The CW's Naomi is filled with mysteries surrounding the new hero's origin, and actor Kaci Walfall appreciated not knowing every detail.
At a Naomi press event attended by CBR, Walfall discussed reading the comics and how there weren't conversations about superpowers during her audition and her acting process. "I think that as an actor, it is nice, 'cause I can tell the most truthful story when I don't know what's coming next," Walfall said. "You know, depending on the circumstance, I think that, you know, as the audience is also finding out, Naomi's finding out, I think that's so beautiful in the story."
In Naomi's pilot episode, "Don't Believe Everything You Think," audiences were introduced to Naomi McDuffie, a skateboarding teen and devoted Superman fan. After an event involving Superman and a blue alien, strange things begin happening in her small town of Port Oswego and Naomi suffers from fainting spells. These events lead Naomi to go on the hunt to discover what's really going on within both her town and herself as she begins to question everything she once thought was true.
Walfall also shared that she appreciated that parts of the story were kept from her. "So, to tell the most truthful and authentic story that I can, you know, with what [co-creator Jill Blankenship] will share with me and I'm really grateful for that, but they also do keep things from me," the actor said. "And I think that that is, that is really helpful. Cause um, I can just have the most truthful and authentic performance."
One of the mysteries presented in Naomi's first episode was the identity of the Superman spotted in the sky. It was confirmed by Walfall that it wasn't Superman & Lois' Tyler Hoechlin, who wasn't on set that day. Naomi takes place in an alternate universe where Superman is meant to only be a comic book character, so when he seemingly appeared in Port Oswego, OR, it caused confusion and speculation to spread through the town.
Series developer, co-writer and co-executive producer Ava DuVernay previously stated that she wants Naomi to be less about representation and more about normalization. The CW show will tackle things relating to race, gender and class, but it will play it as part of everyday life, as Naomi's journey is cosmic in nature while also being grounded in real-world circumstances.
The approach and message of the show have been very important to DuVernay. Her directorial work often delves into civil rights issues like her Emmy nominated limited series When They See Us and the Oscar-nominated film, Selma. When DuVernay was asked why she chose to help develop Naomi into a series, she answered, "Because I want there to be a show about a Black girl learning that she's actually a superhero. And then being a great one."
Naomi airs Tuesdays on The CW.
Source: The CW