THE FANDOM ZONE 178: "S.T.R.I.P.E." Is Up!

"Come on, sidekick. Don’t flake on me now."
"The last time I was a sidekick, my partner got killed."
"Yes, but this time you have a freaking robot!  You can do this, Pat.  The staff chose me and I choose you.  Stargirl and Stripsey.  What about Stripe?  Ooh, like an acronym.  Um... Subatomic Tactical Robot Internet Pat Enhancer.  Nailed it, yes!  That’s cool."
-- Courtney Whitmore and Pat Dugan, Stargirl: "S.T.R.I.P.E."

Hello again, everyone!  My co-host Jesse Jackson and I are back with another new episode of The Fandom Zone Podcast!  This time, we discuss "S.T.R.I.P.E.", the second episode of the DC Universe/CW series Stargirl, featuring Brec Bassinger as Stargirl, Luke Wilson as S.T.R.I.P.E., Christopher James Baker as Brainwave, and introducing Eric Goins as The Gambler!

In this episode, Jesse and I talk about things like the easter egg of Geoff Johns' sister Courtney, the second episode feeling like the second hour of a two-hour pilot, the Injustice Society running Blue Valley, not knowing who Mike's mother is, the importance of your show's leads having chemistry with one another, Courtney's youthful enthusiasm vs. Pat's older experience, the Golden Age Starman (Ted Knight) being the creator of the Cosmic Staff, my theory that Jack Knight is Courtney's father, paying tribute to the sewing machines that Courtney trashed making her Stargirl costume, hoping the Injustice Society's plan is better than the Cylons' plan on Battlestar Galactica, Courtney having a natural talent for being a superhero, Courtney the Injustice Slayer, waiting for Henry King Jr. to become Brainwave Jr., DC's Starman Omnibus hardcovers, the Wizard being responsible for his kid by having a wall safe for his wand, the odd "meet cute" of Pat meeting the Wizard's wife, wanting Pat to have his damn cookie, the Gambler being a really bad office team leader, Solomon Grundy locked away in the Injustice Society's secret bunker, needing Stargirl right now like we needed Smallville after the events of 9/11, our favorite quotes of the episode, Tom Ellis closing a deal for Lucifer Season 6, the first image of Dorothy Spinner for Doom Patrol Season 2, and more!

You can now check out episodes of The Fandom Zone using...

Google Play Music -- HERE 

iTunes/Apple Podcasts -- HERE

Direct Download MP3s/Libsyn -- HERE

Spotify -- HERE

Stitcher -- HERE

The Fandom Zone on Facebook -- HERE

The Fandom Zone on Twitter -- @FandomZoneCast

The Fandom Zone on Instagram -- HERE

And if that isn't enough for you, you can also check us out on YouTube, Soundcloud, and the official Southgate Media Group website!  Oh, and if you're interested in an officially official Fandom Zone Podcast t-shirt that all the cool kids are wearing, you can get those on TeePublic HERE as well!  Feel free to post a picture on our Facebook page of you or some other cool person you know wearing the shirt!

Be sure to come back next week, as Jesse and I discuss "Icicle", the third episode of the DC Universe/CW series Stargirl, right here on The Fandom Zone Podcast!

THE FANDOM ZONE 177: "Stargirl" Is Up!

"So, your name was Stripesy?"
"Because of all the stripes."
"Yeah, I got that.  Someone really should have helped you brainstorm a better code name."
"What’s wrong with it?"
"Well, for starters, I highly doubt it intimidated the bad guys.  I mean, 'Look out, here comes Stripesy!'"
-- Courtney Whitmore and Pat Dugan, Stargirl: "Pilot"

Hello again, everyone!  My co-host Jesse Jackson and I are back with another new episode of The Fandom Zone Podcast!  This time, we discuss the pilot episode of the DC Universe/CW series Stargirl, featuring Brec Bassinger as Stargirl/Courtney Whitmore, Luke Wilson as S.T.R.I.P.E./Pat Dugan, Joel McHale as Starman, and Christopher James Baker as Brainwave!

