In a crowded market already saturated with the DC Universe TV shows and the Marvel Universe both on TV as well as the big box movie theaters, it’s a normal reaction to wonder whether it’s really a smart venture to push out yet another TV show in the same genre.
However, for Geoff Johns and the team on Stargirl, that hasn’t caused anyone to seriously hit the brakes. One of the working elements of Stargirl as a TV show is the fact that it resonates with its audience.
The same way that Buffy: Vampire Slayer became a hit series with teenagers during its run, especially under the storywriting skills of Joss Whedon, Stargirl continues to charge forward with a dedicated fanbase that wants to see the arc in that show continue forward into new adventures.
And there’s plenty of room for it; the main character of Stargirl is still just a kid herself in high school. She hasn’t even hit full stride as an adult superhero yet.
Stargirl’s setting a decade after the wipeout and elimination of the Justice Society is key. She’s in a post-superhero world where the big characters are gone, and things are a bit fluid and chaotic again.
Similar to the cold war ending in real-life politics and opening up a period of “anything goes” among former satellite countries, Stargirl’s story map is boundless and without hard and fast paradigm rules.
That means her storyline can completely break expectations of previous DC heroes and scripts, giving Geoff Johns and the show’s team full creative license as well.
Having three seasons, Stargirl’s story arc is well-established and easily moving into a full evolution. Typically, superhero shows start to stumble at this point as their script starts to become tired and the creative juices burn out.
Episodes seem like rehashes or, worse, the creative team starts experimenting with weird, oddball stories, even musicals, to change up the usually more serious show expectation.
Ideally, however, Geoff Johns has enough experience in this genre to avoid a similar trap and instead deliver a deeper, more dramatic story development.
It should carry the show into Season 4 as well, bringing audiences along wanting more.
The idea of a strong fanbase was really manifested with two other TV shows, Lucifer and Farscape, both of which were brought back due to fanbase demand.
Geoff Johns expects the same. Stargirl has the promise of a similar following and strength. And a lot of that can be proven with a Season 4 commitment for the show. Network folks should strike while the iron is hot and lock this one in.