Although co-developed by The CW’s Arrowverse architect Greg Berlanti, Supergirl originally landed at CBS, where the show debuted its first season last fall. However, as ratings declined over season 1 – with a slight uptick thanks to a crossover episode with The Flash – CBS delayed its renewal/cancellation announcement, before eventually revealing Supergirl would move to The CW for the series’ sophomore outing. Now that The CW has kicked off its full fall lineup of DC Comics-based series (Supergirl, The Flash, Arrow, and Legends of Tomorrow), fans have plenty to look forward to, not the least of which being an ambitious four-show crossover.
In addition to the planned crossovers, both The Flash and Supergirl will feature episodes directed by geek-favorite writer/director/podcaster Kevin Smith. Previously, Smith directed an episode of The Flash late in season 2, titled ‘The Runaway Dinosaur’. He’s returning to The Flash for an episode titled ‘Killer Frost’, and will additionally lend his talents to an episode of Supergirl titled ‘Supergirl Lives’. Now, he teases some of what fans can expect from his episode of Supergirl.
In an Instagram post featuring the cover of the script for his episode, Smith praised the material – Supergirl producer Andrew Kreisberg supplied the story, with the teleplay penned by Eric Carrasco and Jess Kardos – and thanked Kreisberg as well as Berlanti for allowing him the opportunity to direct. Check out a snippet of Smith’s post teasing the episode’s “pure comic book” tone and the photo of the script itself:
I just read this script for [the Supergirl] episode I’m gonna direct and I LOVE IT!!! It is filled with eep-cuts characters from some of my favorite stories in the [DC Comics] canon and it reads bigger than anything I’ve ever directed before – even #Dogma! So naturally, I’m TERRIFIED. This material is way above my pay grade: the kind of stuff I’ve loved watching my whole life but never tried to make myself. It’s pure comic book and science fiction fantasy and it reads like it should look like a 70’s album cover.
Although Smith’s films as of late haven’t received the same critical acclaim or cult status as his early works – which included Clerks, Dogma, Mallrats, and Chasing Amy – the director’s turn on ‘The Runaway Dinosaur’ earned plenty of praise from fans of The Flash. Additionally, since ‘The Runaway Dinosaur’ was a more serious character-heavy episode of the series, compared to The Flash’s usual humor and action, Smith excelled in portraying a unique installment in the season.
Certainly, considering Smith’s body of work on the whole – particularly his latest theatrical efforts in Tusk and Yoga Hosers – some fans may not be as excited by his turn in the director’s chair on Supergirl. Still, it stands to reason that Smith, with his knowledge of DC Comics and all things geek, will be able to execute an excellent episode of Supergirl. But, fans and critics alike will have the chance to see for themselves when ‘Supergirl Lives’ debuts later this year or early next year.