Amit Malaviya
The last week and a half has brought forth a flurry of classic Justice Society of America members cast in the DC Universe subscription streamer’s upcoming live-action Stargirl series. We have already been told that starring alongside Stargirl will be Hourman, Wildcat, Dr. Mid-Nite, and Starman himself. That doesn’t seem to be all, though.
That Hashtag Show seems to have come across some very interesting character casting breakdowns for the upcoming series. Starting with the most obvious is Courtney’s familial unit – her mother, “Barbara”, who will be essayed by someone between the ages of thirty-five and forty-nine. Of course, you can’t really tell a Stargirl origin story without her stepfather and future sidekick Pat Dugan, aka S.T.R.I.P.E, originally Starman’s sidekick Stripsey.
Following these two is someone named “Matt Kenner,” and the casting director is seeking out someone who is eighteen but will play fifteen. Someone of mixed ethnicity, half of that being Caucasian, Matt is friendly, adorable, and nervous, an artist who is trying to figure out being a teenager. Through his good nature, he’s steadfastly staying on track towards a good path, even though there are outside forces trying to lure him towards a darker one. It isn’t really clear who Matt could be, given how vague that description is, but it could well be any of Courtney’s younger Justice Society/Justice Society All-Stars teammates.
The series is also looking to cast a character currently called “Sean Miller, a recurring guest star who is described as a Caucasian man in his 40s. A jock who owns a trophy shop that only sells first place trophies, the two most important people in his life are his wife “Ali,” an Asian-American in her 40s who is the gym teacher at Courtney’s high school. Also an energetic soccer mom, she loves guiding her students to become future winners, but the biggest love her life is her teenage daughter Kerri, the star athlete of the school. All signs seem to hint that these are merely codenames being used for Johnny Chambers/Johnny Quick, Libby Lawrence/Liberty Belle, and Jesse Chambers/Jesse Quick.
Speaking of parents and the children they have plans and dreams for, the series is also looking at casting another Caucasian male in his 40s, “Scott Weber.” “Weber” is a vicious supervillain, a telepah, and a horrifying force to be reckoned with. He enjoys executing the evil and personal punishments that he inflicts on his victims when he is inside their minds, but he’s more than just a sadistic villain – he’s also father to a son who he has big dreams for and loves very deeply. The descriptions seem to match up with classic JSA villain Brain Wave and his son, Henry King Jr.
Another villain being looked at, named “Dr. Draven” is a disgruntled scientist who has a history of working outside of ethical and moral guidelines. This could possibly be Johnny Sorrow, a villain co-created by showrunner Geoff Johns.
Saving, possibly, the best for last is “Arthur Matlock,” a powerful man of body, mind, and heart, he is quick with his fists whenever it’s necessary, and is a fantastic husband to his wife Ruth and a wonderful father to his baby son Ben. There’s a strong possibility that this role could be none other than the original Green Lantern himself, Alan Scott.
Starring Brec Bassinger as the eponymous heroine, Stargirl follows Courtney Whitmore, a high school sophomore who moves to Blue Valley, Nebraska after her mother gets married. When she discovers that her stepfather was once Starman’s sidekick Stripesy, Courtney uses Starman’s old cosmic staff to become Stargirl and inspires and rallies a motley crew of young, aspiring heroes to help her battle villains from the past.
Executive produced by DC Entertainment’s wunderkind Geoff Johns, who will also serve as showrunner, the character of Stargirl was created by Johns himself in 1999. Modeled on Johns’ late sister – also named Courtney – Stargirl went on to become one of the biggest hit new creations of the late 90s and early 00s. In addition to executive producing the show, Johns will also be writing the pilot episode.
While a solid premiere date has not been confirmed yet, Stargirl is rumoured to debut on Friday, August 9th 2019.
