It’s a small Super World after all, as it was announced last week that a former Smallville star will be joining the cast of Supergirl! In major recasting news, the role of Alura will now be played by Erica Durance, who is taking over the role from Laura Benanti. DC Comics TV fans will know Durance as Lois Lane from the hit show Smallville, which ran from 2001-2011.
Benanti’s recasting is major news—not only did she portray Kara’s mother, but also her villainous aunt Astra. Though Astra was killed off to accommodate Benanti’s work schedule, she has not become the mainstay of the show that she was back in the first season.
According to executive producer Andrew Kreisberg, “Unfortunately Laura, who Greg [Berlanti] and I have worked with for years going back to Eli Stone, was unable to continue in the role due to work commitments in New York.”
He then went on to praise Durance, and says he looks forward to working with her.
“We are so blessed that Erica has come aboard to offer her own interpretation of Kara’s mother. We had tremendous success with a former Lois Lane last season with Teri Hatcher. We know Erica will continue the proud tradition of legacy actors joining our shows and creating new and exciting takes on classic DC characters.”
Smallville chronicled the teenage years of a young Clark Kent, and focused on him learning more about his alien origins, as well as uncovering the origins of Superman’s nemesis Lex Luthor. It is during these overarching plot lines that we are introduced to Durance’s Lois Lane.
Durance is not the only Smallville alum to make an appearance on the show, as Laura Vandervoort—who plays Indigo on Supergirl and Kara on Smallville—is also a member of the Supergirl cast.
Supergirl is set to returns October 9.
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