In this episode, Jesse and I talk about things like the CW cutting ten minutes out of the first Stargirl episode for commercials, Geoff Johns' personal connection to the character of Courtney Whitmore, Luke Wilson in Idiocracy, Courtney and Pat's blended family, the creative decision to give the Cosmic Staff a personality, Geoff Johns toning down Courtney's treatment of Pat from his original comics, Pat being more secretive than he is in the comics, Blue Valley being the hometown of the Wally West Flash, Bruce Springsteen making everything better, wanting to see more of the Justice Society of America, Sylvester Pemberton in the '80s DC Comics series Infinity, Inc., wondering if Ted Knight (the original Starman) and his son Jack Knight (the greatest Starman) exist in this show's continuity, the Injustice Society deciding to remain in Blue Valley, Courtney's first fight with Brainwave, teasing upcoming members of Infinity, Inc., homages to The Goonies and Back to the Future, Courtney wondering if Starman was her father, our favorite quotes of the episode, wondering if Pat's convertible becomes the Star Rocket Racer from the comics, Ruby Rose leaving Batwoman, Doom Patrol returning for Season 2, and more!

You can now check out episodes of The Fandom Zone using...

Google Play Music -- HERE 

iTunes/Apple Podcasts -- HERE

Direct Download MP3s/Libsyn -- HERE

Spotify -- HERE

Stitcher -- HERE

The Fandom Zone on Facebook -- HERE

The Fandom Zone on Twitter -- @FandomZoneCast

The Fandom Zone on Instagram -- HERE

And if that isn't enough for you, you can also check us out on YouTube, Soundcloud, and the official Southgate Media Group website!  Oh, and if you're interested in an officially official Fandom Zone Podcast t-shirt that all the cool kids are wearing, you can get those on TeePublic HERE as well!  Feel free to post a picture on our Facebook page of you or some other cool person you know wearing the shirt!

Be sure to come back next week, as Jesse and I discuss "S.T.R.I.P.E.", the second episode of the DC Universe/CW series Stargirl, right here on The Fandom Zone Podcast!

Your 2020 Geek Movie & TV Calendar

Once again, the new year brings us closer to The Films and TV Shows You've Been Dying to See for, Like, Forever.  If you enjoy sci-fi, fantasy and comic book based entertainment as I do, you already have several must-see flicks and television programs in the pipeline for 2020.  With that in mind, I thought I'd go ahead and give a helpful chronological rundown of which geek movie and TV goodness arrives when.  Some of these TV shows and films will be worth the long wait, others you wouldn't watch even if they were on Netflix, but each have their audiences and key target demographics.  Start planning your work vacation/sick/personal days accordingly.

JANUARY

1 - Doctor Who (TV)

9 - Star Trek Short Treks: Children of Mars (TV)

14 - Arrow, Legends of Tomorrow (Crisis on Infinite Earths Parts 4 & 5) (TV)

15 - The Magicians (TV)

19 - Batwoman, Supergirl (TV)

20 - Black Lightning (TV)

23 - Star Trek: Picard (TV)

24 - Chilling Adventures of Sabrina (TV)

FEBRUARY

February 2020? - Last Week Tonight, The Umbrella Academy (TV)

4 - The Flash (TV)

7 - Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) (Movie)

14 - Fantasy Island (Movie)

21 - Bloodshot (Movie)

23 - The Walking Dead (TV)

MARCH

March 2020? - American Gods, Stargirl, What We Do in the Shadows (TV)

27 - Mulan (Movie)

APRIL

April 2020? - Harley Quinn, Star Trek: Discovery, Westworld (TV)

3 - The New Mutants (Movie)

8 - No Time to Die (Movie), Twin Peaks 30th Anniversary

MAY

May 2020? - Dune: The SIsterhood, Lucifer (TV)

1 - Black Widow (Movie)

9 - Artemis Fowl (Movie)

JUNE

June 2020? - Doom Patrol, Wynonna Earp (TV)

5 - Wonder Woman 1984 (Movie)

JULY

July 2020? - Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., The Boys, Pennyworth (TV)
3 - Free Guy (Movie)
10 - Ghostbusters: Afterlife (Movie)
17 - Tenet (Movie)
31 - Morbius (Movie)

AUGUST

August 2020? - Mindhunter (TV)
21 - Bill and Ted Face the Music (Movie)

SEPTEMBER

September 2020? - The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, The Simpsons, Stranger Things, Titans (TV)
18 - The King's Man (Movie)

OCTOBER

October 2020? - Castle Rock, The Walking Dead (TV)
2 - Venom 2 (Movie)

NOVEMBER

November 2020? - The Mandalorian (TV)
6 - The Eternals (Movie)
20 - Godzilla vs. Kong (Movie)

23 - Doctor Who 57th Anniversary

DECEMBER

18 - Dune (Movie)
25 - The Tomorrow War (Movie)

SOMETIME IN 2020 - BizarroTV, Helstrom, Invincible, Jupiter's Legacy, The Sandman, Strange Adventures, WandaVision (TV)

STARGIRL Casts Meg DeLacy as Shiv

Stargirl has found her arch-enemy.

