How Supergirl changed the game for live-action female superheroes

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Supergirl paved the way for more female-led superhero projects

It’s an incredible time for women superheroes. We have more female-fronted properties in the genre on the horizon than ever before, with the likes of Ms. Marvel and She-Hulk arriving this year from Marvel Studios and DC’s Batwoman, Naomi and Superman and Lois continuing to air on TV screens on The CW.

A lot of people tend to look to the heroes of the big screen for starting successful movements, and it’s particularly understandable in this case, given that uber-successful blockbusters like Wonder Woman, Captain Marvel and Black Widow all quickly proved that female superheroes do draw audiences to movie theaters just as much as their male counterparts. But let’s not forget that this journey to the big screen started on the small one. And it all started with Supergirl.

At the time that Supergirl started, there weren’t any other female superheroes at the forefront of their own TV series, nor were there any headlining their own movies. In fact, it was the first time we saw a traditional superhero series fronted by a woman on TV in almost 40 years, with the last one being the Lynda Carter-led Wonder Woman series of the ‘70s.

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But the show would go on to make even more history, with the pilot episode drawing an incredible 13 million viewers, making it the most-watched episode of superhero TV on a broadcast network. That alone was proof that people were craving more female superheroes on screen. And it wasn’t just curiosity either, as the show’s successful six season run proved that the Girl of Steel could cultivate a loyal audience every bit as well as the likes of Arrow and The Flash.

Those shows kicked off this modern day superhero renaissance and they continue to receive the credit that they deserve for doing so, but Supergirl took it to the next level and placed the spotlight on one of DC Comics’ most beloved female heroes. And it was the first in a wave of female-fronted offerings from the superhero genre.

Women superheroes are thriving on both film and TV today, and it’s long overdue. As we continue to enjoy seeing these incredible, powerful and compelling women take center stage on our screens, let’s not forget the integral role that Supergirl played in paving the way for properties like Wonder Woman and Captain Marvel to dominate the box office. And the Girl of Steel did all from your TV screen.

Thank you Supergirl for changing the game.