8 Things To Look Forward To In 'Superman & Lois'

A new show, a new story, a whole new chapter

Its been 9 years since the last Superman show ended and we said goodbye to Smallville. Now finally almost a decade later we have got a new iteration of Superman and Lois' story. The CW's Superman & Lois promises a new direction for the Arrowverse and a new chapter for the Superman franchise, bringing us a more modernized and cinematic TV series deeply rooted in family, and focusing on real life scenarios while also delivering top notch action, superpowers, fight sequences and visuals.

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Tyler Hoechlin and Elizabeth Tulloch star as Superman and Lois, reprising their roles on Supergirl and in the Arrowverse crossovers. Also starring on the show will be Jordan Elsass and Alexander Garfin as Jonathan and Jordan Kent, Dylan Walsh as Samuel Lane, Emmanuelle Chriqui as Lana Lang, Wolé Parks as The Stranger and Erik Valdez as Kyle Cushing.

1. A new Superman for a new generation

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We have seen many incredible actors take up the mantle of the Man of Steel over the decades, on film and TV, and now the cape passes to Tyler Hoechlin. Tyler who first donned the Superman suit in 2016 as a guest star on Supergirl and in the Arrowverse crossovers is the latest Clark Kent to put on those nerdy glasses, and he's a great one at that. Fans had been hoping for years that he would get his own spinoff, and well, it finally happened.

Superman and Lois brings us Tyler Hoechlin's Superman at his best, the show will be diving deep into both sides of Clark Kent. We see him as the all powerful man of steel, but at home we get to see Clark Kent as the very human father of two teenagers. Trying to juggle everyday challenges, which also include the fallout of his sons learning his secret identity as well as battling a new villain who has just showed his face.

“With Superman, he stands for something, he is so symbolic and there’s things that you come to know that he’s unwavering in. And so you kind of feel a responsibility to carry on those things as well, but with Clark, there is more leeway with that. You can kind of find those little subtleties, those things that, you know, are a little bit more human about him. And it’s a little bit more flexible to kind of have some fun with it because in a way he’s putting on a show when he’s Clark. Hopefully Clark can be half the dad my dad was.” - Tyler Hoechlin

We are used to seeing Superman battling bad guys, aliens, criminals and more, now it's time to see how Clark is gonna deal with real-life issues.

2. A new story, a new villain

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When a family emergency brings Clark and Lois back to Smallville, they decide to raise their twin sons Jonathan (Jordan Elsass) and Jordan (Alex Garfin) there in the town Clark grew up in, only to find they are surrounded by new enemies. Then, as the boys begin to discover their powers, their quiet country life gets even more complicated.

"From the first conversations Greg Berlanti and I had, it was really, you know, 'How do we make Superman, in general, different?' And we talked a lot about shows like Everwood and Friday Night Lights, It's a family drama that has Superman in it." - Todd Hellbeing, Showrunner

We see Clark juggling with the dangers of a new villain, The Stranger (Wolé Parks) and Morgan Edge (Adam Rayner), as well as fatherhood. Who is this mysterious villain you might ask? Well apparently he is a Superman character we’ve seen in live-action before.

“We’ve seen this character a lot before, but the difference between this one and the other ones is his backstory. … I’m a comic nerd, but as far as I’m aware, we’ve never covered this kind of stuff on TV before. He’s not just a bad guy for bad guy’s sake. There’s a reason why he’s doing these things. Every bad guy is the hero of his own story.” - Wolé Parks

3. The lovestory of Lois and Clark

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From partners, to best friends, to much more. Lois and Clark's is one of the most complicated relationships there is. The series will take us all the way back to the beginning of Lois and Clark's relationship, we will get to see how it all started and how these two got to where they are now. We have seen so many depictions of their relationship on film and tv, but none like this, we've never seen them as parents, together.

The show has significant Smallvile and Man of Steel vibes but this is something completely different with its own unique style. Having relocated back to his hometown to raise their kids their, the show follows both Lois and Clark's semi ordinary lives in Smallville, Kansas as well as Superman's day to day adventures that take him wherever he is needed, meanwhile Lois may not be working at the Daily Planet anymore but she is far from done as a reporter. While Superman continues to fights for justice, Lois does the same, just in a different way.

“A lot of what she’s writing about is what capitalism is doing to these small towns, Smallville in particular. Superman is doing his stuff with his superpowers, and she’s fighting against these injustices with words. The fact that the profession of journalism has been under siege for the last few years makes Lois’ work feel especially important and timely.” - Elizabeth Tulloch

With a lot of flashbacks thrown in, we are guaranteed a lot of nostalgia.

