TV SERIES · 2020– · USA
Stargirl
55 archived facts 6 topics 1 source Last reviewed Oct 2026
All facts (55)
- #001
Doctor Mid-Nite, who is blind, is considered the first physically disabled superhero in comics, predating Stan Lee's creation of Daredevil for Marvel Comics by more than 20 years.
- #002
In a statement accompanying the first three episodes, DC's bold creator Geoff Johns explained why he created Courtney Whitmore: "It's a story about how family is created not by blood, but by bond. Stargirl is obviously named after and inspired by my sister Courtney. What I wanted to bring back to the world with Stargirl was her spirit and optimistic energy." Geoff's sister died young in a plane crash, and now, more than twenty years after he wrote the first 'Stargirl' comic in her honor, Courtney Whitmore finally stars in her own show. It is only fitting, then, that the Stargirl pilot opens with a flashback that highlights the importance of family and legacy.
- #003
In the comics, Blue Valley was actually the hometown of Wally West/Kid Flash.
- #004
Courtney scoffs at the idea of being a cheerleader (in the comics it is a Mythology gag, whereas here she becomes a cheerleader only as a means of maintaining a secret identity, and she hates every moment of it). Brec Bassinger is a former professional cheerleader.
- #005
Before "Stargirl" was pitched to Geoff as an idea for Stars and S.T.R.I.P.E., they could not include S.T.R.I.P.E., Pat Dugan's signature armor. Geoff felt it would be wrong to tell the story without the armor and refused. This is one of the many reasons he enjoys making the 2020 series Stargirl: they managed to stay realistically faithful to the source material. From the moment Geoff considered the live-action cast for Pat Dugan, he envisioned Luke Wilson in the role. So much so that he wrote the script with Luke in mind, mailed the pilot to Luke along with a letter, and met with him to discuss the matter. Geoff explained that Luke has that "grounded, trying-to-do-the-right-thing-but-maybe-not-always-capable-of-doing-it" quality that captures Pat Dugan.
- #006
Brec Bassinger did not look at Britt Irvin's earlier portrayal of the character in Smallville (2001) or Sarah Gray's in Legends of Tomorrow (2016), because those were portrayed as older, more mature versions of Stargirl. Bassinger added that the series follows the comic book Stars and S.T.R.I.P.E. "In terms of being young, in high school and innocent, I wanted to bring that to this version of Stargirl as well."
- #007
Geoff Johns said that casting Stargirl was a difficult process and that hundreds of actresses auditioned for the role. Johns explained why Bassinger was perfect for the role: "I knew immediately that she was Courtney. She has humor, enthusiasm, energy and an innate optimism, and Brec truly represents who Stargirl is."
- #008
On November 21, 2019, it was announced that The CW Network (The CW) would air each episode in prime time the day after its premiere on the DC Universe streaming service, and that each episode could be watched online on The CW after it aired.
- #009
Brec Bassinger celebrated her 20th birthday on set, and her 21st birthday fell on the same day as the second episode of S.T.R.I.P.E. of the aired series (#1.2).
- #010
Stargirl first appears in the final scenes of the last episode of the Crisis on Infinite Earths crossover event, before the series' official debut. This scene also reveals that the series takes place on Earth-2 of The Multiverse.
- #011
The series was renewed for a second season by The CW Network (The CW) in July 2020, as it would move from DC Universe to The CW as an original series. The series was renewed for a third season in April 2021, before the second season's premiere.
- #012
Brec Bassinger has a nearly photographic memory when reading scripts.
- #013
In the comics, Sylvester Pemberton was never Starman. He was a superhero called the Star-Spangled Kid, who later adopted the identity of Skyman as an adult. The costume in which Joel McHale's character is killed is the costume Skyman wore when he was killed in the comics.
- #014
The bully who attacks Courtney, Henry King Jr. (Jake Austin Walker), is the son of the villain Brainwave (Christopher James Baker). In the comics he becomes the superhero Brainwave Jr. and a teammate of Sylvester Pemberton (Joel McHale). His mother is also Sylvester Pemberton's sister.
- #015
Brec Bassinger is the first American actress to play Stargirl. Her predecessors, Britt Irvin from Smallville (2001) and Sarah Gray from Legends of Tomorrow (2016), were Canadian.
- #016
Jake Austin Walker initially auditioned for the role of Rick Tyler, and when he did not get it, he re-auditioned for Henry King Jr. At the time, the sides were masked with a fake name and the character was described only as a high school bully.
- #017
Brec Bassinger wants Batman to appear in Stargirl at some point, because one of her favorite films is The Dark Knight Rises (2012).
- #018
The series' creator, showrunner and co-producer Geoff Johns also created the character Courtney Whitmore; he named her after his sister Courtney, who died in the 1996 explosion of TWA Flight 800.
- #019
Geoff Johns described Stargirl as having a tone similar to 1980s films like E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982) and Back to the Future (1985).
- #020
The series opens with the deaths of the original members of the Justice Society of America (JSA). Geoff Johns said that with the younger generation taking on their role, "their paths weren't finished. They don't know where they're going to be or what's going to happen. So there are all sorts of mistakes they can make and choices they can make, and who knows what their ultimate fate will be? It creates a lot of fun and a lot of unpredictability."
- #021
The Paula Brooks version of Tigress was originally white, but she is played by Korean American Joy Osmanski. This is likely because Paula is now better known from the animated Young Justice (2010), where she is of Vietnamese origin.
- #022
On October 31, 2022, Deadline announced that the series had been cancelled in its third season. The site stated that the creative team behind Stargirl had been informed in advance that the series would not be renewed and would write a proper finale with that in mind.
- #023
When the casting directors explained that Meg was the only actress who brought "edge" to Yolanda, Meg Delacey was called back a week later to audition for Cindy. They wanted to see her for Cindy/Shiv instead.
- #024
Stella Smith is the first actress to play Artemis Crock in a live-action adaptation.
- #025
The trailer reveals that Courtney takes over the Stargirl role from a previous hero named Starman. It also shows that the original Wildcat, Hourman and Dr. Mid-Nite have younger successors in Yolanda Montez, Rick Tyler and Beth Chapel.
- #026
Brec Bassinger wants to see a romance between Courtney and Shazam in Stargirl.
- #027
Cameron Gellman was the last series regular cast because Geoff Johns and the rest of the team could not find the perfect Rick Tyler/Hourman. He was cast for a role in January 2019, while the other actors had signed in November and December 2018. When he auditioned he picked a fake character and claimed his character was "Rick Harris," and he was a little upset when he signed the contract for the pilot. Despite signing a series regular contract, he thought they had given him a small role rather than a series regular role. After LJ from Supersuits called him, he learned he was playing a superhero named "Hourman," a secret that was kept even from Cameron's own team. After flying to Atlanta, he expected to shoot only a three-week pilot, but while talking with Brec he learned the series was going straight to a 13-episode order and that he would be in Atlanta for six and a half months. She was the one who told him that Rick was in the JSA and would appear in almost every episode.
- #028
In an interview with Joel McHale, who plays Sylvester Pemberton/Starman, Bassinger discusses bringing the Cosmic Staff to life. "It was definitely a learning period, not only with the practicality of the Staff, the light beam and then how they do the digital effects, but also there was a lot of trial and error as my scene partner," she explained. Bassinger also noted that Stargirl co-creator and showrunner Geoff Johns reminded her that the Staff is a living thing, which led to a unique acting method. Bassinger said that whenever she gets a new script, she highlights any action involving the Staff alongside her own scenes, which helps make the script feel alive.
- #029
In September 2022, Brec Bassinger filmed material as Courtney Whitmore / Stargirl for the fourth season of Titans (2018), which is set on Earth-9 of the live-action multiverse.
- #030
In the comics, the second-generation Justice Society heroes Dr. Mid-Nite II, Hourman II and Wildcat II were adults, not teenagers. Beth Chappel was also a doctor, not her mother, and she wore her own design of the Dr. Mid-Nite costume. Stargirl also only worked with Hourman II, because both Wildcat II and Dr. Mid-Nite II had died before Courtney adopted the Stargirl identity.
- #031
Nelson Lee had to wear special contact lenses that created a reptilian blink effect. He says they were painful at first and took a long time to put in. Over time, they managed to insert the contacts in under five minutes.
- #032
Asked by Decider about playing the aging sidekick Pat, Luke Wilson joked: "The idea of this guy being in love with real superheroes, like he's the equipment manager of the Chicago Bulls, like, 'Hey! But I'm part of the team, baby!'".
