Supergirl EP Reveals James’ Future as DC Comics’ Guardian, Explains Why He and Kara Are ‘Best as Friends’
As Supergirl‘s second season continues on The CW, Kara and James’ fractured relationship is going to get a lot worse before it gets any better.
Following a press screening on Tuesday, executive producer Andrew Kreisberg revealed that Mehcad Brooks’ character is going to try his hand at crimefighting, adopting the persona of DC Comics’ shield-toting Guardian — and he’s not telling Kara. (Oops!)
“James is going to decide that he can no longer be a sidekick, so he’s going to become a vigilante,” Kreisberg explained. “He’s going to become Guardian, complete with the shield, which is going to cause a massive problem in his relationship with Kara because he decides not to tell her. There’s this new masked vigilante, and she has her own feelings about vigilantes. … And he’s recruited Winn to help him. Winn is his man in the van. Winn and James together is like comedy gold.”
As for why Kara ended things with James at the end of Monday’s season premiere, Kreisberg explained that the writers wanted to tell a relatable story, one in which a friendship becomes something more — even if it shouldn’t.
“We sort of felt like we were pursuing that relationship more because we felt like we had to than any of us was really truly feeling it,” he told reporters. “We realized the best scenes between them were the nice, sweet scenes where they were being friends.”
Kara and James will remain a part of each other’s lives, so it’s anyone’s guess how their relationship might change in the future. But with this Guardian drama on the horizon, I wouldn’t hold my breath for a second date.
Your thoughts on Kara and James’ sudden split? James’ future as Guardian? Drop ’em in a comment below.
Reporting by Vlada Gelman
I was so hoping Diggle would but I have no issue with Jimmy become the Guardian I mean in today world it hard to take him as a photographer anyways
Ouch !! Say all the professional photographers reading your comment.
In the old Superman comics, like from the Silver Age, you wouldn’t believe what happened to Jimmy. Like everything happened to Jimmy at one point or another. Guy had the craziest life in the DC universe, and that’s really saying something. So, sure. “Jimmy Becomes the Guardian!” is something that could happen I guess. For a little while. But if it’s going to be a permanent thing that might start to feel a bit too much out of character. I do understand that it feels like a bit of a waste to have Mehcad Brooks, a really tall and buff dude, and not have him punching anything on a superhero show, though, so I get it.
The fact that the actor playing Jimmy Olsen is tall and buff is a problem for me. I like Brooks but he is miscast. Jimmy should be an Everyman character Brooks is an Adonis, so it is hard to root for him romantically or otherwise. Heck he is taller and more buff than Superman. WIsh they could use flashpoint to change him into Pete Ross or somebody.
That’s what many people said when the casting was first announced, and they’re still saying it.
Jim Harper is suppose to be guardian not james olsen
You saying this is like when he became a woman, a big headed person, a giant reptilian man, and stuff like that?
I hope they stay friends and the show continues being great!!!
Kara and James had no Chemistry at all. It felt extremely forced. So I’m glad it’s over.
As he said, the platonic chemistry was out of this world. They were great when they weren’t forcing the romance stuff.
He was like family. Like her big brother’s best friend that has been around for years and she feels comfortable around.
I was confused they tried to do a Jimmy Olsen romance. Its not supported by the comics. Her regular Joe Boyfriend was Dick Malverne who has a cameo in a Season one flashback. Kara was known for her weird boyfriends, like the Merboy and the centaur. But her main love interest for decades has been Brainiac 5. She’s an alien, she has an alien boyfriend. I guess they thought that may have been a bit much for regular audiences but they story has heaps of potential.
This is like Oliver and Laurel season one of Arrow all over again. You wrote something that didn’t go over well and instead of doing your job and fixing it you just toss it in season two and act like it never happened. Honestly I could have taken them breaking up but what they did was not honoring the story they made in season one. its frustrating to watch again.
