It’s been a standout year for badass women in film. From Wonder Woman‘s Amazons to Tessa Thompson’s scene-stealing turn as Valkyrie in Thor: Ragnarok, it’s clear that women are finally getting their recognition in the big screen world of superheroes. Fans of Supergirl and The Flash might’ve seen  this one coming as both shows have some seriously strong female characters, one of whom—Katie McGrath’s Lena Luthor—sat down to chat with us when we visited Supergirl’s Vancouver set.

McGrath’s character is a vital part of Supergirl’s core cast of female characters. Trying to live beyond the legacy of her evil family, Lena is an intelligent, capable, and complex figure. During our set visit, McGrath opened up about how she sees the landscape of film changing and how powerful women on TV have influenced that. “I feel like there’s a lot of very strong female characters on TV at the moment,” McGrath said. “Especially in the DC world, we’ve got great women. I think that helps people open up to the idea that a woman can be more than the sidekick or the love interest. People are willing and excited to see female-led superhero [movies] and dramas. I think TV has helped that. I think we’re in a new age where TV is leading movies and not the other way around. I think that’s good for all of us.”

When it comes to whether Katie’s Luthor has any idea about her BFF’s super secret Katie has a definite answer “No. Flat out no. I get asked this a lot and my answer is still the same. There are a couple of things, one if you can believe a show about aliens and a girl can fly, then you can accept that I don’t know they’re the same person. And if everybody knows her secret, she has to be Supergirl all the time. The great thing about the show is she’s both, and she can be vulnerable and human with me, she doesn’t always have to be the hero, for the story that’s the most compelling thing to watch, to see someone be vulnerable.” McGrath explained.

As for when we would see Lena spending some time with the other strong women of Supergirl, well fans won’t have to wait too long as an upcoming episode sees the girls get together for some serious leisure time. “It was really great actually because it was very rare. We all know each other outside of the show, but it’s very rare that we get to interact, especially me after last season when I was very separate. That was the one thing that I wanted this season, was to interact with the different members of cast, and that was really the first time, without discussing, like, the world ending. What’s nice is you’re getting to see bits of normality. And you get to see a bit of me, Sam, and Kara in the episode.” McGrath recalled fondly.

Supergirl has definitely brought the goods when it comes to rad women on screen, but who are some of your favorite examples of badass chicks? Excited to see where season three sends our heroines? Let us know in the comments!

Images: CW, DC

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