During the Warner Bros. Television Hall H presentation at San Diego Comic Com yesterday (21st July) it was announced that 'Supergirl' would be making television history with the casting of transgender activist and actress Nicole Maines in the role of Nia Nal, the superhero Dreamer.
A member of the Legion of Super-Heroes in the comics, Dreamer is an alien from the planet Naltor, with the ability to see the future through her dreams. It's unknown if Maines will be playing an alien or not, but her character has been described as 'a soulful young transgender woman with a fierce drive to protect others'.
Whilst her characters name does differ slightly from the comic book version, and it would appear that she is not from the future like the other members of the Legion that have already been introduced, it has been confirmed that she will become the Dreamer that readers know and love, and that she will work at CatCo. whilst discovering her destiny as a hero; closely mirroring Kara's journey in season one.
Nicole Maines made headlines in 2013 when a Maine Supreme Court ruled that her rights had been violated under the Human Rights Act when she was denied use of the correct bathroom facilities. This became a landmark victory, one that set a precedent to allow trans people the right to use the bathroom of their choice.
She was also featured in the HBO documentary 'The Trans List', and was the subject of the book 'Becoming Nicole', written by Amy Ellis Nutt.
Speaking to Variety magazine following the announcement, Maines said, 'I haven’t really wrapped my head around it. It feels fitting to say with great power, comes great responsibility. I’m nervous because I want to do it right.'
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Good for her :)
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