Hey, if we’re going with the Arrow metaphor, Kara and James are the Oliver and Laurel and Winn is Felicity (adorkable little nerdish who likes the hero from a distance)! Melissa Benoist has way more cute chemistry with Jeremy Jordan! Although, on the chemistry chart, she has yet to beat what she had with Grant Gustin’s Barry Allen/The Flash (even though I really like him with Iris on his own show). So maybe we just haven’t met Kara’s big love interest yet? Let’s see how this plays out. But I think most of us will agree that the chemistry just wasn’t there between Kara and James and that relationship felt forced last season (and it could have been handled better in the season 2 opener)…
Fans don’t seem to get it “chemistry” is a well writen story between actors, and plot. Two actors can hate each other and have “chemistry” is the story is there. If James/kara did not connect the way you wanted it to. Do your job and write it better don’t throw it out becasue the entire season one was rocky. Thats what has me upset as a fan and writer. Do your job
I agree. Patrick S. and Jennifer G in Dirty Dancing is a perfect example of good writing that created chemistry. At the time, those two actors hated each other. But their chemistry was amazing bc of the story. Same with the lead actors of Nicholas Sparks Notebook.
Although I also understand when actors are able to create that special spark that makes the romance believable
Jason — Yes. Spot on. I agree I felt the same way about this. It’s like they were reading comments online over the summer and decided they needed to reboot because a few vocal people weren’t feeling Kara and James. Just like you said though, I think there were times when the chemistry between them was palpable because the writing (and directing) were good. Other times? They rushed things and had some cheesy writing that dragged them down. I don’t think they did themselves any service by having Kara turn into the biggest flake ever and 10 seconds after being really excited about kissing James, she’s like, “Whoops…not feeling it…my bad.” It really wouldn’t have killed them to have them go on a couple of dates and realize that the relationship wasn’t going to work. It’s not unusual when friends try to take things to a different level. Have them realize that things were instantly serious because they knew each other so well, but neither of them were ready for that. Something…other than, “I loved you yesterday, but today, not so much.”
Im afraid with Berlanti already saying a “significant” character is going to explore their sexuality that is going to be Kara. I can deal with Winn, Alex, even james but you can’t make super girl gay
Why can’t they?
The same reason why you can’t make arrow, flash or superman gay. They never were and it doesn’t make sense to make then gay now!
So you’re fine with interspecies relationships (Kryptonian and a human), but god forbid those species both identify as female? Yeah I’m calling bull
I could care less what you call it. Super girl has been in several interspecies relationships before both cartoons and comics but she has never been in her history a lesbian. I don’t think there is anything bull about me wanting that too stay the same. Some creator can make another really popular super female and make her a lesbian if they want. But leave super girl alone
It’s not going to be Kara. It’ll be Alex. If they’re going to explore sexuality, check the roster for the workaholic with no social life first.
I agree
There is a key difference. Oliver and Laurel/Dinah are canonical love interests, they should have moved heaven and earth to fix it. Kara and Jimmy are not a comic thing. Its something they smushed together and hoped it would work but it didn’t.
Couldn’t agree more!! So glad we are moving on from this!
Many people are glad they finally realised that their romance was never meant to be.
I thought it was strange they built the relationship all last season just to drop it in a short and seemingly insignificant scene. It could’ve played out much better.
I agree. I was never able to get into this relationship. I tried, since they were pushing it so hard. But this just felt too rushed. They should’ve played it out over the first two eps since it’s kind of like a two parter. Or at the very least have an actual conversation about it, not just the whole I like you but not like that and then done.
Thats the right move.. They never worked as anything more than friends… Not sure i buy him becoming a vigilante without telling her though… will see how it plays out.
Yeah, I’m totally fine with the “just friends” choice. The only scene where I felt like they had a memorable spark was in the pilot where they meet for the very first time. Since then, it’s all felt pretty obligatory.
