This Monday, Brec Bessinger steps up as DC’s newest live-action hero in DC Universe’s Stargirl.
Based on the DC comic book character of the same name and pulling from an even deeper DC legacy of Starman, Stargirl is the brainchild of Geoff Johns – who co-created the original character, and is the co-showrunner of the upcoming TV series.
Johns (and his writing team) have adapted his Stars & S.T.R.I.P.E.S. comics, as well as the Stargirl threads from his JSA run, and added new elements as he – and the character – have grown since the 1990s.
The show follows teenage girl, Courtney Whitmore, as she moves to the small town of Blue Valley with her new step-father, Pat Dugan. But Pat has a secret…he’s the sidekick of Starman, a member of the Justice Society of America. Introducing a new generation of heroes to the JSA, Courtney stumbles upon the staff and becomes Stargirl with her step-father becoming her sidekick, S.T.R.I.P.E.
Stargirl will debut May 18 on the DC Universe streaming service, with the CW airing the episode a day after – a schedule to follow for the show’s entire first season.
Geoff Johns spoke to Newsarama about the show, his quest to bring this very personal comic book character to TV, the comic book elements he thought were the most important to translate to the show, and if fans can expect Stargirl to crossover with any of the other DC TV shows.
Newsarama: Geoff, what was the process like adapting a comic book you wrote two decades ago – one that was, and remains, very personal to you?
Geoff Johns: It was the best experience I’ve ever had. I worked with so many wonderful and talented people. From Peter Roth, Susan Rovner, and everyone at the studio; my good friend Greg Berlanti; Sarah Schecter and Greg Beeman; my longtime collaborator, director Glen Winter; our amazing team of writers and producers like Melissa Carter, Colleen McGuinness, Taylor Streitz, and Evan Ball.
In the terms of development and us breaking stories, it was easy, but there were definitely challenges. We pushed boundaries in production and did things that haven’t been done before because we all wanted to raise the bar – like figuring out how to do S.T.R.I.P.E. alone was a massive endeavor.
Alan Scott (yes, that’s his real name!) at Legacy Effects led the charge on building the robot. They built the Iron Man suits, they worked on Mandalorian, their place in the San Fernando Valley is like a museum of the most amazing robotic suits and giant monsters you could imagine. It was people like Alan, and then subsequently people like Andrew Orloff and his VFX house ZOIC, that figured out how to do things no one could imagine when the book came out (so long ago!).
We already have our season 2 ideas, which are planted within the first season, so I’m hopeful we’ll have a whole new set of challenges to come. It makes it fun. If we do this, we want to make it as good as we possibly can. To work on this show is literally the dream. Plus, my family is incredibly happy and that’s everything to me.
Selfie from Stargirl set
Credit: Geoff Johns
Nrama: What elements from the comic books did you feel was most important to instill into the show?
Johns: Beyond keeping true to the core concept and emotional center of Stars & S.T.R.I.P.E. and the JSA comics, it was the tone.
Stargirl and the modern day Justice Society of America are both nostalgic, but also forward-looking. The JSA are the embodiment of classic superheroes and morality and the team today is about contrasting generations – from the first in the DC Universe to the next. Also, the comic books have never shied away from the history or the costumes or the names. It was important to embrace it all. But I think that’s part of the charm. The link back to history.
In the show, the JSA has operated since the 1940s, like the comics. That brings a big emotional weight to the legacy. A sense of responsibility, a feeling of intimidation, a search for identity. That was all important.
Along with visually embracing the material. From the costumes, designed by the great LJ Shannon, to S.T.R.I.P.E. to Solomon Grundy, we tried to stay true to everything – because we love it.
I was lucky enough to have James Robinson, who comic fans know wrote The Golden Age and Starman, there with me. I called him and said he had to do this with me. I can name very few people that know DC history as well as James, Mark Waid, and Grant Morrison.
All of our writers, producers and directors brought different perspectives, but we had a great balance of people who were both familiar with Stargirl and the JSA and those that weren’t. It helped us all focus on what we loved about the characters, pushing that to the forefront.
Ultimately, I think if anyone knows my comic book writing, they know how much I love the history of the DCU. We’ve gone pretty deep… I’m excited for hardcore DC fans to see it. A lot is out there, but I think they’ll still be surprised and I hope they enjoy it (with their kids if they have any!).
Nrama: As we all know there are so many superhero shows on TV right now, what makes Stargirl stand out/different from the other DC TV shows?
Johns: Well, when I first pitched the idea of Stargirl on the DCU, it was meant to be a show that families could watch, where Titans and Doom Patrol are for more adult audiences. I haven’t seen Harley Quinn yet, but I know that is, too. So, putting something out there that younger fans could see – and it was about younger characters – that was fun, and family-centric while still having real stakes and emotion – that was the goal.
As to how it’s different than every other DC TV show, it has a different feel, I think. It harkens back to the classic films of the 1980s like Back to the Future, E.T., and The Goonies in some respects, though it’s firmly set in the here and now. Our [cinematographers] and directors took inspiration from those so it looks a bit different. But really, more than setting out to make the show different we wanted to make it true to the tone of the comic books.
Nrama: What was the decision behind releasing the show on both The CW and DC Universe?
Johns: That decision was way above my paygrade, but I’m excited about it. The show is like a bridge between the two networks and I am grateful that anyone who wants to check it out is able to. Whether you have DCU or watch it on CW or stream it or see it on HBO overseas. The show is both for comic fans and non-comic fans.
Nrama: Would you like to see Stargirl crossover with any of the other DC shows? If so, which one?
Johns: I think it’d be fun once we’ve established our show. I mean, I love Grant Gustin so much, I’d love to see him and Brec Bassinger meet. But the possibilities are endless, really.