'Supergirl' cast: Calista Flockhart to star in new CBS series; Superman to appear?

Supergirl[Photo credit: DC Comics]

The new CBS pilot for "Supergirl" is slowly making headway with the cast slowly being filled in. The forthcoming series has actress Calista Flockhart onboard, and she will go all bossy on the heroine's alter ego Kara Danvers. The "Ally McBeal" star will play the role of Cat Grant, a self-made media mogul and founder of her own large-scale company CatCo. Supergirl will be her assistant — that is, when she is not all powered up and ready to pound. 

CBS chair Nina Tassler revealed how the network "fell in love with the pitch" during the TCA Winter Press Tour. "Supergirl," which is based on the DC comics, is expected to take off with CBS tapping the writing prowess of Greg Berlanti and Ali Adler. Berlanti Productions, which is behind The CW adaptations "Arrow" and "The Flash" (both well-received of course), as well as Warner Bros. Television are making the new superhero series happen. 

"Glee" star Melissa Benoist will play the role of Supergirl, the cousin of Superman who fled from planet Krypton before its total annihilation. Her story is not much different from the Man of Steel. Kara, like Clark Kent, will be taken in by her foster family, the Danvers, who help her to control her superpowers as she lives her life as a regular human. Although she knows that great clout surges inside of her, she kept them all a secret to mankind until age 24. 

There are also reports that Superman will put in an appearance in the series. As detailed in ProjectCasting.com, CBS is looking for a 5-foot-11-inch or taller individual that can serve as a "body double for a DC comic superhero" and the right person "should be square-jawed" and should have "a ripped physique." Although it seems that Superman will make it to the series, TV Line believes that he will only be seen from afar or will be partially obstructed so as to avert conflict in the DC universe. 

What's sure though is that Mehcad Brooks will play the role of Kara's love interest, Jimmy Olsen, in "Supergirl." Laura Benanti from hit series "Nashville" will be Kara's mother Alura Zor-El in the series.