Hollywood continues to highlight the next generation of entertainers making waves across all platforms. For example, there’s Tom Holland’s “Spider Man” smashing box office numbers as the sixth-highest grossing movie in America.
Of course, The CW was always ahead of the times in terms of promoting young, upcoming talent. In the world of CW superhero dramas, “Naomi” is a prime example of that very talent.
The CW’s newest superhero graced television this past Tuesday in what can always be described as a fun, questioning series premiere. The questioning part being a good factor to it. Naomi’s debut is going to cause fans to ask more questions like “wait that’s it?,” making fans return wanting more next Tuesday, when new episodes air.
“Naomi” is a worthwhile show to check out.
What makes The CW’s “Naomi” extra special is that the story revolves around a superhero who is not an already established hero in real life. Previous DC based television, including fellow CW shows “The Flash”, the recently finished “Supergirl” and the time traveling “Legends of Tomorrow,” have included heroes in their rosters who have years of comic book name recognition ahead of hero, Naomi.
But who is Naomi in the comics? In the DC Universe, Naomi is born Naomi McDuffie, a teenage superhero who originates from an alternate earth and her powers are energy based. In the comics, Naomi discovers that she was sent to Prime-Earth in order to protect it from Zumbado, who caused destruction on her earth.
Her superhero resumé is not that long, considering she only debuted in 2019 and has recently joined the World’s Finest Heroes, the Justice League. The CW’s version of Naomi follows the titular teenager as her hometown, Port Oswego, Oregon, deals with the aftermath of a “supernatural event” and she sets out to uncover the truth behind it.
Kaci Walfall, who plays the titular Naomi, shines bright in her role as the superheroine. Her portrayal of the character provides a sense of reliability for young viewers as the premiere shows her dealing with typical high school drama. She is a coming of age woman trying to figure out who she is as a person. Walfall told Teen Vogue that her drawness to Naomi goes deeper than that.
“We’re both teenagers. We’re both Black girls. But I think going even deeper than that, we both have a sense of drive and passion within ourselves,” Walfall said. “When someone tells us, ‘No, you can’t do this,’ that doesn’t mean we’re going to stop … I may not do as Kaci what Naomi does, but I can understand it.”
The underlying theme surrounding the pilot episode is identity. Naomi is a major Superman-stan, so much so she is revealed to run her own Superman blog. What draws her to America’s favorite Kryptonian is the fact that he is adopted, just like her. The episode revealed that Naomi’s parents, Military Officer Greg, portrayed by Barry Watson, and Linguistics teacher, Jennifer, portrayed by Mouzam Makkar, are her adopted parents who have raised her since before she learned to walk.
Fans who continue to advocate for diversity in their media choices will enjoy having both Naomi and Javicia Leslie’s Batwoman, currently in her second year at the CW, even though Batwoman is in its third season. To see two black leading superheroes on television is a refreshing sight.
One could only hope that the leading ladies are in creative positions besides being on camera at their respective shows. They both should be allowed to have a say in how their characters will flourish at The CW.
With Oscar nominee and Emmy winner Ava Duverney, who blessed the public with 2018’s “A Wrinkle in Time,” and made a societal impact with 2019’s “When They See Us,” one of the puppeteers behind the show and who also wrote the pilot episode, it’s safe to bet money that “Naomi’s” freshman year on television will be filled with excitement, suspense and all around fun for the DC Comics fandom community.
