Stargirl type TV Show network DC Universe genre Superhero

The world of Stargirl just got a little brighter. EW has confirmed that Community star Joel McHale has been cast to play the superhero Starman in DC Universe’s upcoming live-action TV series Stargirl.

McHale will portray the “Golden Age” version of Starman, a.k.a. Sylvester Pemberton, a rich socialite who fights crime with the help of his Cosmic Staff, a mysterious anti-gravity weapon. Starman is a member of the Justice Society of America, DC’s original superhero team, consisting of characters introduced in the ’30s and ’40s.

The focus of the show is Courtney Whitmore (Brec Bassinger), a high school sophomore struggling to adapt to new surroundings. Her life gets much more exciting when she learns that her new stepfather, Pat Dugan, used to be Stripesy, Starman’s sidekick. Courtney soon digs up the old Cosmic Staff and uses it to fight evil as Stargirl, inspiring a new generation of heroes to follow in the Justice Society’s footsteps.

Stargirl is set to premiere on the DC Universe streaming service sometime in 2019. It is executive-produced by Greg Berlanti, Geoff Johns, and Sarah Schechter. The main character was originally created by Johns in 1999 and was inspired by her sister, who died in a plane explosion in 1996.

Stargirl isn’t the only DC Universe show on the horizon. Swamp Thing is also on the way, and on Wednesday the service announced that Ian Ziering will play the character Daniel Cassidy, a.k.a. Blue Devil. Before that show, though, will come Doom Patrol and the animated Young Justice: Outsiders.

Variety first reported McHale’s casting.

Related content: