A new member of the cast of CBS’ upcoming “Supergirl” series has been revealed today, as Deadline reports that “Nashville” star Laura Benanti has joined the cast in the recurring role of Alura Zor-El, the Kryptonian birth mother of Melissa Benoist’s Kara Zor-El. According to the outlet, the official description for the role reads as follows:

A strong noblewoman, Alura sends Kara to Earth to escape Krypton’s destruction. Her wisdom and guidance echoes across space and time, proving invaluable on Kara’s journey toward becoming Supergirl.

It sounds like we may see Alura appearing post-mortem in the same way that Russell Crowe’s Jor-El appears after the prologue scene in Man of Steel. Then again, it’s entirely possible that the series will feature the character entirely in flashback or even have an all new trick up its sleeve.

Hailing from Warner Bros. TV and Berlanti Productions (who also produce the hit DC Comics series “Arrow” and “The Flash” for The CW), “Supergirl” is based on the characters from DC Comics and centers on Kara Zor-El, who comes to Earth after escaping the destruction of Krypton. After many years hiding her abilities, she joins the ranks of her cousin Superman to become the hero she was meant to be.

The pilot episode was written by Ali Adler (“No Ordinary Family”) and Greg Berlanti (“Arrow,” “The Flash”). They will also executive produce along with Sarah Schechter and Warner Bros. TV. The show has a series commitment at CBS.

(Photo Credit: Andres Otero / WENN.com)