Here's Everything You Need to Know About 'Stargirl', Including the New Themes for Season 3

Season 3 of 'Stargirl' is all about frenemies.

With all the cancellations over at The CW, it's good to know that Stargirl was picked up for a season 3 prior to the premiere of season 2 last year.

The DC Comics series follows high school teen Courtney Whitmore as she inspires an unlikely group of young heroes to stop the villains that inhabit the small town of Blue Valley, Nebraska.

Here's what we know so far about season 3 of Stargirl.

What is Stargirl?

Stargirl is a DC Comics series based on a character created by Geoff Johns in 1999. The series follows the main character Courtney Whitmore, portrayed by Brec Bassinger, who discovers a cosmic staff and becomes the inspiration for a new generation of superheroes who become the reimagined Justice Society of America.

Is Stargirl based on previous material?

The series has roots to a pair of 1941 superheroes: the Star-Spangled Kid and Stripesy. But this series focuses on the character that started creator Geoff Johns’ career as a comic book writer when he created Courtney Whitmore/Stargirl in 1999, lovingly inspired by his late sister who was killed in 1996 in the TWA Flight 800 explosion.

Related: Creator Geoff Johns Shares the Touching Inspiration for Stargirl and Why He Cast Luke Wilson 

What was the theme of Stargirl season 2?

Stargirl season 2 takes a much darker turn for the cast of Stargirl. In an interview with EW, Brec Bassinger said “[Geoff Johns] said it's like Nightmare on Elm Street and It. I was like, whoa, that is going to be different! It was fun getting to do it.”

What is the theme of Stargirl season 3?

Like season 2's overall theme was "Summer School," season 3's theme is "Frenemies." Look for Cindy (Meg DeLacy) to try to join the JSA, the Crocks living next door to Courtney, and according to Brec Bassinger, "Murder mystery!" Bassinger told TVLine, “You know what, I’m just gonna say it… Murder mystery! And how evil and good are going to live in a town together and figure out who the murderer is.”

One of the other storylines for season 3 that we know about is Jennie/Green Lantern (Ysa Penarejo) and the search for her brother Todd/Obsidian (Tim Gabriel). The two have been separated since childhood and each has been looking for the other ever since.

In season 2, Jennie learns that Todd may have been at The Helix Institute for Youth Rehabilitation but when she arrives there Todd is nowhere to be found. The creepy institute seems to be run by the mysterious Mister Bones (voiced by Keith David) with daily management on site by an equally mysterious and creepy Nurse Louise Love (Lynne Ashe).

No other season 3 plots have been revealed, but check back here at Parade.com for updates!

Who is Stargirl?

Courtney Whitmore (Brec Bassinger) is a teen whose life in L.A. is upended when her widowed mother marries a mechanic (played by Luke Wilson) and relocates the family to the tiny town of Blue Valley, Nebraska. However, when she discovers her new stepdad has a superhero past, she embarks on a journey of her own.

How old is Stargirl?

Courtney Whitmore is a high school sophomore in season 1 of Stargirl. Actress Brec Bassinger turned 23 on May 25, 2022.

What does Stargirl look like?

Stargirl/Courtney Whitmore is an all-American high school teen. With long, blonde hair and a gymnast’s physique (the comic book version was an expert gymnast and kickboxer), Stargirl’s character traits include being bold but naive at times, having a teenager’s exuberance for her causes as well as a teenager’s defiance to authority, and typical sibling frustration with her little brother. She clashes with her stepfather, Pat Dugan, at first, but after learning he was Starman’s sidekick, she turns to him for mentorship as she navigates the superhero world and the new Justice League.

In the television series, Courtney breaks into the home economics lab at Blue Valley High and at the demise of several sewing machines, fashions her own patriotic superhero costume which consists of skintight shorts and top in red, white and blue. In reality, Brec Bassinger had many wardrobe malfunctions with her Stargirl costume when the shorts or top ripped on several occasions because the outfits were made precisely to her measurements so that they would mold to her physique.

When does Stargirl season 3 premiere?

Stargirl was expected to premiere mid-summer, but The CW waited until the very last day of August! Stargirl premiered Wednesday, Aug. 31. The show also moved from Tuesdays to Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET followed by season 3 of Kung Fu.

Related: 80 Years of Superman: See the Superhero Through the Decades

Who’s who in the cast of Stargirl and the DC Universe?

Brec Bassinger (Stargirl/Courtney Whitmore)

Brec Bassinger stars as Courtney Whitmore (Stargirl), the teen whose life takes an entirely different turn when she moves from L.A. to the sleepy town of Blue Valley, Nebraska.

Prior to her role in Stargirl, Brec Bassinger was best known as the lead in Nickelodeon’s Bella and the Bulldogs. You may also recognize her from roles in All Night, School of Rock and The Haunted Hathaways.

Related: Brec Bassinger Shares the Positive Message She Hopes Stargirl Sends to All Girls 

Luke Wilson (Pat Dugan/S.T.R.I.P.E./Stripesy)

Pat is Courtney’s stepfather and somewhat reluctant mentor. Prior to marrying Courtney’s mother, Pat was the sidekick to Starman. Both were members of the Justice Society of America. He gave up the sidekick life after Starman and most of the JSA were killed in a battle with the villains of the Injustice Society of America a decade ago. He’s now a mechanic though he tinkers away on more than cars in his workshop.

Wilson is best known for his roles in Legally Blonde, The Royal Tenenbaums and Bottle Rocket. He most recently starred in The Goldfinch and 12 Mighty Orphans opposite Martin Sheen and Robert Duvall.

Related: Luke Wilson Reveals What Lured Him to Stargirl and Why He’s Ready to Play Howard Hughes

Yvette Monreal (Yolanda Montez/Wildcat)

Yolanda was once one of the popular kids at Blue Valley High but scandal has made her an outcast. Courtney befriends and eventually recruits her into the JSA. Wildcat’s powers include retractable claw-like fingernails and feline agility.

In the second season, Yolanda dealt with the ramifications of her actions from season 1. “It’s actually her entire story [throughout] season 2,” Johns said. “That’s a big story, her dealing with what she did, what happened with Henry (Jake Austin Walker) and what she did with Brainwave (Christopher James Baker).” The guilt and shame she feels (and enhanced by Eclipso) causes her to leave the JSA and Wildcat behind.

Anjelika Washington (Beth Chapel/Doctor Mid-Nite)

Anjelika Washington stars as Beth Chapel, a bit of a social reject and nerd who inches her way into Courtney’s social circle after she overhears Courtney and Yolanda talking about the JSA. She accidentally discovers Doctor Mid-Nite’s (Henry Thomas) goggles, which were destroyed during the battle between the JSA and ISA.

In season 2, Beth's fears of abandonment and not being a part of something is amplified by Eclipso. She's able to face her fears and stand steadfast with the help of Doctor Mid-Nite (Alex Collins in season 2) who is not dead, but stuck in the Shadowlands. Doctor Mid-Nite tells her to always wear the goggles because the goggles will show reality and not the illusion that Eclipso is projecting.

Related: Anjelika Washington on Being a Role Model to Young Black Girls: ‘We Always Have a Voice’

Cameron Gellman (Rick Tyler/Rick Harris/Hourman)

Rick Tyler is the high school’s delinquent bad boy whose parents died in a car accident when he was 7, and he was left in the care of an uncle who resents having to be a guardian to his nephew. His powers are tied to an hourglass his father made that allows him one hour of super-strength a day.

In season 2, Rick befriends Solomon Grundy, even bringing him food while he hides out in the forest. When Eclipso causes Rick to believe Grundy has killed a little girl, Rick turns on Grundy with the intent to kill him.

Meg DeLacy (Cindy Burman/Shiv)

Cindy is the leader of the mean girls at the high school and Courtney’s nemesis. (We can only assume her character was inspired by Stacy London, who’s had her signature gray streak since she was 11!)

In the first season, Cindy purposely kills her father, Dr. Ito (Nelson Lee), during the battle between the JSA and ISA. She later discovers Eclipso (Nick Tarabay) in the storage closets of the ISA.

