NYCC 2020: The ‘Stargirl’ Cast Grills Creator Geoff Johns On Season 2 Teases
by Erik Amaya
The cast of Stargirl have spent the quarantine keeping plants alive, baking, and training. Which is good as executive producer Geoff Johns said they’ll need their strength for what’s to come.
“A lot of bad guys and a lot of bad things,” Johns said of Season 2 during an appearance at New York Comic Con Metaverse on Sunday. “We broke the season and we’re deep into Episode Four.” He admitted the timing of Season 1’s release and the long production window for the next season means teasing elements of the story would be difficult. Nonetheless, castmembers Brec Bassinger, Meg DeLacy, Anjelika Washington, Yvette Monreal, and Cameron Gellman still managed to get some clarity out of their producer about the things suggested in the final moments of the first year.
In terms of the Justice Society of America, Season 2 will see Yolanda (Monreal) dealing with her decision to kill Brainwave, Beth (Washington) trying to fix Chuck, and Rick (Gellman) finding a place of peace after letting Solmon Grundy go free. After taking a fan question on the topic, Gellman added he hopes the seemingly monstrous creature will come back more sympathetic. Johns alluded to it being a possibility.
“He’s like a big puppy,” Bassinger said.
“He’s kind a dog who’s been trained to attack,” Johns clarified. ” [But] Is there a puppy inside him?”
The season’s big bad is seemingly Eclipso. As either a demon of darkness or an amalgamation of God’s wrath, he created plenty of trouble for Wildcat and Dr. Midnight in the comics — something Monreal and Washington hope to avoid. Nonetheless, Johns said the character is one of his favorites. “He’s a very different antagonist than the ISA … it’s such a different, darker, scarier threat.” As teased at the end of Season 1, Cindy (DeLacy) found the black Eclipso diamond, and Johns said her use of it is “one thing,” but “the creature inside that who feeds on humanity’s fear and grief … it’s going to take a lot to confront it. It’s going to be tough for the [JSA] to explore.”
Continuing on that theme of darkness, The Shade has made his way to Blue Valley. Johns was quick to praise writer James Robinson for taking the “obscure 1940s character” and imbuing him with a fascinating story in the pages of Robinson’s acclaimed Starman comic book. In terms of Stargirl, through, Johns clarified he was at the old JSA’s last stand — indeed, his power can be seen taking the original Dr. Midnight into the shadows — and “Pat will tell Courtney he’s the most powerful member [of the ISA].” But Johns also noted he was the only Injustice Society member absent in Blue Valley over the least few decades. He’s apparent defections means something and may play more directly into the anti-villain character Robinson wrote in Starman. Casting for The Shade is currently underway.
“Will [Eclipso and The Shade] work together?” asked Gellman.
“I can’t get into that,” Johns responded.
He added that a few more villains will also debut in the new season and that there is a “specific reason” for the objects Courtney stole from the old JSA’s HQ — but she may not necessarily find the people who end up using them. Nonetheless, we took this to mean Jakeem Thunder and a new Green Lantern will also find their way to Stargirl.
Of course, there was one last tease to cover — the return of Starman Sylvester Pemberton (Joel McHale). “We will be dealing with that immediately,” Johns said, but beyond noting that Sylvester’s purpose will be clearer by the end of the first episode, he offered no other details.
Then again, it still seems like the JSA cast did a good job getting new info from their boss.
Stargirl returns to The CW sometimes in 2021.
