Stargirl teases the return of one of The Flash‘s villains and he could potentially fight the Justice Society of America in season 2. In the aftermath of Crisis, Stargirl is now set on Earth Prime, of course, allowing for appearances by other heroes. With John Wesley Shipp reprising his role as The Flash’s Jay Garrick for Stargirl season 2, the Scarlet Speedster’s appearance could set the stage for the arrival of a famous DC comics villain — one who has already played a major role in the Arrowverse.
Courtney Whitmore is high on the adrenaline rush that came with defeating the Injustice Society of America at the end of Stargirl season 1. She hasn’t let up since and has gone patrolling alongside the other Justice Society of America members every night in the hopes of finding and fighting villains. So enthralled with doing more superhero work, Stargirl goes digging into the old case files of the original JSA. A number of villains are name-dropped, including Per Degaton, a time-traveling ISA member who was banished by The Flash. More interesting, however, is Courtney finding the file on one Clifford DeVoe (aka, The Thinker).
The camera lingers on the file long enough to suggest he will appear eventually in season 2. Clifford DeVoe was the primary villain during The Flash season 4 and whose schemes involved resetting humanity’s intelligence so they would no longer rely on technology. The DeVoe of Stargirl won’t be played by the same actor, but the series could explore the events leading up to his arrest by the JSA. Considering he is a Flash villain, it’s possible The Thinker will be the antagonist the speedster, alongside the JSA, will fight during season 2’s ninth episode, which is expected to flash back to the original JSA. And it wouldn’t be worth revisiting the old members if they didn’t have an adversary to go up against. That’s where DeVoe might come in.
In the comics, The Thinker was not only a criminal mastermind, but a member of the ISA who worked closely with The Fiddler and The Shade, who will play a prominent role in Stargirl season 2. DeVoe would be the perfect villain to fight the JSA — he’s smart, with abilities including telekinesis and telepathic mind control. Stargirl has planted Easter eggs before, with many references being paid off in some way. The fact that DeVoe was specifically focused on in the season 2 premiere could foreshadow his eventual appearance later on. And with The Flash showing up eventually, The Thinker makes for the perfect villain for the JSA to fend off in the past.
Perhaps the flashback could reveal The Thinker’s nefarious plans. Since he’s a telepath, it’s possible he was attempting to control the American population with the power of his mind a la Brainwave in season 1. Whatever the case may be, Stargirl seems to be setting up his introduction and the best way for the show to capitalize on his villainy would be to bring in The Thinker alongside The Flash and the original members of the JSA. DeVoe is a fantastic villain and a classic one at that. Stargirl has yet to disappoint with regards to dropping hints about villains who will later appear and The Thinker should indeed be one of them.
