Supergirl star Mehcad Brooks has admitted that he's not an obvious "physical choice" for the part of Jimmy Olsen.
But the actor told press including Digital Spy that his casting is an opportunity to "recreate" Superman's pal.
"You want to do the comics justice, but it's a unique opportunity I have to - with respect - recreate this character," he explained.
"I'm not the first physical choice that you would choose for Jimmy Olsen, but it just goes to show you that this country's moving in the right direction.
"You can't blame people - 75 years ago - writing what they knew, which was a very monochromatic existence. It is what it is. But we're correcting some of those inequities."
Brooks added that his version of the character - who goes by 'James' - will be a more confident figure than DC Comics fans might expect.
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"He's come into his own," the actor said. "He's won a Pulitzer Prize for photographing Superman, he's a photo journalist, he's becoming an art director and he's got a little more confidence. I mean, if your best friend is Superman, you're going to have some sort of confidence!"
Supergirl - which premieres October 26 on CBS - will star Melissa Benoist as the title character, who is still coming to terms with her powers and her place in the world.
"She is a person coming into her own, accepting her own greatness," he said. "That's a great message for young women, because let's be honest, this country has really disenfranchised women for a very long time - so to install that sort of confidence is a great message."
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Watch a teaser for Supergirl below:
