Summary
Laura Vandervoort featured as Supergirl inSmallvillein season 7 before leaving the DC series, raising questions for audiences regarding why her time on the show was so short. Vandervoort fit the role of Supergirl perfectly, and the character’s story in the series was engaging, even though it did feature in one of thelowest rated seasons ofSmallville. However, whenSmallvillemoved to Metropolis in season 8, Vandervoort did not return as a series regular in it.
With variouslive-action versions of Supergirlhaving been seen in recent years, includingSupergirlin the Arrowverse and the appearance of a darker, embittered iteration of the character inThe Flash, understanding the relationships that performers had to these roles becomes important. Taking a more classic look at Superman’s cousin, Laura Vandervoort embodied Kara’s character as she was inserted into the later seasons. Still, her limited appearance intheSmallvillecastleft many with unanswered questions, as the hero’s considerable potential was condensed into a handful of episodes.
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Laura Vandervoort’s Smallville Exit May Have Been Due To Showrunner Changes
Supergirl’s Exit Coincided With Many Behind The Scenes Changes
The biggerchangesSmallvilleexperienced after season 7 appeared to have affected Supergirl’s role. Theshow’s creators leftSmallville, feeling that the series had grown out of their plans, and Kelly Souders, Brian Peterson, Todd Slavkin and Darren Swimmer took over. Many fans consider the following seasons among the worst of the series, reflecting how important Al Gough and Miles Millar were to the series.
This led to different understandings of the characters, and who was genuinely important to the series. In addition, Michael Rosenbaum and Kristen Kreuk departed the show at this time, which led to a complete creative overhaul.With a change in perspective to Clark’s working at the Daily Planet in Metropolis, it seemed that the showrunners wanted to more or less reboot the serieswith new main characters. Supergirl’s storyline essentially ending with season 7 makes sense when keeping this context in mind, with Vandervoort’s later guest appearances serving to tie up loose threads.
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Kara’s Brainiac Story Does Not Feel Finished
Vandervoort’s Supergirl was not given an adequate conclusion in the series. At the end ofSmallvilleseason 7,there are some significant reveals that show that Kara was taken by Brainiac.Using her appearance to trick people, Brainiac holds Kara as his captive in the Phantom Zone. This leads to a season finale featuring a climactic faceoff between Clark and Lex in the Fortress of Solitude. It may be that there was simply too much for the series to cover here, and Kara’s story was tossed off to the side.
“I have said publicly before that I wish Kara was in more of the finale, at the wedding… she didn’t really have closure. She just sort of flew off and we never saw her again. It would have been nice for myself personally, and I think for the character to have goodbyes. I didn’t have any proper goodbyes.”
Still, even with guest appearances to conclude her story, there is reason to believe Supergirl should have had a better ending.The Phantom Zone plotlines set up in the season finale seemed to be leading to more stories to be told with the character. However, in season 8, these were wrapped up neatly with only a guest appearance by Vandervoort. The character was pushed to the side for the new reinvention of the series, and Vandervoort only returned again in the final season.
Indeed, Vandervoort has expressed disappointment in this ending as well, stating at the 2020New York Comic ConSmallvillereunion panelthat, “I have said publicly before that I wish Kara was in more of the finale, at the wedding… she didn’t really have closure. She just sort of flew off and we never saw her again. It would have been nice for myself personally, and I think for the character to have goodbyes. I didn’t have any proper goodbyes.” This suggests the actor would’ve been willing to return to give Kara a more dedicated conclusion, making her ending more of a wasted opportunity.
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LikeAlan Ritchson’s recast Aquaman, Vandervoort’s Supergirl nearly secured her own spinoff series that never came together. Speaking withKryptonSite, Vandervoort said that she"had heard that that was the intention. But no one ever spoke to [her] about it.“As a result, no plans to further the character with her own spinoff ever came to fruition. Despite many opportunities for future Supergirl stories, these were not explored until the Melissa Benoist series premiered much later.
It’s worth noting thatSmallvillewas a hotbed of potential spinoffs. WhileAquaman, played by Alan Ritchson, was the only one to make it to the pilot stage before being dropped, the network was keen on aJustice LeagueTV show as well. Over the years, they also discussed the possibility of aBlue Beetleseries, aFlashseries, and a Green Arrow series titledMetropolis. Although these ideas didn’t materialize, the setup laid the groundwork for the Arrowverse.
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Vandervoort has continued to work in various films and television, and even featured in an episode of the Melissa BenoistSupergirlseries.Her character was also featured in a couple issues ofSmallville: Season 11, a DC comic that continued the story ofSmallvilleafter it finished its final season. However, following such a significant role for the character inSmallvillethat was so quickly brushed to the side, there is much to explore with the character of Kara and what has happened to her after her relationship with Brainiac and her time in the Phantom Zone.
With many stories to tell, there is still a chance in this era that revival projects can bring back beloved characters like Supergirl in one form or another.Michael Rosenbaum has worked on aSmallvillesequelseriesintended to be an animated follow-up to the characters. With such a long and rich legacy built throughout the series, even with some creative missteps, there are many more Superman stories to be told with these beloved iterations of these characters. Should an animated sequel series finally be made, there is much yet to know about Kara.
Laura Vandervoort bolstered the series with her appearance and gave an excellent portrayal of a beloved character that is all her own. Other performances of Kara have followed, and others will continue as Supergirl is introduced to the DCU.Still, this iteration is special, and the way it integrated withSmallville’s dramatic storytelling was a boon for the program.It is disappointing to this day that creative decisions removed the character from the series, but there are still some flickers of hope that theSmallvilleversion of Supergirl will appear again someday and be given adequate closure.
Smallville
Cast
Smallville chronicles the journey of Clark Kent, portraying his origins from Krypton to his teenage years on Earth. The series explores his challenges and development leading towards his destiny as the iconic hero, Superman, set against the backdrop of Smallville, Kansas.
