Supergirl: Odette Annable cast as the villain Reign for season 3

After a last-second tease in the Supergirl season 2 finale, Supergirl has already found its major season 3 villain Reign in Odette Annable.

Some of us are still reeling from the season 2 finale of Supergirl that marked the ending of a lackluster second season. Or perhaps, it got you really excited for what may come in season 3. At the very least, the finale promised that yet another villainous woman would join the mix in National City as a flashback hinted to the arrival of Reign.

So as The CW tries its hand at another pod storyline, TVLine confirmed that Odette Annable has been cast as Reign for next season. (I know her from House. But I’m sure you’ve seen her somewhere before, whether on Brothers & Sisters or that one thriller film, And Soon the Darkness. Either way, I really like her and this casting choice.)

In a statement, Supergirl’s executive producer, Andrew Kreisberg, said:

"“Greg [Berlanti] and I have wanted to work with Odette for years. We are beyond excited to have her join our cast in the scary, powerful and heartbreaking role of Reign.”"

Also, DC Comics kindly elaborated on the history of Reign and her status as a Kryptonian Worldkiller:

"While the prior two seasons have leaned somewhat on Superman characters (or characters from the Super-books as a whole), Reign comes straight from Supergirl’s acclaimed New 52 series, and in fact was one of the first baddies she faced in the relaunch. In that storyline, it was revealed that Reign’s history was tied closely to Krypton. She was one of five “Worldkillers” who were aliens that were captured and experimented on by Kryptonian scientists in an attempt to turn them into powerful weapons. After they awoke and found their captors dead and Krypton destroyed, Reign and three of the other Worldkillers attempted to find their home worlds, but instead wound up on Earth."

Combined with Kreisberg’s statement, your excitement may simply boil down to what you expect from The CW. DC Comics pointed out that Reign is the perfect vehicle for a thought-provoking third season of Supergirl. On one hand, we can do a longer season 1 “Bizarro”-esque arc, but we also just came off a less-than-stellar second season. It depends on how Supergirl bounces back.

Though, if there’s anything to celebrate, it’s the casting choice. Plus, it’s exciting to see Latina actors get more roles. (Looking at you, Maggie Sawyer.)

Supergirl flies back into action with season 3 this October. And if you need to catch up, seasons 1 and 2 are currently streaming on Netflix.