Supergirl executive producers Greg Berlanti and Andrew Kreisberg announced the casting Season 3’s primary villain. Hispanic American actress Odette Annabel joins Supergirl‘s cast as Reign the Worldkiller. “Greg and I have wanted to work with Odette for years,” Mr. Kreisberg’s statement said. “We are beyond excited to have her join our cast in the scary, powerful and heartbreaking role of Reign.” Ms. Annabel herself Tweeted her excitement to play “the Bad Girl in town.”
While Mr. Kresiberg had previously said Reign would appear in about a dozen Season 3 episodes, the trades are now reporting Ms. Annabel as a series regular. Fans who remember Ms. Annabel from Banshee know that she can portray scary and powerful, with the support of good stunt people and good fight choreographers. Those who recall her turn as lock-picking, rappelling Melanie Garcia, in Breaking In with Christian Slater, know that she can play a badass and heartbreaker all by herself with equal skill.
The villain Reign first appeared in the pages of Supergirl during the DC Comics Worldkillers storyline. Since this writer quite reading comics the year before, I had to look up the Worldkillers storyline. Reign journeys to Earth seeking the truth of her origin, clashes with Supergirl and sets out to conquer Earth. Cue the sound of dramatic horns. Reign’s creator in the comics was none other than Zor-El. Yes, that Zor-El: brother of Jor, husband of Allura and father of Kara. Zor-El and other researchers developed Reign and the Worldkillers as living weapons. In a crisis of conscience, they shut the project down. And then the planet died. But Reign survived.
Adapting the Worldkillers story for television should easily provide plenty of angst, depth and heartbreaking issues for Supergirl’s cast and crew to confront. If Berlanti & Co make Zor-El’s research project into Reign’s origin, Reign could be Supergirl’s sister, from a certain point of view. Either way, we know a group of Dark Kryptonians sent Reign to Earth to conquer. So, whether it was an abandoned research project on living weapons, or some other means, the fact of Reign’s Kryptonian origins will give Kara much to ponder. Thus far, Kara has been justly proud of her noble heritage, particularly on her mother’s side, as Allura in the show was a Kryptonian Judge. Now Kara may have to confront a darker side of her heritage and redeem one of her father’s misdeeds.
Odette Annabel previously recurred on Executive Producer Greg Berlanti’s drama Brothers and Sisters. Odette began her career under her birth name Odette Yustman as a five-year-old, scene-stealing scamp in Arnold Schwarzenegger’s film Kindergarten Cop. Ms. Annabel has also played physicians on House and most recently Pure Genius. Ms. Annabel joins a cast including Melissa Benoist, Chyler Leigh, Dave Harewood, Mechad Brooks, Jeremy Jordan, and Katie McGrath.
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