Deadline has word that the upcoming DC Universe series Stargirl, based on the DC Comics character, has cast Meg DeLacy as Cindy Burman, better known to DC fans as the supervillain Shiv.

According to the article, Cindy is described as "Blue Valley High’s most popular student… and its most feared.  Secretly the daughter of Dragon King (played by Nelson Lee), a longtime enemy of the Justice Society of America, Cindy is determined to follow in her father’s footsteps."

Stargirl is centered on Courtney Whitmore (Brec Bassinger), a struggling high-schooler who relocates to Blue Valley, Nebraska when her mom gets married.  After discovering her new stepfather was Starman’s sidekick Stripesy, Courtney uses his old Cosmic Staff to become Stargirl and inspire an unlikely group of young heroes to fight villains of the past.

DeLacy is probably best known as Grace Mullen on the Freeform series The Fosters.  She's also appeared in the movies F*&% the Prom, Austin Found and The Blackout, along with episodes of the TV series Zac and Mia, Chicago P.D., The Disappearing Girl, Recovery Road, and Side Effects.

Created in 1999 by Geoff Johns and Lee Moder, Shiv first appeared in Stars and S.T.R.I.P.E. #1 as Cindy Burman, the daughter of the supervillain and war criminal Dragon King.  The Dragon King sent his daughter Cindy to be educated in the best schools in the world.  Cindy underwent constant gruelling training regimens, and was tortured for any or no reason to "toughen her up".  Furthermore, she was subjected to various surgeries and cybernetic implants to make her deadlier – occasionally without anaesthesia.  Never wanting anything more than to please her father, she followed in his criminal footsteps as the deadly blade-wielding Shiv.

When Dragon King made their home in Blue Valley, Nebraska, Cindy and her father went up against the new Star-Spangled Kid (Courtney Whitmore) and her step-father (and former All-Star Squadron member) S.T.R.I.P.E. (Pat Dugan).  Shiv publicly launched the Dragon King’s plan in Blue Valley, appearing during the halftime of a football match and wrecking everything.  Shiv took out S.T.R.I.P.E. with her dragon staff and nearly drowned the Star-Spangled Kid – but Whitmore ultimately defeated her after a brutal fight.

Still battered and bleeding, Shiv was dragged away screaming by servants of her father to be operated upon once again.  This time, her skeleton was reinforced and her limbs were hacked away to be replaced by super-strong cybernetic prosthetics.  The lab of the Dragon King’s head scientist, Dr. Graft, was then invaded by the Star-Spangled Kid, S.T.R.I.P.E. and their ally, the Shining Knight (Sir Justin).  Seizing the occasion, Cindy escaped from her cell and then forced Graft’s assistant to tell her the real name of the Star-Spangled Kid.

The war between the three heroes and the Dragon King escalated, with Shiv leading the King’s troops in the field.  The Shining Knight, Shiv and the Dragon King were caught in an explosion that hurled Burman away and seemingly killed the King.  By the time Shiv recovered from the blast, the battle was over.  In shock, she swore that she would avenge the death of her father.  At this point, the horrific Johnny Sorrow appeared and recruited her for his Injustice Society.

Shiv served in several versions of the Injustice Society.  Though Sorrow was clearly inhuman and murderously insane, the damaged Shiv adopted him as her new father figure, making it trivially easy for Sorrow to manipulate her.  Shiv repeatedly clashed with the Society’s designated enemies, the Justice Society of America.  However, she eventually discovered that Whitmore, now known as Stargirl, had grown more powerful than her.  She attempted to murder Whitmore with a large-caliber firearm, despite Sorrow’s orders to take Stargirl alive.  The insane Sorrow wanted to elope with Whitmore, and to that end, he betrayed Shiv and the rest of the Society.  This forced Shiv and her colleagues to ally with their Justice Society foes to fight the mystical entity known as the King of Tears, which Sorrow had summoned.  The King of Tears was repelled, but the unconscious Injustice Society members were arrested and imprisoned.

Stargirl is currently expected to debut on DC Universe on August 9, 2019.

STARGIRL Casts Luke Wilson as Stripe

Stargirl just got herself a sidekick.

Deadline has word that the upcoming DC Universe series Stargirl, based on the DC Comics superhero, has cast Luke Wilson as Pat Dugan, better known to DC fans as the robotic superhero S.T.R.I.P.E.  Wilson joins Brec Bassinger as Courtney Whitmore/Stargirl, Lou Ferrigno Jr. as Rex Tyler/Hourman, Brian Stapf as Ted Grant/Wildcat, Henry Thomas as Charles McNider/Dr Mid-Nite, and Anjelika Washington in an undisclosed role.

According to the article, Stripe is described as "Pat Dugan once went by the less-than-inspired superhero name of Stripesy, sidekick to a young hero known as the Star-Spangled-Kid and later Starman of the legendary Justice Society of America.  Today, Pat has left his sidekick life behind him.  But when his new stepdaughter, Courtney Whitmore, discovers Pat’s secret past and takes on Starman’s legacy to become Stargirl, Pat is forced to come out of retirement and once again become a sidekick — to his stepdaughter — this time piloting a 15-foot robot called Stripe."

Showrunner Geoff Johns, who created Stargirl, remarked on the casting, "When I first moved to Los Angeles in 1996 and saw Bottle Rocket, I became a huge fan and admirer of Luke’s.  And I literally wrote this part for Luke, hoping that someday and somehow he’d play Pat Dugan.  I only envisioned him, and now I feel like I won the lottery!  Luke’s talent, humor, compassion — his presence and professionalism — and his creative collaboration, his ideas — we’re so lucky to have him alongside Brec in Stargirl."

Wilson, 47, has appeared in the films Idiocracy, Old School, The Royal Tenenbaums, Legally Blonde, 3:10 to Yuma (2007), My Super Ex-Girlfriend, Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, Charlie's Angels (2000), Rushmore, Blades of Glory, The Skeleton Twins, and Scream 2.  His television appearances include episodes of The X-Files, That '70s Show, Entourage, Drunk History, Enlightened, and Roadies.

Created in 1941 by Jerry Siegel and Hal Sherman, Patrick "Pat" Dugan first appeared in Action Comics (vol.1) #40 as a young man who helped a young Sylvester Pemberton III against Nazi spies posing as protestors at a movie on July 4, 1941.  Pemberton and Dugan became the Star-Spangled Kid and Stripesy, in order to battle Nazi spies and fifth columnists during World War II.  They devised a series of acrobatic maneuvers that allowed them to build upon one another's strengths -- the Kid's agility and Dugan's prowess.  They also built the Star Rocket Racer, a bubble-topped limousine with the functions of a rocket and helicopter.

The Star-Spangled Kid and Stripesy were members of the superhero team known as the Seven Soldiers of Victory as well as the All-Star Squadron.  After battling the Nebula Man, the Seven Soldiers were lost in time in 1950 and rescued decades later by the Justice League of America and the Justice Society of America.  Batman, Hourman and Starman retrieved Stripesy from being trapped in ancient Egypt.

Upon his return, Dugan married a woman named Maggie, who left him to raise their son Michael on her own.  In addition, Sylvester Pemberton's black sheep relative Arthur had stolen Dugan's patents during their disappearance.  Upon hearing about this, Sylvester returned the patents to Pat, and the two reconciled.  Dugan later assisted Pemberton after he became involved with Infinity, Inc., until Pemberton's death at the hands of Solomon Grundy, who used the deadly touch of Mr. Bones to murder the hero.

Dugan married for the second time and settled in Blue Valley.  His stepdaughter, Courtney Whitmore, became the second Star-Spangled Kid, partly in order to annoy him.  This led Dugan to develop a robotic suit of armor equipped with a range of ballistic weapons and utilities.  He assumed the identity of S.T.R.I.P.E. (Special Tactics Robotic Integrated Power Enhancer), in order to accompany Courtney and protect her during her adventures.

This will be the first time S.T.R.I.P.E. will appear in live-action, although the character did appear in several episodes of the animated series Justice League Unlimited (voiced by Phil LaMarr) and the animated film Justice League: Gods and Monsters (voiced by Dan Gilvezan).

Stargirl is currently expected to debut on DC Universe on August 9, 2019.

