Why Supergirl’s Alien Bus Driver Sounds So Familiar

This article contains minor spoilers for “Supergirl.”

The Girl of Steel has made her way to the silver screen. As the latest chapter in the new DC Universe, “Supergirl” has allowed Milly Alcock’s Kara Zor-El to take the spotlight after making a brief appearance in James Gunn’s “Superman” last summer. Unlike that Earth-set adventure, though, Kara’s solo flick is an interplanetary journey, which means we encounter quite a few non-human characters along the way. And at least one of them probably sounded pretty familiar.

Directed by Craig Gillespie (“I,Tonya”), “Supergirl” kicks into action when the ruthless Krem (Matthias Schoenaerts) strikes too close to home by shooting Kara’s beloved dog Krypto with a poison dart. She then reluctantly joins forces with a young girl named Ruthye (Eve Ridley), who is also seeking vengeance against Krem for killing her family. DC’s latest is based on the “Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow” comics — though it makes some structural changes.

Krem also steals Kara’s ship, meaning that she and Ruthye have to ride a space bus on the first leg of their journey. Upon boarding the bus, they meet an alien driver named Lloyd, who has a tiny companion and assistant to help manage the chaos aboard. That little alien probably sounded familiar to many viewers — and for good reason.

That’s because the alien is voiced by none other than Seth Rogen, the man behind the hit R-rated comedy “Superbad” as well as “Knocked Up,” “This is the End,” and many other movies and TV shows over the course of the last 20 years. Rogen has made a name for himself both in front of and behind the camera, but his voice (not to mention that unmistakable laugh) is truly unique. It’s easy enough to spot, even when it’s behind a very tiny alien in a big superhero movie.

Seth Rogen got his start as an actor in the cult favorite comedy series “Freaks and Geeks,” which was canceled after just one season. But it was enough for him to get his foot in the door, paving the way for roles in “Donnie Darko” and “Undeclared” before appearing in Judd Apatow’s hit comedy “The 40-Year-Old Virgin.” From there, things really took off, with both “Superbad” and “Knocked Up” coming out in 2007.

Some of his other notable acting credits through the years include “Observe and Report,” “Funny People,” and “Neighbors.” He also voiced Mantis in the “Kung Fu Panda” franchise, as well as Pumbaa in the recent live-action “The Lion King” movies.

It’s not a coincidence that Rogen was chosen to voice this little alien. He previously worked with Craig Gillespie on the 2023 comedy “Dumb Money,” a biopic about the GameStop stock fiasco, as well as the Hulu miniseries “Pam & Tommy,” which documented the infamous leaked tape featuring Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee. Clearly, they enjoy working with one another quite a bit.

In addition to his on-screen roles, Rogen is a very accomplished writer, producer, and director, working almost constantly with his creative partner Evan Goldberg. They co-wrote “Pineapple Express,” “The Green Hornet,” “Sausage Party,” and many other movies together. They even wrote the now-infamous “The Interview,” which nearly started a war with North Korea.

In recent years, Rogen and Goldberg have worked a lot in the TV space, bringing shows like “Preacher,” “Future Man,” and most notably “The Boys” to life. The duo is also behind the Emmy-winning comedy “The Studio” on Apple TV, which features Rogen as part of a majorly stacked cast.

“Supergirl” is in theaters now.