Headshot: Cliff Lipson/CBS, Animation: Warner Bros. Television/DC Universe

Joel McHale has been cast as Sylvester Pemberton aka Starman on the upcoming DC Universe series “Stargirl,” Variety has learned exclusively.

The role is being described as “Golden Age Starman” and will be a recurring one for McHale.

A courageous and confident superhero, Starman is a member of the Justice Society of America. He wields a mysterious anti-gravity weapon called the cosmic staff and has a longtime sidekick named Stripesy, who is better known as Courtney Whitmore’s stepfather, Pat Dugan.

McHale is an accomplished actor, standup comedian and author. His prior scripted television credits include “Community,” “The Great Indoors” and “The X-Files” revival, while on the unscripted side he hosted “The Soup” for a dozen seasons and earlier this year moved the pop culture commentary format over to Netflix for “The Joel McHale Show with Joel McHale.” His recent film credits include “The Happytime Murders,” “A Merry Friggin Christmas,” “Deliver Us From Evil” and “Assassination Nation.”

He is repped by UTA and Ziffren Brittenham.

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“Stargirl” centers on Courteney Whitmore (Brec Bassinger), a high school sophomore who inspires an unlikely group of young heroes to stop the villains of the past. The series comes from executive producers Greg Berlanti, Geoff Johns and Sarah Schechter, based on DC comic book characters created by Geoff Johns. Johns, who launched his comic book career when he created the character of Stargirl in 1999, inspired by his late sister, is also set to write the premiere episode. Johns will also serve as showrunner.

“Stargirl” is produced by Berlanti Prods. and Mad Ghost Prods. in association with Warner Bros. Television.