'Supergirl' season 5: Mehcad Brooks' James Olsen may not be CatCo's editor-in-chief anymore, but he's still the Guardian

While we may not really see him in the newsroom again, he'll most certainly be crime-fighting with Team Supergirl.

PUBLISHED OCT 8, 2019

This article contains spoilers for 'Supergirl' Episode 1: 'Event Horizon'

Mehcad Brooks' character James Olsen was slated to leave the show midway and episode 1 hinted that the actor would be leaving when he resigned as editor-in-chief of CatCo. Essentially, this means the end of the Guardian as a vigilante. The character has been part of the series since inception and it was announced ahead of season 6 that Brooks would be leaving the show.

'Event Horizon' sees Lena Luthor (Katie McGrath) sell CatCo to Andrea Rojas (Julie Gonzalo) and the latter has major plans to revamp the media house. The changes don't sit well with Kara Danvers (Melissa Benoist) and Jimmy who decides to resign as a journalist. Andrea also dishes out new, three-year contracts containing a strict non-compete policy. Quitting meant saying goodbye to journalism, and a troubled Jimmy talks to his sister Kelley (Azie Tesfai). Her advice is to do what he really wants to and this sees James quit. He tells Andrea he's fine with the decision.

While the decision to quit is seamlessly integrated, it remains to be seen how the character of the Guardian is closed out. While we may not really see him in the newsroom again, he'll most certainly be part of the crime-fighting with Team Supergirl. With more supervillains coming in, his services as the Guardian may be just the thing the team needs until the showrunners figure out a way to give him a fitting farewell.

The move also sets up a perfect opportunity for the character to appear as and when the plot requires him to. "We love Mehcad and we're sad to see him leave the show as a series regular, but we're excited for both Mehcad and James Olsen's future," showrunners Robert Rovner and Jessica Queller said in a statement when Brooks' departure was first announced. "He'll always be a part of our Supergirl family, and we look forward to James returning to National City at some point to visit his sister and his super friends." Meaning, it would be very unlikely that Jimmy would be killed off and fans can heave a sigh of relief.

'Supergirl' airs Sundays at 9 pm ET on The CW.