DC’s Stargirl Soars in Season Two

Family secrets complicate a superhero’s sophomore season

As Brec Bassinger knows better than most, the lessons learned by DC’s Stargirl in the first season are being applied in a major way to season two.

The young actress returns as the adventure series developed by executive producer Geoff Johns (who, with Lee Moder, created the comic book character) is returning for its sophomore outing, with a third-season order already in place.

Stargirl’s alter ego Courtney Whitmore (Bassinger) still must deal with Justice Society of America peers who have their own ideas on using their respective powers. Meanwhile, her relationship with her fellow-superhero stepdad Pat (Luke Wilson) remains strained, particularly now that her mother Barbara (Amy Smart) is more attuned to their secret identities.

“Season two is different tonally,” Bassinger reports. “We filmed it during the heart of the pandemic, so it was a very different experience, but we made the most of it. We got everything done, and I’m proud of it.”

For any shifts in tone, Bassinger promises fans will still see “the optimistic, very impulsive Courtney we met in season one, but she now feels very secure in her superhero duty. It’s almost become an unhealthy priority for her, so she has to find a balance between being a teenager and being a superhero.”

Inevitably, that impacts Courtney’s ties to Pat, who wasn’t happy about her picking up the magical staff—and the Stargirl identity—to begin with. “I love that relationship,” Bassinger says. “Obviously, it grew in season one, from Courtney not even being open to accepting him as a father figure. Her attitude toward him hasn’t completely lost that, but there’s more of a respect between them, which is very nice to see.”

Still, Courtney’s growing confidence means more conflict with other Justice Society members. “Even in the first episode, Courtney does something that rubs the rest of the team wrong, and she has to learn and apologize.”

Newly added to the mix of regular characters is Green Lantern’s daughter Jade, played by Ysa Penarejo.

Much of Stargirl’s second season—which also brings in Jonathan Cake (Desperate Housewives) as a shadow-manipulating villain known as The Shade—has to do with a mysterious “black diamond” that Bassinger has enjoyed teasing on social media. “My favourite thing is to see fans’ theories,” she allows. “Some of them are far off, but others are so spot-on, I wanted to respond badly… knowing I couldn’t. It’s good to have that power, but it’s also a privilege, so I have to be careful.”

DC’s Stargirl airs Tuesdays at 8 p.m. on The CW