As I write this, CBS's new Supergirl series currently has a 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes . Among the reviews – you can read IGN’s here – one thing stands out as being brought up again and again, which is most everyone loves Melissa Benoist in the title role.

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Following in the footsteps of her fellow Glee alum turned DC Comics hero, Grant Gustin, Benoist brings a ton of natural charm and endearing enthusiasm to her role as Kara / Supergirl in this version of the story – in which Kara is Kal-El’s older cousin, leaving Krypton when she was 12 years old, only for her trip to Earth to hit a Phantom Zone detour, leading to a still-young Kara arriving after Superman has established himself.After chatting a bit about her fandom for Star Wars and Batman Returns, I sat down with Benoist to talk about Supergirl, which debuts on Monday, suddenly finding herself in such a big spotlight and what’s to come on the series.A little bit. It’s been concentrated bursts. Comic-Con was definitely a whirlwind and Upfronts and TCA, but everything else has been relatively calm because I’m just so wrapped up in actually making the episodes. That’s what I like. I like throwing myself into the work. Other than that, I keep my life very simple so it hasn’t been too much of a whirlwind but we’ll see what happens when it’s starts to air.I’m definitely learning the responsibilities of being in nearly every scene and having to work that much, that hard. That is a little more taxing than I thought it was going to be. I can be very lazy [Laughs] so I’d always rather be watching movies on my couch but I’m having to grapple with the fact that I have to get up at four in the morning some days. But other than that, I’m having the time of my life. I’m having so much fun. The stunts are so cool. I watch the playback on the monitors every once in awhile and my jaw drops. I can’t wait for people to see this.Yes. Every script I keep getting, they are busting it out and they’re not holding back at all. Every new script is bigger than the last and has so many layers and textures to it, I almost forget that I’m going to be playing Supergirl. I get caught up in reading it. It’s really thrilling what they’re bringing to the table, the writers.You know what, I think I have! That’s a funny thing to think about. I’m in the air. You know what else I’m getting used to? I have different facial expressions and stances with each power. I know what heat vision looks like and I know what X-ray looks like with my eyes and I know what freeze breath looks like. It’s an anatomy of Supergirl that I’m learning.She is. I think that’s the most tragic part about her. It’s such a sad part of her story that really informs why it’s so important to her to be a hero and to be looked at, from the world’s perspective, the way her cousin is. It’s also a beautiful part of her story and will be a big part of ways she deals with other aliens or villains.Yeah and they’re really good about it. I know Jeremy Jordan wanted to read up on Winslow Schott and he was given many, many books. Also what’s really cool is when you’re around Geoff Johns and Andrew Kreisberg, you just ask them a question and they know the answer.Yes and that’s why part of me has tried to stay away. Obviously, I want to know the world she’s in but there are so many iterations. I really want this to be the 2015 version of her and to be my take on that and to bring a lot of myself. That being said, the comics are obviously important.

Continue to Page 2 as Benoist discusses Superman’s influence on Supergirl, the show blending different elements, including action, sci-fi and romance and more.