STARGIRL Casts Henry Thomas as Doctor Mid-Nite

He goes out walkin' after midnight, out in the moonlight...

Entertainment Weekly has word that the upcoming DC Universe series Stargirl, based on the DC Comics superhero, has cast Henry Thomas as Dr. Charles McNider, better known to DC Comics fans as the Golden Age Doctor Mid-Nite!

According to the article, the role will be recurring and is described as "Also known as the introspective surgeon Dr. Charles McNider, Dr. Mid-Nite is a brilliant and forward-thinking medical pioneer, and a founding member of the JSA.  With his trusty owl, he acts as the team’s resident doctor and detective."

Stargirl is centered on Courtney Whitmore (Brec Bassinger), a struggling high-schooler who relocates to Blue Valley, Nebraska when her mom gets married.  After discovering her new stepfather was Starman’s sidekick Stripesy, Courtney uses his old Cosmic Staff to become Stargirl and inspire an unlikely group of young heroes to fight villains of the past.

Thomas, 47, is best known as Elliott in E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial and recently as Young Hugh Crain in the Netflix series The Haunting of Hill House.  His other films include Cloak & Dagger (1984), Fire in the Sky, Legends of the Fall, Suicide Kings, All the Pretty Horses, Gangs of New York, Dear John, and Ouija: Origin of Evil.  His television appearances include episodes of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Better Things, The Mentalist, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Without a Trace, and Masters of Horror.

Created in 1941 by Charles Reizenstein and Stanley Josephs Aschmeier, Doctor Mid-Nite first appeared in All-American Comics #25 as Dr. Charles McNider, a surgeon, who was called one night to remove a bullet from a witness set to testify against mobsters.  A mobster threw a grenade into the room, killing the witness and blinding McNider, with the injury causing him to believe his career as a surgeon was over.  One evening, as he was recovering, an owl crashed through his window.  Removing the bandages covering his eyes, McNider discovered that he could still see, but only in perfect darkness.  McNider developed a special visor allowing him to see in the light and "blackout bombs" capable of blocking out all light, becoming a costumed crime fighter.  He adopted the owl, naming it Hooty, and it became his "sidekick."

As Doctor Mid-Nite, he later joined the Justice Society of America (JSA) and the All-Star Squadron.  In 1942, McNider enlisted in the U.S. Medical Corps as a physician during World War II, rising to the rank of Captain.  Ten years after his debut, McNider briefly assumed the role of Starman after the JSA disbanded when Ted Knight, the original Starman, suffered a nervous breakdown as a result of his participation in the development of the atomic bomb.

In 1953, McNider suffered a devastating event when the girl he loved, Myra Mason, was murdered by the Shadower, a foe who had learned Doctor Mid-Nite's secret identity.  McNider apparently had no children, but at one point McNider rescued a pregnant woman from an attack in Sogndal, Norway, and delivered her baby, Pieter Cross, who later became the third Doctor Mid-Nite.

McNider rejoined his comrades in the Justice Society of America, when the cosmic entity known as the Anti-Monitor threatened to destroy the Multiverse during the Crisis on Infinite Earths event.  Immediately following the Crisis, the Justice Society embarked upon an adventure that cast them out of this reality, placing them into a Limbo dimension, where they found themselves fighting the Gods of Nordic legend – seemingly for all time.  A few years later, however, the super-being known as Waverider brought the JSA back to Earth and they came out of retirement once again to fight their old adversary, the Ultra-Humanite.

Following that battle, Doctor Mid-Nite shared in one final adventure with his lifelong brothers-in-arms.  The villain known as Extant had sought to remake the entire universe and began manipulating multiple time streams to suit his own ends.  The JSA, as well as dozens of other heroes, banded together to stop him.  Doctor Mid-Nite, the original Atom, and the futuristic android known as Hourman lost their lives during an event that has come to be known as Zero Hour.

Thomas will be the second actor to portray Doctor Mid-Nite in live-action, after Kwesi Ameyaw in the CW series Legends of Tomorrow.  The character has also appeared in the animated series Batman: The Brave and the Bold (voiced by Corey Burton) and Justice League Unlimited.

Stargirl is currently expected to debut on DC Universe sometime in August 2019.

STARGIRL Casts Joel McHale as Starman

There's a Starman waiting in the sky.

Variety is reporting that the upcoming DC Universe series Stargirl, based on the DC Comics superhero, has cast Joel McHale as Sylvester Pemberton, better known to DC fans as the Star-Spangled Kid and later Skyman.  However, it seems in this series, Pemberton will be a version of the "Golden Age" Starman.

