Why Supergirl Has Bangs In Season 5, According To Melissa Benoist

melissa benoist supergirl season 4 the cw
(Image credit: The CW)

Supergirl has had a wild ride over the years, starting out on CBS, seeming doomed for cancellation, then moving to The CW to join the Arrow-verse and flourish there, albeit on Earth-38. Season 5 is still several months away, but star Melissa Benoist released an image revealing a new look for Supergirl: Kara will have a super suit with pants rather than a skirt. Oh, and a set of banging bangs.

Normally, a haircut for a superhero wouldn't be a big deal. While the Arrow-verse characters change their looks all the time, Kara is a different case. Not only has she kept the same superhero look from the very beginning, but she's a Kryptonian who can't really be cut or injured unless Kryptonite is in play. So, the burning question of many fans' minds since the first look at Season 5 Supergirl released has been how Kara got her bangs.

Fortunately, Melissa Benoist chatted with CinemaBlend and other press outlets at San Diego Comic-Con about all things Supergirl, and she said this when asked if the show would ever deliver an explanation for the bangs:

Sadly we don't, but I do know how it happens. This is how Clark Kent also shaves. She laser beams into a mirror which reflects back and cuts it. And that's how he shaves his stubble, apparently. That's what I've been told.

Supergirl can add cutting her own hair to the list of crazy abilities she possesses, and not just because she's a rare person with with laser vision. How many of us could cut our own hair even with proper shears and hair-styling tools, and not have our bangs end up crooked and awful?

Kara looks awfully sleek and fashionable for somebody who gave herself bangs with laser vision and a mirror. If this whole superhero and/or reporter thing doesn't work out for Kara, she could have a future as a hair stylist! Maybe Clark Kent gave her some pointers before he took off for Argo. Not to demean Kara's hair-cutting skills, but Clark shaving means lasering his face a lot closer. (Cue Henry Cavill Justice League mustache joke.) Well, he has been using his superpowers publicly for longer!

He won't be able to be impressed by Kara's bangs until he returns from Argo, perhaps with Lois and a baby in tow. His absence did allow Supergirl to emerge as Lex Luthor's new nemesis in Season 4, as the conflict undoubtedly would have been between Lex and Superman if Superman had been available.

Clark will have to return to Earth in the 2019-2020 TV season, unless more than one alternate version of him turns up in the "Crisis On Infinite Earths" crossover. Tyler Hoechlin will be back as Superman for "Crisis," which will mark the second consecutive crossover to feature him. He also won't be the only Superman in the crossover.

Yes, Brandon Routh Will Play Superman Again For Arrow-verse's "Crisis" Crossover

Season 5 will be packed with more changes than just Kara's hair and swapping her super-skirt for super-pants. Mehcad Brooks is departing the series partway through Season 5, marking the first time Supergirl doesn't have James Olsen on board as a regular. His sister could still be around, and a long-lost character will return. His reappearance could soften the blow of James' departure, although it will be a shame if the two don't get to reunite beforee Brooks bows out.

Find out when Supergirl returns to The CW for Season 5 in the fall. It will be one of a whopping five shows in the Arrow-verse, although Arrow is ending after a shortened Season 8 and Legends of Tomorrow doesn't premiere until midseason, with the "Crisis" crossover. Be sure to return to The CW for the most superhero action available on the small screen, although Disney+ could be a Marvel rival. Only time will tell.

Laura Hurley
Senior Content Producer

Laura turned a lifelong love of television into a valid reason to write and think about TV on a daily basis. She's not a doctor, lawyer, or detective, but watches a lot of them in primetime. CinemaBlend's resident expert and interviewer for One Chicago, the galaxy far, far away, and a variety of other primetime television. Will not time travel and can cite multiple TV shows to explain why. She does, however, want to believe that she can sneak references to The X-Files into daily conversation (and author bios).