Stargirl is a DC live-action series about a high school student who becomes a superhero after discovering a powerful artifact among her stepfather’s belongings. The show premiered on May 18, 2020, and airs on The CW and DC Universe, DC’s media archive and streaming platform. Stargirl was originally inspired by the DC comic book series, Stars and S.T.R.I.P.E., which released its first issue in 1999.
Geoff Johns is an executive producer of the show and has an established career in the comic book industry. Johns produces Stargirl alongside his colleagues, Sarah Schechter, Glen Winter, Greg Beeman, Greg Berlanti, and Melissa Carter.
Though Stargirl has not received as much media attention as other series in the DC Entertainment Universe, here are three admirable qualities of DC’s Stargirl that are well worth noting.
1. Stargirl Is a Story of Maturity
When Courtney Whitmore, the main character of the series, arrives in the small town of Blue Valley, Nebraska, she hates her new home and resents her stepfather who initiated the move in the first place.
Up until that moment, Courtney’s teenage life revolved around boys and shopping sprees. All of this changes when she discovers the sentient Cosmic Staff of Starman, a late superhero who belonged to the Justice Society of America, or the JSA.
Courtney may have found the staff, but the staff ultimately chooses her to fill the role of Stargirl because it sees her potential for greatness despite her rough start. As she learns about the Cosmic Staff’s mysterious abilities, Courtney’s attitude and personality begin to change because she realizes that she is now a part of something bigger than herself. If she is to carry on Starman’s legacy, she has to grow into the position by making wise, mature decisions.
2. Uncommon Heroes and Villains Make Their Appearance
Stargirl’s superhero and supervillain lineup provide a refreshing divergence from the DC characters that have dominated the entertainment media limelight over the last ten years. Many of the protagonists and antagonists in the show hail from a unique era in comic book history that is often referred to as the Golden Age of Comics.
Though there is some dispute over the starting year of the Golden Age, many comic enthusiasts tend to mark the 1938 appearance of Superman, the first superhero in existence, as a reference point for this period. The Golden Age fizzled out in the fifties, several years after the end of the Second World War, but the legacy of that moment in time lives on in Stargirl.
The resurrection of heroes and villains from a long-lost age is masterfully repackaged with contemporary themes to engage a younger audience with more modern sensibilities.
3. Strong Female Role Models in Stargirl
A good representation of female role models is crucial in an industry inundated with male protagonists. DC’s Stargirl is the third live-action series to feature a female main character, and Courtney Whitmore is portrayed as much more than a diversity write-in; she is a well-rounded person with a compelling character arc that serves as an excellent example for girls and women who watch the series.
For these reasons, Stargirl is a unique DC show that portends a different kind of superhero narrative from what audiences have grown accustomed to.
