| Kara Danvers | |
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| Arrowverse character | |
 Melissa Benoist as Kara Danvers/Kara Zor-El in a promotional image from season one of the television seriesSupergirl | |
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| Last appearance | |
| Based on | |
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| Portrayed by |
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| In-universe information | |
| Full name | Kara Zor-El |
| Species | Kryptonian |
| Gender | Female |
| Title | Supergirl |
| Affiliation |
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| Relatives |
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| Origin | Krypton |
Kara Danvers, also known asKara Zor-El on her homeworld, is a fictional character in theArrowverse franchise, mainly the television seriesSupergirl. Adapted for television byGreg Berlanti,Ali Adler andAndrew Kreisberg, the character is based on theDC Comics characterKara Zor-El (Supergirl), created byOtto Binder andAl Plastino. Kara is introduced in thepilot episode as the adopted younger sister ofAlex Danvers. Kara Danvers is portrayed byMelissa Benoist as an adult, andMalina Weissman andIzabela Vidovic as a teenager.[1][2] After her planet,Krypton, was destroyed, Kara and her cousinSuperman came to Earth. There she became the adopted sister ofAlex Danvers and, later, after deciding to use her powers (equal to Superman's) to help others under the persona ofSupergirl, she discovers that her sister is part of theDepartment of Extranormal Operations (DEO), a massive underground anti-alien organization secretly under the control ofthe Martian Manhunter. She is a friend and frequent ally of the superhero speedsterthe Flash and vigilante archerGreen Arrow.
Kara's powers and abilities includesuper strength,superspeed,heat vision, freeze breath,flight and many other powers also achievable by the superhero Superman, who is Kara's cousin; however, like her cousin, she is weakened when she comes into contact withKryptonite, fragments of her home planet Krypton that came toEarth after its destruction. Benoist has reprised her role in other series that take place in the same franchise, includingThe Flash,Arrow,Legends of Tomorrow andBatwoman, via the crossover events "Invasion!", "Crisis on Earth-X", "Elseworlds" and "Crisis on Infinite Earths". The character's civilian identity, Kara Danvers, is an original creation for the series, and was later integrated into the mainstreamDC ComicsSupergirlcomic book series totie-in with the series in 2016'sDC Rebirth.
For the role of Kara Zor-El / Supergirl, the producers wanted a Caucasian actress aged between 22 and 26 years.[3] In January 2015, it was announced byThe Hollywood Reporter thatMelissa Benoist would star as the character.[4] Benoist later revealed that auditioning for the part "was a long, drawn-out, three-month process";[5] she was the first actress looked at for the role,[6] althoughClaire Holt andGemma Atkinson were also considered.[7][8] ActressElizabeth Lail auditioned for the role.[9] Other performers include her stunt double Jennifer Clarke, who performed stunts for the Supergirl character throughout the entire show.[10] In flashbacks,Malina Weissman andIzabela Vidovic portray Kara as a teenager and child, respectively. The series reimagines Kara Zor-El as a young adult when becoming a superhero (more similar toLinda Danvers), deviating from hercomic book counterpart, more usually depicted as a teenager. Benoist expressed her excitement over portraying the character, and being able to "[tell] a story about a human being really realizing their potential and their strength".[11] Benoist portrays present-day Kara for all six seasons ofSupergirl.[12] In addition in the third season, she portrays Earth-X doppelganger Overgirl, and in the fourth season, a clone of Kara called Red Daughter.[13]
For the second season, regarding the end of Kara and James Olsen's relationship,Andrew Kreisberg said "We realized that the best scenes between [Kara and James] were just the nice, sweet scenes where they were being friends." He also said that while the theme of thefirst season was "how does Kara become Supergirl?", the theme of the second would be "how does Supergirl become Kara?".[14] Speaking to the ending of Mon-El and Kara's relationship in season four, Jessica Queller compared this separation to that ofHumphrey Bogart andIngrid Bergman's characters in the ending ofCasablanca (1942), saying, "They both have destinies in different times as heroes. What they did was the sort-ofCasablanca decision of putting what's most important to them – which is saving the world – first."[15] For season four, Melissa Benoist joined filming following the conclusion of her run onBroadway as the star ofBeautiful: The Carole King Musical on August 4, 2018.[16] Also for that season,Melissa Benoist commented that, "I think their main premise is that fear itself is a villain, and can hope conquer it? Supergirl stands for hope, so we'll see."[17] Queller concurred, adding that the season would investigate, "How can [Supergirl] be a beacon of hope when she represents what people areafraid of?"[18]
In season five, the series introduces a new Supergirl suit which eschews the red skirt and sheer black pantyhose seen in the older suit in favor of a bodysuit with trousers. Benoist and the showrunners said giving Supergirl pants was something they discussed since the first season.[19]Querl Dox is credited with creating a new microscopic motion-activator for the new suit that attaches to Kara's glasses and unleashes the suit when she whips off the glasses, resulting in Supergirl being fully dressed in her costume.[20] The seventeenth episode of the fifth season marks Benoist's directorial debut.[21] Benoist said the sixth season serves as a "self-exploration" for her character, "looking in the mirror and [contemplating] what her power means because it's almost limitless and it makes her so strong on Earth".[22]
As of 2021, Benoist has appeared as Kara Danvers in five Arrowverse shows:Supergirl,The Flash, Arrow,Legends of Tomorrow andBatwoman.
