Supergirl is getting another tough female character when the show returns in the fall.
The Hollywood Reporter learned that The Family‘s Floriana Lima will be filling the role of Maggie Sawyer, who is inspired by a gay DC Comics character.
Maggie was first introduced in the comic world in 1987 by John Bryne. She was a captain of the Metropolis Special Crimes Unit. Just like the D.E.O. specializes in aliens, the Special Crimes Unit specializes in metahumans.
Lima’s character in the Supergirl world will have her as a detective at the National City Police Department who takes an interest in cases involving aliens.
While the executive producer of Supergirl, Arrow, The Flash and DC’s Legends of Tomorrow, Greg Berlanti, has changed the ethnicity and sexuality of several of the comic book characters in his shows, Maggie was one of the “first openly [gay] characters in mainstream comics.”
Maggie was first revealed to be a lesbian in the Superman comics and later was romantically involved with Batwoman.
Berlanti told THR earlier this year:
“I wanted to contemporize these comics that I loved growing up and have them reflect the society that we live in now. It’s still about working in some of those very real qualities so that everyone feels represented.”
Maggie isn’t the only new character joining the CBS turned CW show this fall. Teen Wolf‘s Tyler Hoechlin will be playing Superman and Cougar Town alum Ian Gomez will play journalist Snapper Carr. Plus Wonder Woman star Lynda Carter will make an appearance as the President of the United States. No surprise that in the world of Supergirl, they have a female president.
Which new character are you most excited to see this fall?
