Andrew Kreisberg Teases SUPERGIRL’s “More Traditional” Take on Superman

After being referenced countless times in the first season, Superman is finally coming to Supergirl. The Man of Steel, played by Tyler Hoechlin, will appear in the first two episodes of season two. Now, executive producer Andrew Kreisberg has revealed new details on the show’s characterization of Superman.

In an interview with Collider, Kreisberg explains how Kal-El will be depicted on Supergirl, citing a slightly “more traditional” incarnation. “I think our take on him is probably something a little bit more traditional. There’s certainly a little bit of the ‘Aw shucks’ about him, but he’s been Superman for awhile, so there’s a savviness about him as Superman and as Clark. If he’s been Superman for 12 years, that also means that he’s been Clark Kent for 12 years. He knows how to interview somebody. He knows how to get a story out of someone.”

Over the past 77 years, Superman has been depicted countless times in film, television, animation and, of course, the comics. There are countless iterations of the Man of Steel. Regarding what exactly influenced Supergirl‘s take, Kreisberg says that they’re not directly adapting a specific comic book. Rather, they’ll take multiple elements from many resources. “As always, with any of these things, we’re never doing a direct adaptation of a specific comic book. We cherry pick the best parts and things that we love. So, there’s a little bit of the Christopher Reeve Superman in there, a healthy dose of the Superman animated series, which we’re huge fans of, a little bit of Lois & Clark, a little George Reeves, and a little Super Friends.”

Kreisberg goes on to discuss the casting of Hoechlin as Superman. Of course, the producer has nothing but praise for the actor. He says that Hoechlin possesses the Man of Steel’s key qualities. “You just feel better when you’re around him, which I think is part of the secret of Superman. He is that ideal, but not in an unattainable way. Superman should make you feel like you can do anything, even though he’s the one that can do anything. And Tyler just had all that in spades.”

For Collider’s full interview with Kreisberg, where he discusses Cat Grant’s return, Mon-El’s arrival and the Flash musical crossover, click HERE.