Melissa Benoist got her break when she was cast as a female lead in the William McKinley High School storyline on Glee when most of the Fox dramedy’s original stars saw their characters either move to New York or leave the show.

Now Benoist has landed an even higher-profile leading role that could make her a household name overnight — she has been cast in the title role of CBS’ pilot Supergirl.

Based on the characters from DC Comics, the project, from Warner Bros. TV and studio-based Berlanti Prods., centers on Kara Zor-El (Benoist). Born on the planet Krypton, Kara Zor-El escaped amid its destruction years ago. Since arriving on Earth, she’s been hiding the powers she shares with her famous cousin, Superman. But now at age 24, she decides to embrace her superhuman abilities and be the hero she was always meant to be.

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Written by Greg Berlanti and Ali Adler, the project went through an extensive casting process, with several young actresses testing for the lead. Benoist had been consistently in the mix, first alongside Claire Holt and more recently considered along with Elizabeth Lail.

Benoist, repped by UTA, Anonymous Content and Frankfurt, Kurnit, Klein & Setz, has a supporting role in the feature Whiplash, which is nominated for five Academy Awards, including Best Picture. She will next be seen in the film The Longest Ride, opposite Britt Robertson and Scott Eastwood.