'Supergirl' Season 3 Spoilers, Cast News: Why Laura Benanti Will Not Return
"Supergirl" is losing another familiar face. Actress Laura Benanti, who played dual roles on the show, will not be coming back to reprise her role as Alura and Astra.
"Supergirl" showrunner Andrew Kreisberg confirmed Benanti's non-participation in season 3 to the press by citing that the actress has other commitments and will not be able to give such up for filming in the show's Vancouver set. "Laura, who Greg and I have worked with for years going back to 'Eli Stone,' was unable to continue in the role due to work commitments in New York," the executive producer said.
On a personal note, Benanti is also a new mom, which makes it less ideal for her to be away from home for a long time for work. In a Twitter post, Benanti said she is bent on focusing on her "little one" at home; hence, she had to give up "Supergirl."
Get Our Latest News for FREE
Benanti was an integral part of the show as the digital memory of the superhero's mom in the first season. When Supergirl/Kara was still trying to figure out what to do with her powers, she turned to Alura. Benanti also played Astra, Alura's twin sister, who was one of the villains in "Supergirl." Both characters, however, were not present in season 2 when Benanti became pregnant with husband Patrick Brown.
Replacing Benanti for the role is someone who is already familiar to fans of the "Superman" mythology on television. Erica Durance was announced as the new Alura/Astra this coming fall and she once played Lois Lane in the former Superman-inspired show "Smallville" for seven seasons.
Benanti is the third actress to drop out of "Supergirl." Calista Flockhart (Cat Grant) scaled down her participation in season 2 for family reasons as well. Floriana Lima (Maggie), who was introduced last season, declined to be a series regular in season 3.