4. The family behind the cape

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At its core, this is a show about family. They may be Superman and Lois but they are also a mom and dad trying to raise their special kids.

"Part of what I'm hoping audiences respond to in our show is that this couple, even though she's this dynamic journalist and even though he's Superman, are incredibly relatable and they're dealing with a lot of the same issues that normal people deal with, whether it is lost jobs or having hormonal teenagers who are pushing back against us at every turn, it should feel, and I think it does feel, really, really grounded, like Superman and Lois Lane could be your next door neighbors." - Elizabeth Tulloch

This is the first show to ever give us that look at what Lois and Clark would be like as parents.

"The entire Kent family relationship is very real and raw and tangible, and it’s very grounded. And it’s what kind of brings the show to life in some ways, and I think brings that element of it to life. It’s nice.” - Jordan Elsass

5. Your not so average, oridinary super teens

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What do you do when your dad is literally Superman? Fraternal twins Jonathan and Jordan Kent have a pretty good idea. Although many teens in shows nowadays tend to come off as clichés, Superman & Lois has taken a more “mature” approach to its two Super teens. Aside from discovering the powers within them, if there are any that is, we will also be diving into the relationship dynamic between the two. We will see their brotherly bond continue to grow and strengthen throughout the show.

Jordan is a bit more of a complex character and a bit troubled, one that teens will be able to relate to. Garfin truly enjoyed portraying a teenager in such a different way on TV.

“I was so happy to see intelligence written into the characters. We get into fights, and we can hate each other sometimes, but it’s built on a very deep and wide foundation of love. It was great to have an opportunity to express teenagers in a more mature light than is often found, of them just lashing out and this and that.” - Alex Garfin

Jonathan seems to have it easier, but he is still always there for his brother and his family when they need him.

We will also see their relationship tested, because according to Elsass, one of the twins will inherit his dad’s Kryptonian powers, while the other won’t.

6. The return of Lana Lang

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As we all know, Clark Kent and Lana Lang have a long history together, but if you were expecting to see some kind of love triangle or relationship drama between Clark and Lois, then you will be dissapointed. Despite Clark and Lana’s somewhat complicated history the writers will not be sticking to "that" cliche, instead focusing on the friendship between the two.

“Yes, they dated in high school, but besides that they’ve known each other since kindergarten, Lana certainly treats Clark as one of her closest friends, one of the people who knows her the best. There’s a lot of history there, but in this incarnation of the world, it’s not just based on their romance. It’s a very rich, long history.” - Emmanuelle Chriqui

7. A new cinematic style

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It can be hard for small budget shows to compete with TV's bigger titles when it comes to visual effects and cinematography, but the showrunners of Superman & Lois are attempting to create a new visual style for the Arrow-verse, one that is on par with the shows that you would see on cable or streaming services.

"Whenever you do any of these shows, you want to make them slightly different, we just approached this as much as we could like a feature — from the aspect ratio to the cinematography to the look to the design of the house and farm. We are competing with shows on cable and streamers… we wanted to be able to do that and offer audiences something of equal quality.” - Todd Hellbeing, Showrunner

The show has drew inspiration from the big screen in terms of cinematography and visual effects to the point that it makes you feel as though you are indeed watching a movie.

"It looks like a movie, it's very cinematic. It's just beautifully shot, the lighting is extraordinary, the writing was wonderful. I'm so proud of this cast and our entire crew." - Elizabeth Tulloch

8. A new direction for the Arrowverse

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You're probably wondering, "what sets this show apart from all other Arrowverse shows?", "Why should I watch it?". Simply put, Superman & Lois is not trying to be like any of the other Arrowverse shows. While the Arrowverse has had it's moments and its good seasons, it's hard to ignore the fact that fans have found the repetetive formula of the Arrowverse to be somewhat predictable in some cases in later seasons of it's shows. Series auch as Arrow, The Flash and Legends of Tomorrow have developed a pattern of bad guy appears, superheroes assemble and universe is saved just in time. Although we have enjoyed that, Superman & Lois, promises to change this formula, Showrunner Todd Hellbeing admitted he wasn't looking to other superhero series for inspiration. The shows more grounded tone is what sets it apart. Superman & Lois could create a new direction for the Arrowverse.

Superman & Lois will premiere on The CW on February 23rd.