Amy Smart (Barbara Whitmore)

Amy Smart stars as Barbara Whitmore, devoted mother to Courtney, wife to Pat, and stepmom to Mike (Trae Romano). By the end of the first season, she is aware of her daughter’s alter ego as well as her husband’s hobbies.

You may recognize Smart from her roles on Justified, MacGyver and Shameless.

Hunter Sansone (Cameron Mahkent)

Cameron is the son of Jordan Mahkent/Icicle (Neil Jackson). Icicle allegedly killed Starman, but it’s currently unclear whether or not Cameron is aware of his father’s alter ego. With his father seemingly dead (after being hit by a truck driven by Mike Dugan,) will Cameron’s powers emerge?

Trae Romano (Mike Dugan)

Mike is Pat’s son and Courtney’s stepbrother and wannabe member of the JSA. After he takes a pen from Courtney's room to write something down, he finds himself the master of Thunderbolt (voiced by Seth Green), a kind of genie in a bottle except he's an imp in a pen who grants wishes. Unfortunately, he takes things much too literally so the wishes don't always manifest themselves correctly. After several mishaps, Mike wishes Thunderbolt was "in better hands" and Thunderbolt becomes the servant of Jakeem (Alkoya Brunson), Mike's fellow paperboy.

Original Justice Society of America cast

These characters died in the epic battle between the JSA and ISA over a decade ago but will be referenced in flashback or backstory reveals throughout the series.

Joel McHale (Sylvester Pemberton/Starman)

McHale has been upped to a series regular in season 3 of Stargirl. With his return, Cosmo the Cosmic Staff will suffer a childlike confusion as to which hero they should answer to - Starman or Stargirl?

A member of the original Justice Society of America, Pat Dugan was his sidekick. He used the cosmic staff that he bequeaths to Pat that Courtney later finds.

You’ll know McHale from Community and Talk Soup.

John Wesley Shipp (Jay Garrick/The Flash)

With the power of speed, The Flash is able to take care of business in a, well... flash.

Shipp played The Flash in the 90s series of the same name. He and Amanda Pays, his co-star from the series, both appeared on the current reboot of The Flash.

“I had the best time in Atlanta shooting with that cast,” Shipp told ComicBook.com. “This show has so much energy and depth and heat and excitement around it at the moment.” Earlier this year, it was revealed Jay Garrick would be a part of a flashback episode in the sophomore season of the show. Even if production remains in Atlanta for season 3, this surely sets up the possibility for crossover episodes with the Arrow universe.

Lou Ferrigno Jr. (Rex Tyler/Hourman)

An original member of the JSA, Tyler was a brilliant chemist and created a formula that allows him the ability to acquire super-strength for one hour a day.

Ferrigno’s father famously played The Hulk on the TV series of the same name back in the ’70s opposite Bill Bixby as his human counterpart, Bruce Banner.

Brian Stapf (Ted Grant / Wildcat)

Ted Grant was a world champion boxer who took on the role of Wildcat.

Henry Thomas/Alex Collins (Charles McNider / Doctor Mid-Nite)

McNider was an original member of the JSA and a scientific pioneer. It’s McNider’s voice as the AI Beth hears when she dons Mid-Nite’s goggles. His young daughter was lured away from her home by Eclipso and later murdered. It is Eclipso's action that ultimately cause the downfall of the JSA.

In season 2 we learn that The Shade sent McNider to the Shadowlands in order to save him but thought he had died there. By the end of season 2, The Shade uses the last of his powers to save Courtney, McNider and Cindy from the Shadowlands and dies from his efforts. Of course, this is a comic book world, so does anyone ever really die?

Henry Thomas voiced Doctor Mid-Nite in season 1 of Stargirl. In season 2, Alex Collins took over the role.

Viewers will know Henry Thomas best from his role as Elliott from E.T. The Extraterrestrial. He also starred in Legends of the Fall opposite Brad Pitt and Sir Anthony Hopkins.

Collins had co-starring roles on Sleepy Hollow and Lovecraft Country.

Who are the Supergirl villains?

Jonathan Cake (Richard Swift/The Shade)

In the comic books, the character was a villain but eventually became a mentor for Jack Knight, who later takes over the moniker of Starman from his father, Ted Knight.