According to the article, Starman will be a recurring character in the series and is described as "a courageous and confident superhero, Starman is a member of the Justice Society of America.  He wields a mysterious anti-gravity weapon called the cosmic staff and has a longtime sidekick named Stripesy, who is better known as Courtney Whitmore’s stepfather, Pat Dugan."

Stargirl centers on Courtney Whitmore (Brec Bassinger), a high school sophomore who inspires an unlikely group of young heroes to stop the villains of the past.  The series comes from executive producers Greg Berlanti, Geoff Johns and Sarah Schechter, based on DC comic book characters created by Geoff Johns.  Johns, who created the character of Stargirl in 1999, inspired by his late sister, is also set to write the premiere episode and will serve as showrunner.

McHale, 47, is best know as Jeff Winger on the NBC/Yahoo! sitcom Community and as the host of the E! series The Soup.  In addition, he's appeared as Tad O'Malley on episodes of The X-Files, and in episodes of Mystery Science Theater 3000, Drunk History, Rick and Morty, Sons of Anarchy, Pushing Daisies, CSI: Miami, and The Fugitive (2000).  His film appearances include Spider-Man 2, Spy Kids: All the Time in the World, Ted, and The Happytime Murders.

Created in 1941 by Jerry Siegel and Hal Sherman, Sylvester Pemberton first appeared in Action Comics (vol.1) #40 as a young man who became the Star-Spangled Kid in order to battle Nazi spies and fifth columnists during World War II.  He operated with an adult sidekick, Stripesy (a.k.a. Pat Dugan), and the two were both superb acrobats and had sufficient training in hand-to-hand combat.  They devised a series of acrobatic maneuvers that allowed them to build upon one another's strengths -- the Kid's agility and Dugan's prowess.  They also built the Star Rocket Racer, a bubble-topped limousine with the functions of a rocket and helicopter.

The Star-Spangled Kid and Stripesy were members of the superhero team known as the Seven Soldiers of Victory as well as the All-Star Squadron.  The Seven Soldiers were lost in time in 1950 and rescued decades later by the Justice League of America and the Justice Society of America.  Aquaman, Wildcat and Green Lantern (Hal Jordan) rescued the Star-Spangled Kid, who was 50,000 years in the past and hiding in a cave so that his flu would not wipe out humanity.  Sylvester then joined the JSA, at which time a then-injured Starman loaned him his Cosmic Rod, wanting the young man to become his heir as neither of his sons expressed interest in carrying the mantle.  Soon afterwards, the Kid refined the technology of the Rod, devising a belt with similar powers, such as energy projection, flight and matter transmutation.

Eventually, Sylvester temporarily retired from superheroics to reclaim his inheritance and his father's business and movie studio Stellar Studios, from his corrupt nephew, who was using those funds to run his own evil organization, Strike Force.  In addition, he patched up his long-neglected relationship with Dugan and later became the hero known as Skyman after founding the superhero team known as Infinity, Inc.  During this period, he formed a partnership with the city of Los Angeles to commission the team as for-hire protectors.  He also purchased property to revitalize related movie production facilities.  He later confronted Solomon Grundy, who was under the control of the third Harlequin, Marcie Cooper.  During the incident, Solomon Grundy used the fatal touch of Mr. Bones to kill Skyman.

McHale will be the second actor to portray Sylvester Pemberton in live-action, after Jim Shield in the Smallville TV movie "Absolute Justice."

Stargirl is currently expected to debut on DC Universe sometime in August 2019.

STARGIRL Casts Brec Bassinger as...Stargirl

There's a Stargirl waiting in the sky. 

Deadline has word that the upcoming DC Universe series Stargirl, based on the DC Comics superhero, has cast Brec Bassinger in the lead role of Stargirl/Courtney Whitmore. The series will be thirteen episodes and will be written and executive produced by Geoff Johns, who co-created the character and based her on his deceased sister Courtney.

The official description for Stargirl states Courtney is "smart, athletic and above all else kind. This high school teenager’s seemingly perfect life hits a major speedbump when her mother gets married and her new family moves from Los Angeles, California to Blue Valley, Nebraska.  Struggling to adapt to a new school, make new friends and deal with a new step-family, Courtney discovers her step-father has a secret -- he used to be the sidekick to a superhero.  'Borrowing' the long-lost hero’s cosmic staff, Courtney becomes the unlikely inspiration for an entirely new generation of superheroes."

