The sixth and final season of the American television series ''

Supergirl Supergirl is the name of several fictional superheroines appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The original, current, and most well known Supergirl is Kara Zor-El, the cousin of superhero Superman. The character made her fir ...

'', which is based on the

DC Comics DC Comics, Inc. (doing business as DC) is an American comic book publisher and the flagship unit of DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. DC Comics is one of the largest and oldest American comic book companies, with thei ...

character Kara Zor-El / Supergirl and premiered on

The CW ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...

on March 30, 2021, and consisted of 20 episodes. It is set in the

Arrowverse The Arrowverse is an American superhero media franchise and a shared universe that is centered on various interconnected television series based on DC Comics superhero characters, primarily airing on The CW as well as web series on CW Seed. ...

, sharing continuity with the other television series of the universe. The season is produced by

Berlanti Productions Berlanti Productions is an American film and television production company founded by screenwriter, producer and filmmaker Greg Berlanti and producer Mickey Liddell. History The company was founded in 2000 as Berlanti-Liddell Productions by ...

Warner Bros. Television Warner Bros. Television Studios (operating under the name Warner Bros. Television; formerly known as Warner Bros. Television Division) is an American television production and distribution studio of the Warner Bros. Television Group division of ...

and

DC Entertainment DC Entertainment is an American entertainment company that was founded in September 2009 and was based in Burbank, California. The company is a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery that manages its DC Comics units and characters in other units, ...

, with Jessica Queller and

Robert Rovner Robert Rovner is an American television producer and writer, best known for his work on TV shows Crossing Jordan, Private Practice, Dallas (2012 TV series), Bionic Woman, Summerland, American Dreams (NBC) and Supergirl (TV series). He is cur ...

serving as

showrunner A showrunner (or colloquially a helmer) is the top-level executive producer of a television series production who has creative and management authority through combining the responsibilities of employer and, in comedy or dramas, typically also th ...

s. The season was ordered in January 2020, with filming beginning that October.

Melissa Benoist Melissa Marie Benoist ( ; born October 4, 1988) is an American actress, singer and producer. Her first major role was Marley Rose on the Fox musical comedy drama ''Glee'' (2012–2014), where she was a series regular during the fifth season. S ...

stars as

Kara Kara or KARA may refer to: Geography Localities * Kara, Chad, a sub-prefecture * Kára, Hungary, a village * Kara, Uttar Pradesh, India, a township * Kara, Iran, a village in Lorestan Province * Kara, Republic of Dagestan, a rural locality in Da ...

, with principal cast members

Chyler Leigh Chyler Leigh West (pronounced ; ''née'' Potts), known professionally as Chyler Leigh, is an American actress, singer and model. She is known for portraying Janey Briggs in the comedy film ''Not Another Teen Movie'' (2001), Lexie Grey in the ...

Katie McGrath Katie McGrath () is an Irish actress. In television, she gained recognition for portraying Morgana Pendragon in the BBC One series ''Merlin'' (2008–2012), Lucy Westenra on the British-American series ''Dracula'' (2013–2014), Saskia in the ...

Jesse Rath Jesse Rath (born February 11, 1989) is a Canadian actor. He starred in the television series ''18 to Life'' as Carter Boyd and as Ram on '' Aaron Stone''. He also appeared on the Syfy series '' Defiance'' playing the role of Alak Tarr, on '' Bei ...

Nicole Maines Nicole Amber Maines is an American actress and transgender rights activist. Prior to her acting career, she was the anonymous plaintiff in the Maine Supreme Judicial Court case '' Doe v. Regional School Unit 26'', in which she argued her school ...

Azie Tesfai Azie Tesfai is an American actress. She is known for her television roles, including ''Jane the Virgin'' and ''Supergirl''. Early life and education Tesfai was born and raised in Los Angeles, California, the daughter of Eritrean immigrants who g ...

Julie Gonzalo Julieta Susana "Julie" Gonzalo (; born September 9, 1981) is an Argentine actress. On television, she has played Parker Lee on ''Veronica Mars'' (2006–2007; 2019), Maggie Dekker on ''Eli Stone'' (2008–2009), Pamela Rebecca Barnes on the soap ...

Staz Nair Staz Nair is a British actor and singer. He is known for his roles on the TV series ''Game of Thrones'' and ''Supergirl''. Life and career Nair is of Malayali and Russian descent. He was a part of the band Times Red. The band were contestants ...

and

David Harewood David Harewood MBE (born 8 December 1965) is a British actor and presenter. He is best known for his roles as CIA Counterterrorism Director David Estes in ''Homeland'' (2011–2012), and as J'onn J'onzz / Martian Manhunter and Hank Henshaw / C ...

also returning from previous seasons. They are joined by new cast member

Peta Sergeant Peta Sergeant is a Malaysian-born Australian actress best known for her lead role in the Australian television series '' Satisfaction''. She graduated from NIDA. Career Her other television credits include the television series '' All Saints'', ...

. Former series regulars

Andrea Brooks Andrea K. Brooks (born March 3, 1989) is a Canadian actress and model best known for portraying Faith Carter on the Hallmark series ''When Calls the Heart'' and Eve Teschmacher in The CW series ''Supergirl''. Early life Born in Brantford, Ont ...

Mehcad Brooks Mehcad Jason McKinley Brooks (born October 25, 1980) is an American actor and former fashion model. He is known for his roles as Matthew Applewhite in the second season of ABC's series ''Desperate Housewives'' (2005–2006), Jerome in '' The Gam ...

Calista Flockhart Calista Kay Flockhart (born November 11, 1964) is an American actress. She is perhaps best known for portraying the title character on the Fox television series '' Ally McBeal'' (1997–2002), for which she received a Golden Globe Award in 1998 ...

, Jeremy Jordan, and Chris Wood all return for guest appearances, with the latter four returning in the series finale.

Episodes

Cast and characters

Main

as Kara Danvers / Kara Zor-El / Supergirl *

as Alex Danvers / Sentinel *

Lena Luthor Lena Luthor is a fictional comic book character in DC Comics. She is the sister of Superman's nemesis Lex Luthor. She was played by Cassidy Freeman in the television series ''Smallville'' and by Katie McGrath in the Arrowverse series ''Supergirl ( ...

and Elizabeth Walsh *

as Querl Dox / Brainiac 5 *

as Nia Nal / Dreamer *

as Kelly Olsen / Golden Guardian *

as Andrea Rojas / Acrata *

William Dey William Ernest Dey (June 4, 1870 – August 20, 1921) was an early amateur ice hockey player for the Ottawa Hockey Club. He was a member of the Dey family of Ottawa, Canada which was successful in boat-building, arenas and ice hockey businesses. H ...

as J'onn J'onzz / Martian Manhunter *

as Nyxlygsptlnz "Nyxly" and Nyxlygsptlnz A.I.

Recurring

Jon Cryer Jonathan Niven Cryer (born April 16, 1965) is an American actor, writer, director and producer. Born into a show business family, he made his motion picture debut as a teenage photographer in the 1984 romantic comedy ''No Small Affair''; his bre ...

Lex Luthor Alexander Joseph "Lex" Luthor () is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. Lex Luthor originally appeared in ''Action Comics'' #23 (cover dated: Apr ...

Brenda Strong Brenda Lee Strong (born March 25, 1960) is an American actress. She began her career in television, including guest starring appearances in ''Twin Peaks'', '' Party of Five'', ''Seinfeld'', '' Scandal'', '' Star Trek: The Next Generation'', '' ...

as Lillian Luthor *

Sharon Leal Sharon Ann Leal is an American actress and singer. She is known for her roles in movies such as ''Dreamgirls'', '' This Christmas'', ''Why Did I Get Married?'', ''Why Did I Get Married Too?'' and her roles on the television shows ''Legacy'', ''Gu ...

as M'gann M'orzz / Miss Martian * Claude Knowlton as Silas White *

Jason Behr Jason Behr (born December 30, 1973) is an American film and television actor. He first starred in the American television series '' Roswell'', for which he was twice nominated for a Saturn Award, followed by roles in the films ''The Shipping New ...

Zor-El Zor-El is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. A Kryptonian, he is the brother of Jor-El, husband of Alura, father of Supergirl, and paternal uncle of Superman. Traditional depictions of Zor-El in Golde ...

* Matt Baram as Mitch * Jhaleil Swaby as Orlando Davis * Mila Jones as Esme *

Andrew Morgado Andrew Morgado is an American voice actor, film writer, ADR mixer and sound editor. He is best known for voicing characters in animated films, animation and video games, such as Cliffjumper in ''Bumblebee'' (2018), Sanjar Nandi in ''The Outer Worl ...

as the voice of the Totem Oracles

Guest

;Cast notes

Production

Development

In January 2020, The CW renewed the series for a sixth season. Jessica Queller and

return as the showrunners. In September 2020, it was announced that it would be the final season, with a 20 episode order.

Writing

The twelfth episode was written by

and J. Holtham. This marks the first time in the Arrowverse that an actor (Tesfai) wrote an episode. Like previous seasons, the sixth season too is inspired by political and social issues in the real world, especially in its second half. Queller said the theme of the season would be "power, and the abuse of power, and the limits of powers, and from without and within". Rovner said the

Black Lives Matter Black Lives Matter (abbreviated BLM) is a decentralized political and social movement that seeks to highlight racism, discrimination, and racial inequality experienced by black people. Its primary concerns are incidents of police bruta ...

movement was another influence on the season.

, who portrays Kara Danvers / Supergirl, said the season serves as a "self-exploration" for her character, "looking in the mirror and ontemplatingwhat her power means because it's almost limitless and it makes her so strong on Earth".

Casting

Main cast members Melissa Benoist,

, Azie Tesfai,

, Staz Nair and

will return as Kara Danvers / Supergirl,

Alex Danvers Alexandra "Alex" Danvers Doctor of Philosophy, Ph.D. Doctor of Medicine, M.D., also known as Sentinel, is a fictional Character (arts), character from the Arrowverse television series ''Supergirl (TV series), Supergirl'', portrayed by actress Chy ...

, Querl Dox / Brainiac 5, Nia Nal / Dreamer,

Kelly Olsen ''Supergirl'' is an American television series developed by Greg Berlanti, Ali Adler, and Andrew Kreisberg based on the characters created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster in the Superman franchise and Al Plastino and Otto Binder's character S ...

, Andrea Rojas,

, and J'onn J'onzz / Martian Manhunter. In December 2020,

David Ramsey David Paul Ramsey (born November 17, 1971) is an American actor, director, and martial artist, best known for his roles in The CW Arrowverse series '' Arrow'', '' The Flash'', ''Supergirl'', and '' Batwoman'' as John Diggle / Spartan, portrayin ...

was revealed to be reprising his ''

Arrow An arrow is a fin-stabilized projectile launched by a bow. A typical arrow usually consists of a long, stiff, straight shaft with a weighty (and usually sharp and pointed) arrowhead attached to the front end, multiple fin-like stabilizers c ...

'' role of

John Diggle John William Diggle (2 March 1847 – 24 March 1920) was an English Anglican bishop. He was Archdeacon of Westmorland from 1896 to 1901, Archdeacon of Birmingham from 1903 to 1904, and Bishop of Carlisle from 1905 to his death in 1920. Early l ...

in addition to directing at least one episode in the season. In March 2021, Claude Knowlton and

joined the cast in undisclosed recurring roles for the sixth season. Knowlton's role turned out be Silas while Behr's role turned out to be

who was previously portrayed by

Robert Gant Robert Gant (born Robert John Gonzalez; July 13, 1968) is an American actor. He is best known for his role as Ben Bruckner on the Showtime series '' Queer as Folk''. Early life and education At age ten, Gant began acting in television commercial ...

in season one and season two. In the April 13 episode,

debuted as series regular and fifth-dimensional imp

Nyxly ''Supergirl (TV series), Supergirl'' is an American television series developed by Greg Berlanti, Ali Adler, and Andrew Kreisberg based on the characters created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster in the Superman (franchise), Superman franchise and ...

, who would serve as the season's primary villain.

Filming

Filming began on October 13, 2020. It was initially scheduled to begin after Benoist returned from maternity leave, but was later rescheduled to begin on September 28, 2020. However, by September 29, filming was temporarily postponed, because of delays in receiving

COVID-19 test COVID-19 testing involves analyzing samples to assess the current or past presence of SARS-CoV-2. The two main types of tests detect either the presence of the virus or antibodies produced in response to infection. Molecular tests for viral p ...

results for the cast and crew, before beginning in October. The early filming of the season worked around Benoist's absence until she returned to work in January 2021. Filming concluded on August 6, 2021.

Marketing

In early August 2020, The CW released several posters of the Arrowverse superheroes wearing face masks, including Supergirl, with all posters having the caption "Real Heroes Wear Masks". This marketing tactic was used to "raise public awareness on the efficacy of facial coverings preventing the spread of

COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was COVID-19 pandemic in Hubei, identified in Wuhan, China, in December ...

Broadcast

The sixth season was originally scheduled to premiere in mid-2021. However, ''

Superman & Lois ''Superman & Lois'' is an American superhero drama television series developed for The CW by Todd Helbing and Greg Berlanti, based on the DC Comics characters Superman and Lois Lane, created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. Tyler Hoechlin and E ...

'' went on hiatus due to a production delay caused by COVID-19, so the season premiered early on March 30, 2021. The season continued on August 24, 2021, after ''Superman & Lois'' finished its first season.

Reception

References

{{Arrowverse 2021 American television seasons Supergirl (TV series) seasons Television productions postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic