DC Universe's Stargirl just added another cast member to its list: Luke Wilson will join the series as Pat Dugan. In the comic books, Pat Dugan was once a superhero sidekick to the Star-Spangled Kid.
More importantly, though, Dugan becomes stepfather to Courtney Whitmore, who eventually becomes Stargirl after she finds the original Star-Spangled Kid's gear in Dugan's belongings. She first puts on the suit because she resents Dugan for marrying her mother and moving her family from L.A. to the Midwest. Dugan, a skilled mechanic, eventually creates a massive robotic suit called S.T.R.I.P.E. that he uses to help and protect Stargirl. It seems that the DC Universe TV show will stick pretty close to this origin story from the pages of its comic books.
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Deadline reports that Wilson will join the cast of Stargirl as Dugan, with the TV show having Brec Bassinger in the lead role as Stargirl. Showrunner Geoff Johns, who created the Stargirl comic, admitted to initially creating the character of Dugan with Wilson in mind:
When I first moved to Los Angeles in 1996 and saw Bottle Rocket, I became a huge fan and admirer of Luke’s. And I literally wrote this part for Luke, hoping that someday and somehow he’d play Pat Dugan. I only envisioned him. And now I feel like I won the lottery! Luke’s talent, humor, compassion — his presence and professionalism — and his creative collaboration, his ideas — we’re so lucky to have him alongside Brec in Stargirl.
Wilson joins a cast that also includes Lou Ferrigno Jr. as Hourman, Brian Stapf as Wildcat, Henry Thomas as Dr. Mid-Nite, Joel McHale as Starman and Anjelika Washington in an as-of-yet unknown role. Stargirl is one of several original live-action series set to premiere on DC Universe; the streaming service's other original shows include Doom Patrol and Swamp Thing. DC Universe just recently wrapped up the first season of Titans and committed to a second season of that series before the first episode ever aired. DC also plans on rounding out its original programming with several new animated series, including Young Justice: Outsiders and Harley Quinn.
DC Universe, which launched in September 2018, offers more than just original TV shows, though, it also has a library of classic DC TV shows and movies, and will even be adding Syfy's first season of Krypton sometime this year, expanding its streaming library. The service also has a back catalog of comic books for fans to peruse, as well as exclusive merchandise offers for its subscribers. DC Universe's current plan for programming is to offer original content throughout the year, giving DC fans a reason to keep subscribing.
With the addition of Wilson to an already star-studded cast list, Stargirl could quickly become DC Universe's must-see TV. The series premiere of Stargirl will undoubtedly bring in some new subscribers when it lands on the service in August 2019.
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Source: Deadline