Fourth DC Universe live action show ‘Stargirl’ announced and created by Geoff Johns

Geoff Johns did not hold anything back when it came to big reveals at his spotlight panel this year at San Diego Comic-Con. After revealing interesting details about the upcoming Titans show, Johns explained the DC Universe lineup is diverse. “We’ve got Titans which is kind of like obviously more adult superheroes. Doom Patrol which is a quirky, weird, fun journey,” and then there is Swamp Thing, which is horror.

The fourth show is none other than Stargirl, which will be written and produced by Geoff Johns. “It’s the first thing I’m doing I guess completely with my company Mad Ghost [Productions] and it’s a character very dear to me. It’s the first superhero I ever created.” It’s not just a singular superhero now though, as it’s also about Stargirl’s superhero team, Justice Society.

The character of Stargirl is particularly close to Johns because it is based on his sister who passed away in a plane crash in 1996. “The character is very positive, fun, and optimistic. Just like the show, the show is about Courtney Whitmore, whose mom gets remarried to a guy named Pat Dugan and they moved to the small town of Blue Valley, Nebraska. And she discovers that her stepfather used to be a sidekick to a superhero who was a member of the Justice Society.” It’s a lighter show, Johns said, that’s PG-13 in comparison to the other three shows which are more R-rated. Regardless, Johns said it’s “a big undertaking because it’s a brand new world.”

When DiDio asked Johns how it’s different running a show to writing a comic Johns said it’s detail-oriented working with many more people in a more complex way. “There’s many more layers to dive into the story and there’s more time to be had with the characters.” In fact, Johns said comics can sometimes be more difficult to write than live action productions because the page count can be so limiting. What is not limiting, however, is the budget, which Johns said is great.

The show is still in the early stages with a writing staff being put together now and a 13 episode run for season one planned.