Stargirl Adds An Arrow Veteran To Play Season 2 Villain

stargirl season 1 courtney whitmore the cw
(Image credit: The CW)

Stargirl's Courtney Whitmore won't be back on the small screen until next year, but The CW has some super news on the superhero front already. The newest addition to the network's superhero lineup so far has cast an Arrow veteran for Season 2, and he means bad news for the good guys. Nick Tarabay, known for playing Digger Harkness -- a.k.a. Captain Boomerang -- on Arrow, is coming to Stargirl.

Nick Tarabay won't be reprising his role as Captain Boomerang, however. Deadline reports that Tarabay will tackle the role of Eclipso, who was heavily teased as the new Stargirl big bad at the end of Season 1. Tarabay joins Stargirl in a series regular role, so viewers should plan on seeing a lot of Eclipso.

A series regular role for Nick Tarabay as Eclipso can't mean anything good for Courtney and Co. in Blue Valley, but Arrowverse fans may be glad to see a familiar face, even if Tarabay won't be Captain Boomerang again. The Arrow villain appeared in the third and fifth seasons of the series that started the whole Arrowverse, but died in the Season 5 finale. Eclipso seems to be a whole different brand of bad.

In Stargirl Season 2, Eclipso is a life essence trapped within a blue diamond, as seen at the end of the first season. He is ancient, corrupt, sadistic, and vengeful with a knack for exploiting the weaknesses of others. Unsurprisingly, he's going to cause trouble for the Justice Society of America.

Eclipso's upcoming arrival was all but confirmed in the Season 1 finale, when Cindy escaped her captivity and went to the ISA archives to snag the gem that will result in Eclipso getting free, and presumably wreaking havoc. Will he be bad enough that even Cindy will regret that he's loose?

Stargirl creator Geoff Johns revealed at the New York Comic Con Panel that Eclipso is "so terrifying," and a "very different villain or antagonist" from the Injustice Society of America. Considering that Courtney and her friends had a hard enough time defeating the ISA in Blue Valley by the end of Season 1, they may not be prepared for what Eclipso brings to the table.

Unfortunately for the heroes, Nick Tarabay's Eclipso isn't even the only new villain coming to town in Season 2. Stargirl has cast The Shade as well, with The Affair's Jonathan Cake recurring as the English immortal with elegance to his manners, but who possesses magic shadow powers. Described as an "antihero," The Shade may be less of a formidable foe than Eclipso, but definitely not one to be underestimated.

Season 2 of Stargirl is expected to premiere on The CW in 2021. The show originally released new episodes on DC Universe a day before broadcasting on The CW, but the renewal for a second season came with the official move to network TV. It was followed by the rest of DC Universe's originals in switching platforms from the DC streaming service, although the others aren't coming to The CW.

Unlike most of the Arrowverse series, Stargirl did manage to finish its 2019-2020 TV season as intended. Even if it doesn't return until later in 2021 than the likes of The Flash, Supergirl, and the rest of the Arrowverse, these new castings confirm that progress is happening. For some viewing options during the wait for more Stargirl, be sure to check out our 2020 fall TV premiere schedule!

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).