In the 2015-16 television season,The Flash accidentally travels into an alternate Earth while testing a new tachyon enhancement device that was meant to power up his speed. He saves Kara from falling from a building. The Flash introduces himself as Barry Allen and explains about the multiverse to Kara and her friends. Before returning home, Barry helps Kara defeatSilver Banshee andLivewire.
In the 2016-17 television season, Barry and his friendCisco Ramon teleport to Kara's Earth, coined Earth-38 by Cisco, and recruit Kara for an alien invasion led by an extraterrestrial race known as the Dominators on Earth-1. The heroes learn the Dominators plan to kill all metahumans on Earth due to Barry's abilities to alter with the timeline. Barry plans to surrender but the heroes dissuade him from doing so. The heroes discover a bomb from one of the Dominator's ships and destroy it, forcing the Dominators to flee. In March 2017,J'onn J'onzz andMon-El arrive on Earth-1 with a comatose Kara in hopes that Barry and his team could revive her and warn Barry that one of their escaped prisoners—theMusic Meister—is after him as well. When Meister attacks Barry, he is placed in a shared coma with Kara. In the coma, Barry and Kara are forced in a musical which Meister planned so that Barry and Kara can love their personal loved ones. Kara, J'onn, and Kara return to their Earth. Kara then starts a relationship with Mon-El after.
In the 2017-18 television season, Kara and her sisterAlex are invited to Barry andIris' wedding on Earth-1, however, they are invaded by Nazis from Earth-X led byDark Arrow, Overgirl (Kara's Earth-X doppelgänger) andEobard Thawne / Reverse-Flash from Earth-1. The invaders capture Kara, who plan to take her heart and give it to Overgirl, who is dying from disproportionatesolar irradiance in her heart. Dark Arrow plans to use the Prism, powered byS.T.A.R. Labs' particle accelerator, to create artificial red sunlight that can weaken both Karas' invulnerability, allowing Thawne to transplant Kara's heart to Overgirl. Iris andFelicity rescue Kara and return to Earth-1. Dark Arrow and his team lead a force of Earth-X Nazis to invade Earth-1 but are ultimately defeated with Kara carrying a radioactive Overgirl to space where she explodes and dies. FollowingMartin Stein's funeral, Kara and Alex return to Earth-38.
In the 2018-2019 television series, Dr.John Deegan is given the Book of Destiny by theMonitor to rewrite reality in his vision. When he swaps the lives of Barry and Oliver, the two discover the change in reality and seek Kara, whose Earth is unaffected by the change, on Earth-38 for help. They later run into the vigilanteBatwoman while confronting Deegan inGotham City. Eventually, Oliver makes a deal with the Monitor to restore reality back to normal.
In the 2019-2020 television series, the multiverse is slowly being erased by theAnti-Monitor. Kara is recruited among other heroes as the chosen Paragons to defeat the Anti-Monitor. When Oliver sacrifices himself to kill the Anti-Monitor, a restored multiverse is put back together combining into one Earth coined "Earth-Prime" including Kara's Earth.
During theCrisis on Earth-X crossover event, one of the main antagonists is the Earth-X Nazi doppelganger of Kara known as Overgirl. She served alongsideDark Arrow, who is revealed to be the Earth-X doppelganger of Oliver Queen. Eventually, during a battle with Kara, Overgirl's solar radiation goes nuclear and Kara carries her into space, where her body explodes, killing her.
