DC Studios is banking on its first female Green Lantern with a spinoff series centered on Superman. The third season of My Adventures with Superman brings back key characters, including Kara Zor-El, Clark Kent, Lois Lane, and Jimmy Olsen, while also introducing new characters like Superboy and Jessica Cruz as the new season explores the "Reign of the Supermen" storyline. This expansion fits the series' tense tone and expands on its cosmic elements, introducing a Green Lantern from the future into the thrilling storyline.
Entertainment Weekly (EW) published the first still of Jessica Cruz in Season 3, Episode 2 of the DC animated series "My Adventures with Superman," showing her appearance as a normal human without superpowers before becoming Green Lantern. The publication also reported that "Moana" star Auli'i Cravalho will voice the DC character in the series.
Jessica Cruz's appearance in the third season of My Adventures with Superman is a deliberate set-up for her starring role in the upcoming spin-off series My Adventures with Green Lantern, which will be produced by DC Studios in association with Warner Bros. Animation.
In the second episode of the "My Adventures with Superman" crossover, Jessica Cruz gets a glimpse of the future DC heroine at an early age: a shy, anxious high school freshman who idolizes Supergirl in this universe.
In the same Entertainment Weekly report, My Adventures with Superman showrunner Jake Wyatt explained why Jessica Cruz was added to the third season, noting that she is in the show to «"to show us Supergirl through the eyes of an ordinary girl"» and how she sees Kara as a powerful heroine who changes the world:
«"We'd already planned the second episode to show how Supergirl [Kiana Madeira], in particular, changes their world. We wanted to explore how different people react differently to the same Kryptonian. So when the executives greenlit Green Lantern, we wanted our Jessica Cruz, before she became a Lantern, to show us Supergirl through the eyes of an ordinary girl. How would a shy, relatively powerless teenager see this powerful, world-changing young superwoman? And what would it be like for Supergirl to see herself through Jess's eyes?"«
According to Wyatt, Cravalho's choice for the role of Jessica Cruz was obvious because, as he admitted, , "There was a complex emotional quality to her performance that made her the perfect choice for the role."« .
«"During the casting process, we were presented with so many fantastic options for Jessica. But when I heard Auli'i's voice, I realized there was a certain emotional complexity to her performance—a natural, almost unconscious charm she brought to the role of Jess—and I knew she was the one. But I didn't even look at the name, I just ran out of the room saying, 'Did you hear that take?' Then Stephanie [Gonzaga] and Karen [Gracie] told me it was Auli'i, that she was already a princess, that she had worked brilliantly with Karen on a previous project, and that was it.".
In DC Comics, Jessica Cruz debuted in Green Lantern ##20 in 2013 and was fully introduced in Justice League ##30-31 in 2014. Created by Geoff Johns and Ethan Van Sciver, she quickly became one of Earth's premier Green Lanterns, and her story explores how she transformed crippling fear and trauma into hope, resilience, and unwavering willpower.
In the DC animated universe, Jessica Cruz made a strong appearance in the 2019 film Justice League vs. the Fatal Five, voiced by Doom Patrol star Diane Guerrero. A spiritual successor to Justice League: Unlimited, the film saw Jessica Cruz pursued by the Fatal Five, who see her as a key element in their plans. Cruz teams up with the Justice League to protect them from the villains who gave the film its title.
In the film, Cruise emerges as a confident Green Lantern, defeating the Fatal Five through her unyielding will and overcoming her initial trauma.
Jessica also appeared in both versions of DC Super Hero Girls as a prominent DC heroine, showing how the shy camerawoman evolved into Earth's premier Green Lantern and became a symbol of hope and growing up for young girls who look up to her.
In the same post, EW also shared the official plot description for My Adventures with Green Lantern, confirming that it will focus on Jessica Cruz overcoming her fears and will be combined with «"a typical teenage drama":
In "My Adventures with Green Lantern," you'll discover what happens when a Power Ring falls from the sky and chooses shy and kind-hearted high school student Jessica Cruz as its new champion. Things get even more complicated when the debris from the Lanterns' ancient cosmic war arrives—along with their alien enemies. To protect Earth, Jess will have to overcome her fears, anxieties, and typical teenage dramas to lead the new Lantern Corps against this terrifying enemy.
Cruise will debut in the third season of My Adventures with Superman on Adult Swim on Saturday, June 20 at midnight PT.
Why Jessica Cruz's Season 3 Debut on My Adventures with Superman Is Perfect.
James Gunn's plans for DC Comics include a "My Adventures with Green Lantern" film starring Jessica Cruz, which could set the stage for the character's potential debut in the DC Universe alongside fellow Green Lantern heroes like Hal Jordan and John Stewart.
Jessica Cruz's debut in My Adventures with Superman season 3 is considered perfect because it expands the universe without overshadowing the other characters and the Reign of the Supermen storyline.
While Jessica is presented with a new image as a shy, chronically anxious high school freshman, some note that this deviates from the character's darker comic book origin story, completely abandoning Jessica Cruz's "adult" roots. Cruz's origin story, in short, centered on survivor's guilt after her friends were gunned down by gangsters.
This shift offers a fresh perspective on storytelling and shouldn't be a cause for concern, as it fits into the My Adventures universe, where youthful heroics blend with large-scale action scenes and gripping storytelling. Jessica's debut also effectively connects Superman's world with the cosmic realms of Green Lantern, setting the stage for future crossovers.