Supergirl‘s tenure as the resident defender of National City is reaching an unexpectedly early conclusion. The upcoming sixth season of The CW’s superhero series will be its last, TVLine has learned.
Production on Supergirl‘s 20-episode final season is slated to begin later this month; the show’s creative team is already developing storylines.
Melissa Benoist stars as Supergirl‘s titular Kryptonian, leading a cast that includes Chyler Leigh, Katie McGrath, Jesse Rath, Nicole Maines, Andrea Brooks, Azie Tesfai, Julie Gonzalo, Staz Nair and David Harewood. Previous stars included Mehcad Brooks, Jeremy Jordan, Chris Wood, Floriana Lima, Odette Annable and Calista Flockhart.
In the wake of The CW’s announcement that the series’ upcoming sixth season will be its last, the actress behind Kara took to social media to reflect on the show’s imminent end.
“To say it has been an honor portraying this iconic character would be a massive understatement,” she shared on Instagram. “Seeing the incredible impact the show has had on young girls around the world has always left me humbled and speechless.
“She’s had that impact on me, too,” Benoist continued. “She’s taught me strength I didn’t know I had, to find hope in the darkest of places, and that we are stronger when we’re united. What she stands for pushes all of us to be better. She has changed my life for the better, and I’m forever grateful.”
Regarding the show’s final episodes, Benoist teased, “I’m so excited that we get to plan our conclusion to this amazing journey, and I cannot wait for you to see what we have in store. I promise we’re going to make it one helluva final season.”
Supergirl‘s freshman run, which premiered in October 2015 on CBS, averaged 7.7 million total viewers and a 1.7 demo rating (in Live+Same Day numbers). Upon being relocated for Season 2, it slipped to a CW-typical 2.4 mil/0.7. With its most recent, fifth season, the Arrowverse series averaged 840,000 total viewers and a 0.22 demo rating, down a good (but not) 30 percent from Season 4.
Supergirl is part of the newly re-minted “CWverse,” meaning it exists in the same universe as Arrow, The Flash, DC’s Legends of Tomorrow, Black Lightning, Batwoman and recent DC Universe transplant Stargirl. New seasons of those shows — except Arrow, of course, which wrapped its eight-season run earlier this year — will premiere on The CW sometime in 2021.