‘Supergirl’ EP: Martian Manhunter Almost ‘Too Powerful’

J’onn J’onzz (David Harewood), a.k.a. the Martian Manhunter, is an incredibly power being in the DC Comics universe; however, his nearly limitless power doesn’t exactly translate well to a weekly series, at least according to Supergirl executive producer Andrew Kreisberg.

At a recent press event, Kreisberg spoke about downplaying some of J’onzz’s abilities on the show.

“The Martian Manhunter, he’s so powerful that it’s almost too powerful for like a weekly series, like with all the things he could do.”

So far, we’ve seen moments where the Manhunter has been incapable of accessing his full powers for one reason or another. Just recently, when Kara and company went to Slaver’s Moon, J’onzz wasn’t able to join the expedition because of the planet’s atmosphere. However, all of this is by design.

“If we really deployed him at his full comic book power arsenal, no one would be able to pull anything off of anybody,” Kreisberg said.

True, with a being who can read minds, it would be incredibly difficult for villains to get away with much of anything. And, despite this powerful ability, J’onzz has sometimes kept some of the things he’s learned to himself. For instance, when Alex came out and introduced her new girlfriend, Maggie, to the group, J’onzz (or Hank Henshaw – his human form) revealed he knew about this for some time but elected not to say anything.

As for giving Martian Manhunter his full suite of comic book powers, Kreisberg reiterated that he’s simply just too powerful.

“I mean, he’s super strong, he can fly, he can phase through matter and he can read minds. I mean good luck trying to pull one over on him.”

Regardless of the fact that J’onzz’s powers have been downplayed on the show, it’s still great that the Supergirl showrunners brought him on board, as his relationship with Alex and Kara Danvers has been a highlight of the series.

How do you feel about Martian Manhunter’s powers been downplayed? Do you think they should give him access to all of his abilities, or do you think it’s the right move to restrict some of them?

Supergirl airs on Mondays at 8/7c on The CW.

Source: Comicbook.com