While I gradually lost interest in the pairing as season 1 progressed, I feel like the writers handled the abandonment of this relationship poorly. I can totally see Kara making the decision she does, but it was sort of clumsily written – almost as an afterthought? Something you pumped up THAT MUCH should warrant a little more than what they came up wrote.
Having said that, I’m glad they won’t be focusing on them right now. I enjoy the team relationships more than any romantic ones at the moment.
i thought james and kara had a lot of chemistry in the beginning. but then i started to lose interest. idk, the romantic scenes felt flat to me. maybe they just weren’t written well enough. but i don’t like the way the writers handled things. james and kara should have slowly realized they should be just friends. it shouldn’t have happened in one episode, especially the first episode back.
I don’t mind them going off the romantic route but honestly, I was tying up shoelaces at four years old with more skill and attention than the way this once-major plot line was tied up. Even when you want to kill off a plot that’s not working for you, be a professional about it – use it as a segue into another major story.
I wasn’t even all that invested in Kara/James but I still call shoddy writing on this. All that build up for nothing.
Thank goodness! Those two have I chemistry whatsoever.
This feels like network politics. CBS was in favor of the relationship, but CW has a different strategy for the characters.
What tone deaf thing to say. Another black best friend in a CW TV show and that didin’t even honor the relationship they set out in season one. Thats such bad writing. If they have issues fix them don’t dismiss it in the lazy way they did
The split would be more believable if they’d gone on a date and realized this doesn’t really work when they try it out. Because Kara getting cold feet just hours later and deciding to remain friends? What? Hours. Not days or weeks. Hours.
Awesome he’ll become a hero in new season. It’s better he and Kara stay just as friends, they didn’t work as a couple.
I think its great how after Laurel, Iris, season 3 Felicity and the Hawks , the flarrow writers finally learned they can’t write love stories very well
i thought they were setting up eddie mcclintock has the guardian unless he E-1 Guardian which would be cooler cus hes roy harper uncle also supergirl gotta get over her feeling about vigilantes cus she teaming up with some soon
I confess that I am a bit surprised that people are complaining about the “relationship” ending so quickly. The chemistry was so bad that was the realistic way to end it…quickly and abruptly. To me, I think this would be a great opportunity to send Jimmy back to Metropolis when Superman returns. I think the big problem with the character is the way the entire role has been written from episode 1.
Why is that HOT POC on CW is always just a friend?! James is the ALPHA male on that show and he isnt dating?! That is unbelievable!!!!! I guess when they introduce the Martian Girl..who is played by a Black Woman….then we will see some tyrp a love triangle between minorities and then a boring bland Vanilla coupling……….
James isn’t the Alpha male on the show. Hank/J’onn is the Alpha male. James has been written as the damsel in distress role. Hopefully this new storyline will help rectify that.
James was dating Lucy.
But the very fact Jimmy Olsen and Alpha Male is said together shows how wrong they got him
Sounds like Supergirl will no longer be the protagonist in her eponymously named show!
It took Lois and Clark 3 years on The New Adventures of Superman and 5 on Smallville to go together, give Jimmy and Kara at least 3 before you start to judge.
Strangely enough not every character in a TV show needs to be dating to be interesting. Kara doesn’t need a love interest, although I have a vague concern they might go that way with Mon El. But I can’t see how he could work as a series regular unless the shows de-powers him very rapidly. I’d far rather Adam Foster comes back anyway.
hell no please..if we add nother vigilante in Supergirl show,it will separate the story,geez…
I was disappointed that they ended the romantic relationship that way. I like them as friends, but it was weird that they seemed so in love with each other last season, only to end it before it even began in the Season 2 premiere. He kinda seems like the perfect guy for her. He knows her secrets and isn’t intimidated by her. Oh, well. I hope they’ll get together later on in the series.
AGREED! They were cute together; they just needed better writing. The way they ended it before it began was very lame.
You do know it wasn’t meant to be, right?
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