My Adventures with Superman has been embraced by DC fans in a big way, and the animated franchise will expand with the upcoming spin-off, My Adventures with Green Lantern.
Season 3 of the Man of Steel's series is now confirmed to introduce Jessica Cruz, but this take on the hero isn't quite what we expected.
Despite being an adult on the page, this version is a teenager. Voiced by Moana star Auli'i Cravalho, Jessica is set to appear in the show's second episode, and her spin-off, while in pre-production, is still awaiting an official series pickup.
The show happening seems likely, seeing as My Adventures with Green Lantern has been officially announced, and the first plot details have been revealed by Entertainment Weekly (via Toonado.com).
According to the site, My Adventures with Green Lantern will explore what happens when a Power Ring falls from the sky and chooses the "shy and kind-hearted high school student Jessica Cruz" to be its new champion.
An official logline adds, "Things get even worse when more debris from the Lanterns’ ancient space war arrives — along with their alien foes. To protect the Earth, Jess will have to overcome her fears, anxieties, and your typical teenage drama to lead a new Lantern Corps. against a terrifying foe."
A first look at Jessica has also been revealed, though it's clear she's not a superhero at this stage. She does, however, appear to be a big fan of Supergirl.
"We’d already planned for the second episode to showcase how Supergirl [Kiana Madeira], in particular, was changing their world. We wanted to look at how different people had very different reactions to the same Kryptonian," Jake Wyatt, showrunner of both series, told the site.
"So when word came down from the brass that Green Lantern was greenlit, we wanted our pre-Lantern Jessica Cruz to give us the girl-on-the-street view of Supergirl," he continued. "How would a shy, relatively powerless teenager see this powerful, young super-woman out there changing the world? And what would it be like for Supergirl to see herself through Jess’s eyes?"
When it came to choosing Cravalho as Jessica, Wyatt added, "Casting brought us a lot of fantastic reads for Jessica. But when I heard Auli'i, there was this complexity of emotion to her read — a natural, almost oblivious charm that she brought to Jess — and I knew she was the one."
Casting the voice of someone who has led a billion-dollar Disney franchise as this young member of the Green Lantern Corps suggests the series is one that DC Studios and Adult Swim are taking seriously. Hopefully, we'll get to see Jessica in action soon.
As noted, Jessica will make her debut in My Adventures with Superman's second episode, "Mobile Suit Toyman," on June 20 during Adult Swim's Toonami.