Stargirl follows High School sophomore Courtney Whitmore, who inspires an unlikely group of young heroes to stop the villains of the past. This new DC Universe series reimagines Stargirl and the very first superhero team, the Justice Society of America, in a fun, exciting and unpredictable series premiering in 2019, produced by Warner Bros. Television, Mad Ghost Productions and Berlanti Productions.

"There is no other character in comic books more special to me than Stargirl," said Johns, "and after searching far and wide, I can say there is no other actor on the planet that embodies her more than Brec Bassinger. Brec’s warmth, strength, humor and positive energy are core to who Courtney Whitmore is. I’m so grateful she’s signed on for the role."

Bassinger, 19, is best known as Bella Dawson on the Nickelodeon series Bella and the Bulldogs, and has appeared episodes of the TV series The Goldbergs, School of Rock, and The Haunted Hathaways.

Created in 1999 by Geoff Johns and Lee Moder, Stargirl first appeared in DCU Heroes Secret Files #1 as Courtney Whitmore, the stepdaughter of Pat Dugan, who once worked with the original Star-Spangled Kid, Sylvester Pemberton, as his crimefighting partner Stripesy.  Courtney found the original Star-Spangled Kid's gear in her stepfather's belongings and donned the costume to annoy Dugan, resenting his marrying her mother and moving the family from Los Angeles to Blue Valley, Nebraska.  Dugan, a skilled mechanic, designed and built S.T.R.I.P.E., a robotic suit that he used to accompany and protect her.

Courtney later joined the Justice Society of America, and after being given Starman Jack Knight's cosmic staff, she changed her identity to Stargirl.  She soon discovered her biological father (Sam Kurtis) working as a common thug for an incarnation of the Royal Flush Gang.  They later confronted one another during one of the Royal Flush Gang's robberies.  Courtney was later approached by the Shade, who informed her that her biological father was dead.  This tragedy, and her experience of the relationship between Liberty Belle and Jesse Quick, prompted her to re-evaluate her family life.  She realized that she couldn't hate her biological father for his failings as a father and as a man, and also learned to accept Pat Dugan as her only real father figure.

In the current New 52 continuity, Stargirl joined the new Justice League of America, chosen by Amanda Waller as the public face of the JLA's PR campaign.  After the disbandment of the JLA following the Forever Evil crossover event, Stargirl joined Justice League United.

Bassinger will be the third actress to portray Stargirl in live-action, after Britt Irvin in several episodes of the WB/CW series Smallville, and Sarah Grey in the CW series Legends of Tomorrow.  The character has also appeared on the animated series Justice League Unlimited (voiced by Giselle Loren), Batman: The Brave and the Bold (voiced by Hope Levy), and Justice League Action (voiced by Natalie Lander).

Stargirl is expected to debut on DC Universe sometime in 2019.

DC Universe TV Series STARGIRL Announced at SDCC 2018

DC Universe is reaching for the stars.

Deadline is reporting that the upcoming streaming service DC Universe is developing a Stargirl TV series, based on the young DC Comics superhero.  The series, debuting in 2019, will be thirteen episodes and will be written and executive produced by Geoff Johns, who co-created the character and based her on his deceased sister Courtney.

According to the article, the new series, will feature "high school student (Courtney) Whitmore, (who) bands together with the Justice Society of America to fight villains, past and present."

"Obviously, Stargirl was the first character I created for DC," said Johns.  "Most important, Courtney Whitmore was inspired by my sister who passed away.  To have an opportunity to tell a story celebrating this superhero was literally the first thing I wanted to do because it is so personal to me.  Also, a character that speaks to being young, to a legacy and to pushing forward seems so important to me nowadays."

The series is the sixth DC Comics adaptation in development for DC Universe, after the animated series Harley Quinn and Young Justice: Outsiders, and the live-action series Titans, Doom Patrol and Swamp Thing.

Announced during a spotlight panel on Johns during San Diego Comic-Con 2018, the series will be produced by WBTV, Johns’ Mad Ghost Productions and Berlanti Productions.

