WHIPLASH Actress Will Star in CBS' SUPERGIRL TV Series

Looks like CBS has found someone to fit into its Supergirl costume. Whiplash and Glee actress Melissa Benoist will play Kara Zor-El in the network's new superhero pilot. She'll play Superman's cousin, "who was born on the planet Krypton and escaped amid its destruction years ago. Since arriving on Earth, she has been hiding the powers she shares with her famous cousin. But now at age 24, she decides to embrace her superhuman abilities and be the hero she was always meant to be."

I checked out of Glee after the first season, so I didn't see any of Benoist's work on that show, but she was OK in Whiplash - her character wasn't really given much to do, but that's not her fault. I think she should fit well into the crime drama template of what CBS is trying to do. That network doesn't strike me as one that would concentrate too heavily on spandex and epic fight sequences, so I'm guessing she'll be spending most of her time solving low-level crimes, not fighting intergalactic threats. CBS entertainment chairman Nina Tassler recently spoke about what kind of actress the network needed for the show:

"She’s got to be an every woman. She’s got to be specific. She’s got to be a terrific actor. [It's] looking for someone who embodies both the freshness and the exuberance of being a young woman in today’s challenging climate and being someone who can carry this kind of series on her shoulders. It’s a big, big show."

Sounds like Benoist fit that description for them, and we're hoping she makes an excellent small-screen Supergirl. What do you think about this casting? Sound off below.