Supergirl: Mehcad Brooks and Nicole Maines talk season 5 hopes

Times are a-changin’ in Supergirl both onscreen and off. Actors Mehcad Brooks and Nicole Maines shared their thoughts on season 5 and Justin Bieber.

Supergirl has been through a lot since it debuted on CBS in 2015. The Melissa Benoist-starring superhero series has changed networks and showrunners, dabbled in romantic comedy and space opera, and introduced and shed plots and characters like so many costumes. Along the way, it experienced numerous ups and downs, and at the very least, it was never boring.

After its best season so far, Supergirl still has plenty of life left, but it seems to be approaching the end of an era. Entertainment Weekly recently reported that actor Mehcad Brooks, whose James Olsen was positioned as Kara’s primary love interest at the outset, will leave in season 5.

This makes Benoist the only member of the three original “super-friends” who is still a regular. (Jeremy Jordan will reprise his role as Winn later in the season, but only for three episodes.)

Reinvention is nothing new for this show, though. At the 2019 Comic-Con in San Diego, Culturess got the chance to catch up with Brooks and fellow cast member Nicole Maines at a roundtable interview as they told us what fans can expect from the upcoming season.

Brooks started by emphasizing that his imminent departure is occurring on amiable terms. While he will miss Supergirl, he is excited to work on other projects, including a cable TV series based on his and his friends’ experiences with trauma.

“I’ve never been on a set before where I’ve seen actors and crew and writers get along so well,” he said. “We all have our things, but we are still on group texts that we have been on since the pilot; we go to dinner together… So, this is my family. And it’s tough. But I have some other things I got to do and gotta move on. It’s really harmonious, and I’m happy that it’s just such a gracious exit.”

It might not be permanent either. Showrunners Jessica Queller and Robert Rovner are intent on leaving the door open for a possible return, so fans can rest assured that James Olsen will remain alive and well somewhere in the Arrowverse.

“To quote Justin Bieber,” Brooks said, “never say never.”

And as one journey comes to an end, another is just beginning. Last season, Maines made history as the first transgender superhero on television, and it quickly became impossible to envision the show without her. Thanks to her soulful performance, Nia Nal/Dreamer was a season highlight, allowing Supergirl to explore its themes of identity and empowerment in a uniquely intimate way.

By now, Nia has embraced her powers and accepted her feelings for Brainiac. That doesn’t mean everything will be smooth sailing from here on out, though.

“So far, her storyline has kind of been balancing work and balancing being a hero and then trying to find her footing in this new relationship with Brainiac,” Maines said. “They’re so different and so unused to anything like this. And both of them aren’t the best at communicating. So, it’s kind of trying to find that balance and trying to figure out how to express themselves with one another.”

Maines also hopes there will be an opportunity to delve back into Nia’s fraught relationship with her sister Maeve. In the episode “Blood Memory,” the siblings clashed in a heated argument that was left unresolved.

“That’s absolutely not the kind of thing that we want to leave up in the air,” she said. “I think the important thing to recognize about that conflict is it wasn’t coming from a place of transphobia; it was coming from a place of two sisters fighting. And when you fight with your sibling, you go for the jugular. And I think it’s really important to show that resolution and the growth that comes from that.”

Ultimately, it’s a matter of whether actress Hannah James has time in her schedule to stop by National City.

“She’s always doing something,” Maines said, “and I’m like, Hannah, come back! I need you.”

Supergirl returns to The CW for its season 5 premiere on October 6.