Who is Dreamer?

Real Name: Nia Nal
Appears on: Supergirl
Played by: Nicole Maines

Nia Nal is the sweetest badass in National City, who serves as both a reporter for CatCo Worldwide Media and the superhero known as Dreamer. Born to a human father and Naltorian mother, Nia was raised with her older sister in Parthas, a community where aliens and humans peacefully coexist. She received unconditional love and support from her family, who embraced her identity as a transgender woman, and went on to inherit her mother’s precognitive abilities. Now, Nia honor her mother’s legacy as this generation’s Dreamer and fights alongside Supergirl to transform the world into a place of tolerance and acceptance.

Essential Episodes

Season 4, Episode 1: “American Alien”
Season 4, Episode 11: “Blood Memory” (above)
Season 4, Episode 19: “American Dreamer”

Powers and Abilities

• Astral Projection
• Dreamwalking
• Energy Manipulation
• Oneiromancy

Inside the Character with Nicole Maines

What excites you about playing Dreamer?

Aside from just getting to be a superhero? I’m excited by all of her potential. She has these amazing powers, the true extent of which I don’t believe we’ve seen yet, and there are so many places that her story could go. And on top of that, she’s a hero who has the ability to touch on very important real-world issues in a way that’s sometimes lighthearted and fun and other times more dark and dramatic. In short, she has the range!  

What’s your favorite moment your character has had in the Arrowverse so far? 

My favorite moment so far has been during our 100th episode when Dreamer put up her dream-shield for the first time. It was a huge step forward in the powers department for her, and when we were filming that scene, we had the wind blowing and debris was flying everywhere and I just felt like a complete badass. A+ superhero moment.  

Do you find you identify with Nia in some ways? 

Absolutely! I think that Nia’s story has mirrored my own in that Supergirl is my first recurring role on a television show, so while I was learning the ropes of television acting, Nia was learning the ropes of super-heroics. And sometimes I would get down on myself the same way Nia would when she didn’t understand her powers. I really related to the pressure she put herself under to get everything right the first time.  

Can you tell us about some of the positive feedback you’ve received in portraying a queer superhero onscreen? 

Just that there are a lot of tears and a lot of hugs. Trans folks didn’t think that we would get to see ourselves as a superhero when we were growing up, so to have Dreamer is so meaningful to us, and everyone I’ve spoken to feels the same way I do. We’re just so proud of her and so happy to have her.

Art by Rachael Stott and Enrica Eren Angiolini

What are you looking forward to in introducing Dreamer to the comics? 

Getting to show her as a fully realized superhero. In the show, her journey has been one of the apprentice/superhero-in-training. In the comic, though, Dreamer has come into her power and we are seeing her at maximum capacity being the most Dreamer she’s ever been. I’m excited about introducing her to folks who aren’t familiar with her, too. People who have never seen Supergirl are going to be meeting Dreamer for the first time, so we’re pulling out all the stops to make a big splash, including a few new things to surprise longtime Dreamer fans while we’re at it! ;)
 

“Date Night,” an eight-page story introducing Dreamer to the DC Universe and written by Nicole Maines, can be found in this month’s DC Pride, now available in shops and as a digital comic book.

Supergirl returns for the remainder of its final season on Tuesday, August 24^th on The CW.

Look for more DCTV Pride Profiles in DC Pride and all throughout the month on DCComics.com.