In season 2, The Shade dies saving Courtney, McNider, and Cindy from the Shadowlands but we soon learn that his actions did not actually kill him but was the jolt he needed to restore him to his former self.

Neil Hopkins/Joy Osmansaki (The Crocks - Sportsmaster and Tigress)

The Crocks own the local gym in Blue Valley. Lawrence/Sportsmaster is all about sports and athleticism. They are parents to Artemis Crock (Stella Smith). His wife, Paula/Tigress is a coach at Blue Valley High. The Crocks come to the JSA's aid in fighting off Eclipso in the season 2 finale battle.

At the end of summer, after Courtney is finishing up summer school, it appears the Crocks have moved in next door to Courtney and her family.

Solomon Grundy

Grundy played a mostly unseen role during Season 1. We know he killed Rick’s parents and we known the behemoth is one bad dude. In season 2, it appears that Rick (Cameron Gellman) has befriend Grundy in the woods, often leaving him food. Grundy dies fighting Eclipso, but after Rick buries him, The Shade tells him Grundy has a habit of coming back if he's buried in the right place and time.

Eric Goins (Steven Sharpe/The Gambler)

Sharpe returns to Blue Valley looking for redemption and a fresh start.He also hopes to become a father to a daughter he didn't know he had until recently. The Gambler appeared in a few episodes back in season 1, but his character went into hiding and was absent for all of season 2.

Nick Tarabay (Eclipso)

Eclipso is a dark essence trapped inside a jewel that we see Cindy discover at the end of season 1. He is the main villain throughout season 2. He dies at the end of season 2, but is his death final?

David Keith (voice) (Mister Bones)

We catch a glimpse of Mister Bones at the very end of the season 2 finale. In the comics, Mister Bones is a supervillain with translucent skin (hence the monker). He is also known as Director Bones.

Nurse Louise Love (Lynne Ashe)

Nurse Love runs the Helix Institute for Youth Rehabilitation.

What new characters will we meet in season 3 of Stargirl?

Ysa Penarejo (Jennie-Lynn Hayden/Jade)

Introduced in season 2, Jennie is the daughter of Alan Scott/Green Lantern. She is drawn to Blue Valley when the Lantern calls out to her. She later takes up the Green Lantern's ring. Jennie is searching for her twin brother, Todd (Gabriel) after there were separated as children. Her search leads to The Helix Institute ofr Youth Rehabilitation. Her time there causes Nurse Love (Ashe) to inform the mysterious Mister Bones of her appearance.

Tim Gabriel (Todd Rice/Obsidian)

Todd is Jennie's twin brother. He has been searching for his sister since childhood. In the comics, the twins are the offspring of superhero Alan Scott/Green Lantern and super villain Rose Canton (Thorn). Obsidian's powers include the command of shadows - being able to insert himself into a shadow, becoming a three-dimensional shadow and other shadow-like abilities. He is connected to the Shadowlands.

Who is the executive producer of Stargirl?

Geoff Johns is an executive producer and showrunner (along with Melissa Carter) on DC’s Stargirl. He is also an award-winning screenwriter and producer and one of the most successful comic book writers of his time.

Johns co-wrote Aquaman as well as Wonder Woman 1984. He’s also known for his television work on Green Lantern, The Flash, Smallville and Arrow. He is currently in various stages of development and production including Titans, The Killing Zone, Shazam! 2 and Green Lantern Corps.

Related: Free Wonder Woman Coloring Book Page Downloads

When and where can I watch Stargirl?

Every episode of DC’s Stargirl is available to stream on The CW’s free digital platforms (CWTV.com and The CW app). You can also watch both seasons on HBO Max with a subscription. Episodes are also available to purchase on iTunes, Amazon, and other similar sites.

Has Stargirl been renewed for season 4?

Not yet! But we've got our fingers crossed!

When does season 3 of Stargirl premiere?

Season 3 premiered on Wednesday, August 31.

What time is Stargirl on?

Stargirl airs Wednesday nights at 8 p.m. ET on The CW.

What night is Stargirl on?

Stargirl moves from Tuesday nights to Wednesday nights this fall.

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