Supergirl season 7 could have happened, but it would have been a disaster without star Melissa Benoist. The Arrowverse series is a curious case because it didn’t initially begin on The CW, airing season 1 on CBS before Supergirl made the move to the smaller network ahead of season 2, joining The Flash, Arrow, and Legends of Tomorrow. From there, it went on for an additional five seasons, with the titular hero participating in the annual Arrowverse crossover events.
Following the conclusion of Supergirl season 5, it was announced season 6 would be the superhero series’ last. Season 6 included 20 episodes, with the series finale ending with Kara Danvers revealing her identity as Supergirl to the public. The series is the third longest-running Arrowverse show behind The Flash, which has been renewed for season 9, and Arrow, which wrapped after season 8. However, Supergirl alum Jesse Rath (who played Brainy) revealed at The Ultimates convention that showrunners Jessica Queller and Robert Rovner pitched a season 7 to The CW sans Benoist. The plan was to reportedly have 13 episodes in season 6 and ten episodes for season 7, which would have fulfilled Benoist’s original contract. However, The CW passed on the pitch, giving Supergirl season 6 a 20-episode order before ending the show.
Supergirl without its title character would not have worked. While the supporting cast was excellent and had strong dynamics with each other (and with Kara herself), there was no way the superhero series could have gone on without its, well, main superhero. Removing Benoist from the equation would have irrevocably changed the show and its basic premise, which followed Supergirl’s journey throughout its run. Supergirl had plenty of characters besides Kara, including sister Alex Danvers, but it wasn’t sold as an ensemble show. Most viewers likely tuned in to watch the titular superhero herself. And considering how connected everyone was to Supergirl, with most stories linking back to her, it would have been far too complicated and distasteful to continue her own show without her.
Kara has long played an active role in defeating whichever villain was terrorizing National City and the idea that she could be erased from her own show is a terrible one. Crucially, Supergirl season 7 would have had to explain why Kara wasn’t around. Season 6 spent a good portion of its first half focused on breaking Supergirl out of the Phantom Zone, but just because she was off-planet didn’t mean she was offscreen. Her story continued regardless, which wouldn’t have been the case if Supergirl was gone from the Arrowverse show entirely. Not having Benoist in Supergirl would be like not having Grant Gustin in The Flash or Tyler Hoechlin in Superman & Lois. Storylines may focus on other characters — and, to be sure, they play an important role — but the lack of the primary superhero doesn’t make any sense at all.
Not having Supergirl around in season 7 would have also undermined her value. The series may have survived without Kara for a couple of episodes, but centering an entire season without her in it would have felt more like a spinoff than anything else. Kara was the beating heart of the show, the central figure in which everything and everyone connected to. She was the superhero her friends, family, and National City citizens looked up to. Without her in Supergirl, season 7 would not have the same at all. Luckily, the pitch for a Supergirl-less Supergirl was rejected.