‘Supergirl’ season five preview
It feels like only yesterday that season four of Supergirl wrapped, and our Sunday nights have been so boring without it. To help us through the lonely months without Supergirl, the team dropped a new trailer and held a panel at SDCC this past weekend.
The Greg Berlanti-led series has done a great job at giving depth and complexity to our Supergirl, Kara Danvers, played with warmth and wit by Melissa Benoist. We’ve got to hand it to The CW: Supergirl is currently one of the most feminist shows on TV. Kara is smart, tenacious, and confident, equally adept at combating everyday girl problems as the alien and metahuman threats coming down to Earth. Damn, girl!
Here’s everything we know about S5 of Supergirl, which premiered Sunday, October 6, 2019, and ran for 19 episodes.
New threats
Jon Cryer returns as Lex Luthor in season five. Speaking of his resurrection on the Supergirl Comic-Con panel, Cryer quipped, “The character I played died, which is really sad, because – I don’t know if you know anything about comics, but – if a character is dead, they’re dead.” We have no idea whatsoever how Luthor will return, but he’s coming back. In addition, Supergirl will be fighting the powerful, secret organization Leviathan in S5. In the S4 finale, we learned they were in control of Lex Luthor. Season 5 delivered on those threats with Lex returning after the Arrowverse crossover and seizing control of the DEO while manipulating Leviathan from within. The group, led by Rama Khan and Gamemnae, served as the central foe until Lex turned their power against them and claimed victory by the finale.
Full leggings in the costume
For the first time since Supergirl’s outfit was introduced in S1, there’s been a change to her costume. Supergirl will now be clad in a Kryptonian super suit for a more streamlined look and of course further leg protection. Supergirl can also be seen sporting stylish bangs in the trailer. The new costume was created by show designer Victoria Auth with support from Ironhead Studios and Bill Hargates Costumes. Showrunners Jessica Queller and Robert Rovner stated about the costume: “We’re beyond excited to update Supergirl’s iconic suit. We think her new image is strong and powerful. We hope the fans are as excited about it as we are.” “I just think it’s more adult,” Melissa Benoist, who plays Kara, opined. “Part of my goal in this whole series [is that] for whenever the show ends, I just want there to be a very clear arc for this character, that she evolved as a woman and found her femininity and her adulthood – just a self-discovery.”
Cast changes
Julie Gonzalo will be playing Andrea Rojas a.k.a. Acrata, a powerful Central American businesswoman who holds a mystical secret. Staz Nair will be playing William Dey, a character created for the show whose cynical attitude clashes with Kara’s idealism. He’s always looking for the next big story to scoop at CatCo, but his ties to a group of criminals prove problematic. Mehcad Brooks exited as James Olsen after episode four, with his character leaving National City to run a hometown newspaper. Kelly Olsen, played by Azie Tesfai, was promoted to series regular, as was Andrea Brooks in the role of Eve Teschmacher. Gonzalo’s Acrata also gained deeper ties to Leviathan and eventually took ownership at CatCo.
Benoist is stepping behind the camera
Melissa Benoist will be making her directorial debut this season on episode seventeen, “Deus Lex Machina,” a Lex-centric hour that marked her first time behind the camera. Unlike the other stories from the Arrowverse, Supergirl is focused on family rather than found family. Not only is Supergirl dedicated to her blood family, she also has great relationships with her adoptive family, especially an open and honest relationship with her sister and mother. Even though Supergirl’s an alien in a foreign land, Kara’s dedication to her fam makes her incredibly relatable. We’re looking forward to seeing how her personal relationships develop in this new season and to see Supergirl grow into the fantastic woman she’s fast becoming.
Crisis on Infinite Earths Impact
The Arrowverse crossover directly shaped season five. After the events of Crisis, the series shifted to Earth-Prime, resetting elements of the universe while keeping key characters intact. Lex Luthor retained memories from before the reset and used that knowledge to secure control of the DEO. The Leviathan threat persisted but operated under new constraints, forcing Supergirl and her team to adapt their strategies in a changed world. The crossover also opened doors for multiverse cameos and altered power dynamics that played out across the season.
Lena and Kara Friendship Arc
The tension between Supergirl and Lena Luthor became the season’s emotional backbone. Kara’s decision to reveal her secret identity created a rift that tested their long-standing bond. Lena’s anger fueled alliances with Lex and experiments that put everyone at risk. By the finale, the two women found themselves forced to team up against Lex and Leviathan, beginning the slow process of reconciliation. Their story highlighted the cost of secrets and the possibility of repair.
Alex's Vigilante Development
Alex Danvers stepped into a larger role as the season progressed. She received a custom suit connected to J’onn J’onzz’s Martian technology and began fighting alongside Supergirl in the field. Her shift from DEO leadership to active vigilante marked a new phase for the character and expanded the team’s capabilities against Leviathan. The change also deepened her sense of purpose beyond her day job.
Production and Episode Count Changes
Season five was originally ordered for twenty-two episodes before being trimmed to twenty and ultimately airing nineteen. The production shutdown caused by the pandemic forced the writers to compress storylines and turn the final completed episode into the season finale. The shortened run still managed to resolve major arcs while leaving threads for the next year, a testament to the crew’s adaptability under sudden constraints.
