The Legion of Super Heroes is coming together for this season of ‘Supergirl’. Amy Jackson has already been announced as portraying Saturn Girl and now comes word that Jesse Rath has also been cast as Brainiac 5.
Rath was most recently seen on The CW’s ‘No Tomorrow’. Prior to that, he appeared on the Canadian TV series ’19-2′ and for two seasons on the show ‘Defiance’. A comic book fan, he co-created and starred in the web series ‘Fans’. He has also appeared in the miniseries ‘Assassins Creed: Lineage’ and ‘Being Human’.
The role of Brainiac 5 is described as a recurring guest star. A descendant of Superman and Supergirl’s foe Brainiac, Brainiac 5 is half computer, half organic and possesses a 12th-level intellect. In the comics, he is responsible for inventing the Legion’s flight rings, which enable every member to fly, communicate and decipher alien languages. He also protects himself with a force field belt. On ‘Supergirl’, the Legion travels back in time from their natural home in the 31st Century to help Kara battle this season’s Big Bad, Reign, portrayed by Odette Annabel. Currently, her character, Samantha Arias is the human CEO of L-Corp, but for how long?
Though Brainiac 5 has typically been depicted as cold and calculating, due to his half computer nature, in more recent times, his relation to the original Brainiac has been emphasized, making him more sinister. Of course in the comics, at times, Brainiac 5 has been portrayed as Supergirl’s true love. As Andrew Kreisberg teased, “Someone down the road will like Kara a lot, which will be a lot of fun.”
Of course, Kara already had a Legion-related suitor, Mon-El, played by Chris Wood. It remains to be seen how he will factor into upcoming events.
James Marsters, who portrayed the villain Brainiac on ‘Smallville’ also made a brief appearance as Brainiac 5 in an episode that mainly showcased the three founding Legionnaires– Cosmic Boy, Lightning Lad and Saturn Girl. Brainiac 5 has made numerous appearances in animation, including serving as a major character on the one-season ‘Legion of Super Heroes’ series on FOX.
It remains to be seen just how many Legionnaires will appear on ‘Supergirl’. In the comics, there are dozens and dozens of members– over a hundred if you count all the various incarnations of the team. Check back to see who else will serve as part of the time-travelling unit.
Source: TV Line
