of Project Casting, and makes it clear that they're looking for a DC Comic Superhero “body double” with the subject line “Superman.”

We are looking for BODY DOUBLE for a DC Comic Superhero – You must be available for an interview this Thursday and if selected will work several day during March. This is for a CBS pilot. You can be SAG or Non-Union. You should be 5’11 or taller and be Square Jawed and have a ripped physique. You must send a bodyshot, shirtless, sizes, current contact info and your first five – in the subject line write SUPERMAN.

CBS also advertised for a set of twins, making it likely they intend to show at least one flashback of Krypton, perhaps giving us young versions of Supes and Supergirl. But the big news here is that of Superman, whose presence as a recurring character seems more likely as time goes on. With such an important recurring presence, should showrunners consider changing the name?

So many questions still surround this production that it's becoming harder to see this work, unless CBS can give audiences a taste of Superman in a way that doesn't detract from Kara's story, but instead somehow makes it both better and a necessity. The last thing you want to see is what happened to Gotham, where individual storylines corrupted that show to the point that few care. CBS is rolling in coin, with its high rating and long-term outlook for many of its shows (good or bad), but they too must be ready to step up and deliver some pretty cinematic sequences if they're willing to invest in the Man of Steel and his cousin.

Let's hope they don't tease audiences like CW did with Smallville, grounding Tom Welling's Clark Kent until it no one cared.

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