Created in 1999 by Geoff Johns and Lee Moder, Stargirl first appeared in DCU Heroes Secret Files #1 as Courtney Whitmore, the stepdaughter of Pat Dugan, who once worked with the original Star-Spangled Kid, Sylvester Pemberton, as his crimefighting partner Stripesy.  Courtney found the original Star-Spangled Kid's gear in her stepfather's belongings and donned the costume to annoy Dugan, resenting his marrying her mother and moving the family from Los Angeles to Blue Valley, Nebraska.  Dugan, a skilled mechanic, designed and built S.T.R.I.P.E., a robotic suit that he used to accompany and protect her.

Courtney later joined the Justice Society of America, and after being given Starman Jack Knight's cosmic staff, she changed her identity to Stargirl.  She soon discovered her biological father (Sam Kurtis) working as a common thug for an incarnation of the Royal Flush Gang.  They later confronted one another during one of the Royal Flush Gang's robberies.  Courtney was later approached by the Shade, who informed her that her biological father was dead.  This tragedy, and her experience of the relationship between Liberty Belle and Jesse Quick, prompted her to re-evaluate her family life.  She realized that she couldn't hate her biological father for his failings as a father and as a man, and also learned to accept Pat Dugan as her only real father figure.

In the current New 52 continuity, Stargirl joined the new Justice League of America, chosen by Amanda Waller as the public face of the JLA's PR campaign.  After the disbandment of the JLA following the Forever Evil crossover event, Stargirl joined Justice League United.

The character has previously appeared in live-action, played by Britt Irvin in several episodes of the WB/CW series Smallville, and Sarah Grey in the CW series Legends of Tomorrow.  The character has also appeared on the animated series Justice League Unlimited (voiced by Giselle Loren), Batman: The Brave and the Bold (voiced by Hope Levy), and Justice League Action (voiced by Natalie Lander).

LEGENDS OF TOMORROW Casts Sarah Grey as Stargirl

The ranks of the Justice Society keep getting bigger.

IGN is reporting that the CW series Legends of Tomorrow has cast Sarah Grey as Courtney Whitmore, better known to DC Comics fans as Stargirl.  The role will be recurring in the show's second season, and Grey joins Patrick J. Adams as Hourman, Maisie Richardson-Sellers as the original Vixen, Matthew MacCaull as Commander Steel, and Nick Zano as Citizen Steel.

Two other members of the Justice Society of America, Dr. Mid-Nite and Obsidian, still remain uncast.

Grey, 20, is a Canadian actress who will be appearing as Amanda in the upcoming Power Rangers film, and has appeared on episodes of Wayward Pines, Lucifer, iZombie, Bates Motel, and Almost Human.

Created in 1999 by Geoff Johns (who based her personality on his dead sister Courtney), Stargirl first appeared in Stars and S.T.R.I.P.E. #0 as Courtney Whitmore, the stepdaughter of Pat Dugan, who once worked with the original Star-Spangled Kid, Sylvester Pemberton, as his crimefighting partner Stripesy.  Courtney found the original Star-Spangled Kid's gear in her stepfather's belongings and donned the costume to annoy Dugan, resenting his marrying her mother and moving the family from Los Angeles to Blue Valley, Nebraska.  Dugan, a skilled mechanic, designed and built S.T.R.I.P.E., a robotic suit that he used to accompany and protect her.

Courtney later joined the Justice Society of America, and after being given Starman Jack Knight's cosmic staff, she changed her identity to Stargirl.  She soon discovered her biological father (Sam Kurtis) working as a common thug for an incarnation of the Royal Flush Gang.  They later confronted one another during one of the Royal Flush Gang's robberies.  Courtney was later approached by the Shade, who informed her that her biological father was dead.  This tragedy, and her experience of the relationship between Liberty Belle and Jesse Quick, prompted her to re-evaluate her family life.  She realized that she couldn't hate her biological father for his failings as a father and as a man, and also learned to accept Pat Dugan as her only real father figure.

In the current New 52 continuity, Stargirl joined the new Justice League of America, chosen by Amanda Waller as the public face of the JLA's PR campaign.  After the disbandment of the JLA following the Forever Evil crossover event, Stargirl joined Justice League United.

Grey will be the second actress to portray Stargirl in live-action, after Britt Irvin in several episodes of the WB/CW series Smallville.  The character has also appeared on the animated series Justice League Unlimited (voiced by Giselle Loren) and Batman: The Brave and the Bold (voiced by Hope Levy).

Legends of Tomorrow returns to The CW for Season 2 on October 13th at 8 p.m. EST.