Kara Danvers appears in the show's digital tie-in comic book series,Adventures of Supergirl. in 2017 Kara appeared in a trilogy of novels written by Jo Whittemore aimed at middle-grade readers. The first,Supergirl: Age of Atlantis, was released on November 7, 2017. it features Supergirl dealing with a surge of newly powered people in National City, as well as a mysterious humanoid sea creature captured by the DEO who is seemingly attracted to the new superpowered people. A sequel,Supergirl: Curse of the Ancients was released on May 1, 2018, with the third novel titleSupergirl: Master of Illusion, released on January 8, 2019.
Graeme Virtue ofThe Guardian praisedSupergirl and Melissa Benoist's performance as Kara Danvers.[23] David Sims ofThe Atlantic reviewed the series positively, saying: "A lot of the credit has to go to the casting of Benoist as Kara—she's as perfect a fit asGrant Gustin was forThe Flash."[24] Brian Lowry ofChicago Tribune complimented the casting of the series, stating, "Benoist nails the title role."[25] Evan Valentine ofCollider called Benoist's adaptation of the character the "best Supergirl we've seen in live action" because "it managed to capture a sense of fun among the cast that was infectious."[26] Max Nicholson ofIGN praised both Benoist's performance and the character, saying, "Melissa Benoist [... ] totally encapsulated the lead role and portrayed both the vulnerability of Kara Danvers and the determination ofKara Zor-El," calling the character "strong, capable, upbeat" despite noting some flaws.[27] In her review forCommon Sense Media, Emily Ashby praised Melissa Benoist and praised Kara Danvers for her qualities and values, writing, "Kara has a lot of great qualities that have nothing to do with her superpowers; she's industrious, self-motivated, and empathetic. Even as a hero, she's not out for recognition. She does what she does because it's what she's meant to do. [...] There are strong themes of self-reliance, embracing destiny, and following your own heart's desire, all portrayed by a very likable, fresh-faced heroine."[28] Some critics have stated the series's Kara as not being distinct enough from Superman, simply being a ¨female Clark Kent¨.[29]
The relationship between the Danvers sisters has been among the things praised about the Supergirl character.[30][31] Kara andAlex were named as one of "The 10 Greatest Ride or Die TV Siblings" byTV Guide's Keisha Hatchett, who stated: "These two might not come from the same species, but their unconditional love for each other proves that you don't need to share the same blood in order to be sisters. Both have helped each other through a difficult journey to self-acceptance [...] in a fierce display of sisterhood that keeps us coming back each week."[32]
The identity of Kara Danvers and other aspects from the television series (such as working with the DEO and at Cat Grant's CatCo Worldwide Media) were adapted into the DC continuity during theRebirth event, in 2016. The miniseriesSupergirl: Woman Of Tomorrow reintroduces Kara as a 21-one-year-old, more mature than on previous iterations in the comics and closer to Kara's portrayal on the series, in which she is a young adult rather than a teenager. By the end ofWoman of Tomorrow, Kara dons a new costume with pants, more similar to Kara Danvers' second costume from the fifth season.[33][34]
| Year | Award | Category | Nominee(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Saturn Awards | Best Actress on Television | Melissa Benoist | Nominated | [35] |
| Breakthrough Performance | Melissa Benoist | Won | |||
| 2017 | Saturn Awards | Best Actress on a Television Series | Melissa Benoist | Won | [36] |
| Teen Choice Awards | Choice Action TV Actress | Melissa Benoist | Won | [37] | |
| Choice Liplock | Melissa Benoist and Chris Wood | Nominated | |||
| Choice TV Ship | Melissa Benoist and Chris Wood | Nominated | |||
| 2018 | Saturn Awards | Best Actress on a Television Series | Melissa Benoist | Nominated | [38] |
| Teen Choice Awards | Choice Action TV Actress | Melissa Benoist | Won | [39] | |
| 2019 | Saturn Awards | Best Actress on Television | Melissa Benoist | Nominated | [40] |
| Teen Choice Awards | Choice Action TV Actress | Melissa Benoist | Nominated | [41] | |
| 2021 | Critics' Choice Super Awards | Best Actress in a Superhero Series | Melissa Benoist | Nominated | [42] |
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| Arrow | |
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| The Flash | |
| Supergirl | |
| Legends of Tomorrow | |
| Black Lightning | |
| Batwoman | |
| Animated series | |
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