Warning: The following contains SPOILERS for Crisis on Infinite Earths.
A cameo at the end of the Arrowverse crossover event Crisis on Infinite Earths offered an extensive look at the cast of Stargirl, and established the setting of the upcoming series as part of a new multiverse. The eagerly anticipated new show will be airing on both The CW and on the DC Universe streaming service.
Stargirl first appeared in Stars and STRIPE #0, though she first used the moniker Star-Spangled Kid. Stargirl was Courtney Whitmore, an All-American girl who was less than thrilled about her mother remarrying a mechanic named Pat Dugan, even before they moved away from Los Angeles to the small town of Blue Valley, Nebraska. It was while unpacking that Courtney discovered Pat’s former life as the superhero Stripsey and the gear used by his partner. At first Courtney stole the equipment and donned a costume only to annoy her step-father, but Courtney decided to give heroism an honest try after supervillains attacked her high-school. This, in turn, pushed Pat to create an armored suit similar to Iron Man, watching over his step-daughter as S.T.R.I.P.E.
Stargirl and her allies made a cameo appearance in a montage near the end of Crisis on Infinite Earths “Part 5,” which showcased the new Arrowverse and the worlds comprising it. S.T.R.I.P.E. was shown walking up behind Stargirl, who was standing alongside three other costumed figures: Doctor Mid-Nite, Hourman and Wildcat. The caption labeled their world as Earth-2, but this was a decidedly different world than the Earth-2 which was destroyed at the start of Crisis on Infinite Earths. Still, the label seems fitting, as Stargirl‘s story will be based around the reformation of the Justice Society of America: the superhero team which defended Earth-2 in the original DC Comics’ universe.
This prominent display suggests that The CW is committed to making Stargirl an integral part of the new Arrowverse and their line-up. The series’ first season had a long and convoluted production cycle, first being announced at SDCC 2018 as exclusive to DC Universe and set for release in August 2019. The show’s premiere was then delayed until 2020, just before it was announced that it would be broadcast on The CW and streamed through DC Universe.
No premiere date has been announced for Stargirl beyond sometime in the second quarter of 2020. It has been agreed, however, that the CW will be airing the show one day after it goes live on DC Universe, and the show will be available through the CW website and app one day after that. It is still unknown, however, if there will be different versions of the show for both platforms, giving Arrowverse fans an incentive to subscribe so they can watch longer cuts of the same episode.