- #033
Stella Smith knew the series she was auditioning for was Stargirl, but they used a fake script and a different character name.
- #034
A Reddit user asked Stella Smith whether she knew which version of the series' Artemis character she was basing her performance on, the comics, Young Justice (2010), or whether she was reinventing her for the show. Stella replied that the series combines different elements from every version in the media. She also said she did a little research on the character but mostly based Artemis on what was written in the script. Stella also said she would be open to playing a heroic Artemis or a more villainous Artemis. She also noted that she used Joy and Neil as inspiration for determining Artemis's personality traits.
- #035
Jake Austin Walker was told he was playing "Henry" but could not learn the role until he was told he had gotten it. He was initially disappointed because he really wanted the role of "Ryan," but he was very excited when he learned he was Henry King Jr. from DC Comics.
- #036
It took Brec Bassinger some time to get used to working with the Cosmic Staff. She was not bothered by it because it reflected how Courtney felt about the Staff at the start of Season 1. The longer she filmed with the Staff, the more comfortable she became.
- #037
Yvette Monreal and Meg DeLacy share the same birthday, July 9, four years apart.
- #038
Yvette Monreal had to dye her hair jet black for her role.
- #039
Geoff Johns always envisioned Luke Wilson as Pat Dugan, writing the character with Wilson in mind. Johns personally sent Wilson the pilot script along with a letter. Wilson liked the script and agreed to play Pat.
- #040
Geoff Johns offered the role of Jordan directly to Neil Jackson so that Jackson would not have to audition in the traditional way.
- #041
Meg Delacey originally auditioned for the role of Yolanda Montez. It was there that she first met Anjelika Washington, who would go on to take the role of Beth Chapel.
- #042
Meg Delacey loves her character's white stripes and calls them a "fashion statement." They made her feel as though she were playing a character unlike herself. She also once noted that she forgot to wear them while going to a carnival in Atlanta with Yvette Monreal.
- #043
"I really feel like there's a young side to it — a teenage girl balancing both high school and being a superhero — and I love that dynamic. I grew up always loving coming-of-age films, so I enjoyed being part of that in addition to being a superhero; it was very exciting. And the scripts, they're well written, there's a good story," Brec Bassinger said. "I feel like a lot of times nowadays films and shows can get lost in the action. And they have shock value, but they forget that there needs to be a good story. And every script keeps me on my toes and builds on the last one."
- #044
Cameron Gellman became very good friends with his co-stars Hunter Sansone and Anjelika Washington.
- #045
Brec Bassinger is not related to Kim Basinger, who played the DC Comics character Vicki Vale in Batman (1989).
- #046
Before being cast as Stargirl, Brec Bassinger had never heard of the JSA. She read the comics and mastered them.
- #047
While Nelson Lee was in New Zealand filming Walt Disney Pictures' Mulan (2020), he received a phone call from Geoff Johns, who wanted him for a role in Stargirl. Lee sent in a personal tape and was cast later that year.
- #048
The strangest thing Brec Bassinger had to do for Stargirl was a life cast of her face.
- #049
Caylee Cowan auditioned for the role of Stargirl.
- #050
Had the series been renewed for a fourth season, it would have introduced Power Girl.
- #051
The series reunites Neil Jackson and Nelson Lee, who both appeared in Blade: The Series (2006), on which Geoff Johns also served as a writer and producer. Based on their work on that series, Johns suggested both actors for roles in Stargirl.
- #052
Amy Smart worked with Luke Wilson's brother Owen on Starsky & Hutch (2004).
- #053
Although they do not interact much in the series, many people ship Rick and Beth because of their relationship in the comics. This fits closely with the growing Courtney/Yolanda ship, which stems from the pair's great chemistry and from people noticing that Courtney brings out Yolanda's fun side again. Similarly, Cameron/Artemis is shipped even though the two never interact, largely because the two are happily married in the comics and it keeps Cameron away from the Courtney/Yolanda path.
- #054
Power Girl, the counterpart of Supergirl, never appears in this television series.
- #055
Courtney scorns the idea of being a cheerleader (a joke in the comics; here she becomes a cheerleader only as a means of maintaining a secret identity and hates every moment of it). Lead actress Brec Bassinger is a former professional cheerleader.
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