Once again, television is proving to be more diverse than film. Floriana Lima, known for her role on ABC’s The Family, joins the cast of Supergirl Season 2 when it moves from CBS to The CW this fall. She joins a crop of newcomers like Tyler Hoechlin as Superman/Clark Kent and Wonder Woman herself, Lynda Carter, as the reigning POTUS, but Lima’s casting is poignant for its own reason.
Collider can confirm the actress will play this world’s version of Maggie Sawyer. The character appeared in the comics as captain of the Metropolis Special Crimes Unit, where she contributed to the organization’s metahumans division. Maggie was also revealed to be a lesbian. In the "Batwoman" comics, originally written by J.H. Williams III and W. Haden Blackman, she was the girlfriend of the titular superheroine. Both Williams and Blackman left the creative team when DC changed their vision for the comic — one specific instance they cited was their refusal to allow the marriage of Maggie and Kate.
Lima’s Maggie will be a series regular role, described as “a detective for the National City Police Department who takes a special interest in the cases involving aliens.” THR was first to report the story.
Executive producer Greg Berlanti, DC’s TV shepherd and an openly gay man himself, already made the small-screen ‘verse more inclusive of the LGBTQ community with characters like Sara Lance (formerly Black Canary, now White Canary on Legends of Tomorrow) and Nyssa al Ghul on Arrow, as well as Hartley Rathaway (a.k.a. The Pied Piper) on The Flash. There’s also Barbara Kean and Renee Montoya on Fox’s non-Berlanti series Gotham. As Hollywood continues to struggle with diversity and TV continues striding forth, it’s important to recognize such moments as they come.
Earlier this year, Berlanti remarked on the inclusivity of his shows:
I wanted to contemporize these comics that I loved growing up and have them reflect the society that we live in now. t’s still about working in some of those very real qualities so that everyone feels represented.
Supergirl will make the leap to The CW in a single bound, airing Mondays at 8 p.m. EST.
For more on Supergirl, take a look at some of our recent stories:
- ‘Supergirl’ Season 2: Tyler Hoechlin Talks Landing the Superman Role, Greg Berlanti
- Comic-Con 2016: Saturday Schedule Features DC/Marvel Showdown, CW Superhero Block
- CW Series Will Now Stream in a Flash on Netflix After Each Season Finale
- WB TV Is Bringing 21 Series to Comic-Con Including ‘The Flash,’ ‘Arrow,’ and More
- ‘Wonder Woman’ Lynda Carter Joins ‘Supergirl’ as President of the United States