Superhero shows have been excelling in a live-action TV format for some time, but one DC series broke all the rules to become one of the best superhero shows of all time. While Marvel has recently made a splash in the world of superhero TV as Marvel Studios reclaimed its TV division to fold it into the wider MCU, DC has been leading the charge for live-action superhero shows for a long time.
From spectacular shows like Smallville, which reimagined a young Superman story, to the expansive Arrowverse, and even the more obscure gritty dramas like Gotham and Titans, DC has found some incredible success in the TV format. But Superman & Lois broke the mold when it began airing in 2021, and that led to the show creating something special compared to everything else under the DC label.
Superman & Lois Broke The DC Template
Initially, Superman & Lois was intended to be an Arrowverse series, spinning off from the Crisis on Infinite Earths crossover event that largely reset the shared TV universe. However, shortly after the series began, they decided to avoid the crossover elements that would have positioned it as just another Arrowverse series and focused on building it out as a unique new venture.
The show swapped out the more spread-out team format common in the Arrowverse for a more intimate family dynamic between Clark Kent, Lois Lane, and their kids, and the show also explored what life was like as an incredibly experienced hero, with Superman having been saving the day for decades before the series began.
All of this combined to create something that felt distinct from most of the other superhero shows on TV, and the response was overwhelmingly positive. This was also likely a result of the fact that, for the first time in nearly three decades, Superman was telling his story on the small screen.
DC Struggled To Get Superman Stories Right
As wonderful as Smallville was, the show never properly leaned in to being a Superman story. Instead, it focused on what life was like before Clark Kent accepted the mantle of being a hero. And back in the 1990s, Lois & Clark managed to garner positive reviews, but it also failed to live up to the incredible storytelling that was present in the early Christopher Reeve Superman movies.
Unfortunately, when the DCEU came along, they proved to be even more disastrous for depicting the story of Superman, as Henry Cavill’s casting was widely praised, but the actor only got to don the suit a handful of times, and many of these outings did not reflect the way many people felt the character should be depicted.
But Superman & Lois did capture the spark of hope, the incredible power, and the joy of a hero like Superman, while also showing how the hero navigates life as a father and a husband. It was a unique Superman story, and one that was executed extremely well, resulting in one of the most exciting adaptations of these stories ever made.
The DCU Is Off To A Better Start
While the newly reimagined DCU is only just beginning, there are already promising signs that this universe will handle the Man of Tomorrow better than previous adaptations. For instance, hope is back with David Corenswet’s deeply kind and compassionate take on Superman, while also exploring his incredible power as he takes on giant Kaiju monsters and saves the world from the influence of evil.
Superman is such an important character in the world of superheroes, and so seeing his story told the right way is extremely valuable. Hopefully, James Gunn will continue to do the character justice in the growing world of the DCU, but even if that all falls apart, having seen Tyler Hoechlin imbue the hero with such depth and wonder in Superman & Lois will serve as a lasting mark on the overall legacy of Superman.
- Release Date
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2021 – 2024-00-00
- Showrunner
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todd helbing
- Directors
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Gregory Smith, Sudz Sutherland, David Ramsey, Elizabeth Henstridge, Tom Cavanagh, Diana Valentine, Elaine Mongeon, Alexandra La Roche, Lee Toland Krieger, Eric Dean Seaton, David Mahmoudieh, Amy Jo Johnson, David Giuntoli, Stewart Hendler, Rachel Talalay, Norma Bailey, Michael Cudlitz, Melissa Hickey, James Bamford
- Writers
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Max Cunningham, George Kitson, Max Kronick, aaron helbing
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Self – Executive Producer, Superman & Lois
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Greg Berlanti
Self – Executive Producer