Superman & Lois has ended, and after four seasons, the superhero series managed to bring some amazing characters from DC Comics to life, with a few exciting original characters also rising through the ranks. Superman & Lois is easily one of the best live-action DC shows ever, serving as a fitting project to end the era of DC series on The CW that started with Smallville, another Superman project, led to the Arrowverse, and finally ended with Superman & Lois season 4.
Most other live-action Superman actors will have a hard time comparing with Tyler Hoechlin’s Man of Steel, as the actor was simply pitch-perfect as both Clark Kent and Superman, just like the iconic Christopher Reeve. While Hoechlin led Superman & Lois season 4’s cast to an explosive finale, Clark was hardly the show’s only exciting character in its final season, or all seasons, for that matter. The projects in James Gunn’s DCU can learn valuable lessons from Superman & Lois’ heroes and villains, and here are the show’s very best:
10 General Sam Lane
His Sacrifice Will Never Be Forgotten
Dylan Walsh’s Sam Lane played an important role throughout the show. As the head of the Department of Defense (DOD), Lane was Superman’s first point of contact within the organization, and they nurtured a good working relationship — way better than when Mitch Anderson was on the job. Lane had the hard military exterior that he is known for in the comics, while also mellowing down for a few emotional stories.
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This makes the character nuanced, and one of Sam’s best moments comes from realizing that Natalie Irons needed him as her grandfather and changing his approach to earnestly connect with her. The character loved both of his daughters, and, in the end, Sam Lane made the ultimate sacrifice, showing his love for Lois and his family. Injecting the serum with Superman’s blood on himself and going out for Doomsday to kill him allowed his heart to be given to Superman, resurrecting Clark and allowing him to live 32 more years.
9 Lana Lang
Clark Kent And Lois Lane’s Best Friend
Lana Lang is another important character from Superman’s long DC Comics history. Smallville, The CW’s most well-known Superman series, featured her early days alongside Clark, with Lana starring in seven seasons. Superman & Lois went for a different take on the character, with an older Lana not serving as Clark’s romantic interest, but his best friend, and eventually Lois Lane’s new best friend, as the Kents move back to Smallville.
Emmanuelle Chriqui’s version of Lana is one of the characters who evolved the most throughout the series. She started the show backing Morgan Edge, always trying to help Smallville, even if misguided, and ended Superman & Lois as a major force for change in her own right. Lana becomes Smallville’s Mayor, breaking up with Kyle after he cheated on her, and not backing down when Lex Luthor targets her, showing the character’s strength.
8 Bizarro/Doomsday
An Original Take On Classic Superman Villains
One of the best aspects of Superman & Lois was how the DC series played with the Man of Steel’s lore to create unique versions of beloved characters. How Bizarro was handled might be the biggest of such cases in the show. Bizarro had a whole season devoted to him and the Inverse World, which allowed Superman & Lois to show mostly twisted versions of its main characters. Tyler Hoechlin made the audience feel for Bizarro after he stopped being a villain, only to die.
Doomsday remembering his life as Bizarro and accepting death in the hands of Superman so that he would not be Lex’s weapon any longer was heartbreakingly beautiful.
Then Lex Luthor resurrected him, killing Bizarro several times, which caused him to evolve every time he came back until he became Doomsday. The ending of Superman & Lois season 3 and all of season 4 revolved around Superman dying after fighting Doomsday, a fantastic adaptation of DC Comics’ “The Death of Superman.” To crown a creative take on the character, Doomsday remembering his life as Bizarro and accepting death in the hands of Superman so that he would not be Lex’s weapon any longer was heartbreakingly beautiful.
7 Tal-Rho
An Original Character Created For Superman & Lois
With only ten episodes in its final season and having suffered budget cuts, the Superman & Lois team had no way to bring back Tal-Rho for a final adventure. While all other characters on the list played a role in Superman & Lois season 4, Tal-Rho left a huge mark on the series with only two seasons, making him one of its best characters despite not appearing as much as others.
|
Superman & Lois Season 4 Cast Member |
Character |
|---|---|
|
Tyler Hoechlin |
Clark Kent/Superman |
|
Elizabeth Tulloch |
Lois Lane |
|
Alex Garfin |
Jordan Kent |
|
Michael Bishop |
Jonathan Kent |
|
Dylan Walsh |
Sam Lane |
|
Michael Cudlitz |
Lex Luthor |
|
Emmanuelle Chriqui |
Lana Lang |
|
Inde Navarrette |
Sarah Cortez |
|
Douglas Smith |
Jimmy Olsen |
|
Nikolai Witschl |
Milton |
The main aspect of the character is his journey from a villain to an anti-hero. Adam Rayner’s character started posing as businessman Morgan Edge. He wanted to force the citizens of Smallville to be possessed by Kryptonian life forces. After an exciting season 1 villain role, Tal-Rho, revealed to be Superman’s half-brother, became one of the good guys, even saving Clark Kent’s life. Tal became a fun and unpredictable force for good, and the fact he was an original character created for the show is a testament to Superman & Lois‘ great writing.
6 John Henry Irons
The Hero Superman Needed By His Side
Just after Tyler Hoechlin’s Superman, Wolé Parks’ Steel was the second most important hero in Superman & Lois. The character had one of the best arcs on the show. John Henry Irons came from another world where Superman was evil and destroyed the planet, killing Lois Lane, who was John Henry’s wife in that universe. That meant Steel started his Superman & Lois journey as an antagonist trying to kill Superman to prevent that from happening again in another world.
After learning how different Superman is in this new world, Steel becomes a close friend to the Kents, assisting Superman against numerous threats over the years. John Henry’s arc saw him become a bona fide hero and find the strength to move on from his loss, opening himself to love again. Fittingly, he became part of the Superman family, carrying the House of El sigil on his Steel suit and marrying Lana Lang in the Superman & Lois series finale; his perfect ending.
5 Jordan Kent
The DC Series’ First Superboy
When it comes to the Kents, all of them had complex arcs throughout the series. After dealing with panic attacks and bullying growing up, Jordan discovered that he had powers. Since then, Jordan’s journey in Superman & Lois has been both about him maturing as a person and also coming to understand the huge responsibility that comes with his Kryptonian powers. The character did not always handle it the best way.
Jordan did not want to keep his identity a secret, was fond of the fame that could come with being a superhero, and did not think things through as his father thought him to. Thankfully, Alex Garfin’s character worked through those issues, and after leaving his powers aside in part of Superman & Lois season 4, Jordan Kent matured and eventually found his way.
4 Jonathan Kent
Superman’s Second Son To Get Powers Was A Natural
Jonathan Kent was played by two actors in Superman & Lois, and both did a great job. Jordan Elsass let Jonathan’s courage shine, being a hero in many situations even though he had no powers. During Superman & Lois‘ first two seasons, Jonathan had to deal with wanting to help his father and brother but having to come up with creative ways to do so without powers, which was frustrating at times and even put him in harm’s way.
As for Superman & Lois seasons 3 and 4, Michael Bishop took over the role, and Jon found a path for himself. Jon first helped others as part of Smallville’s Fire Department. Then, the character finally developed his powers early in Superman & Lois season 4. Jonathan Kent had always been the brother who was more ready for the superhero life, and Jon quickly showed that by easily mastering all his powers in no time.
3 Lex Luthor
Superman & Lois’ Ultimate Villain
There have been several versions of Lex Luthor, both in movies and TV. However, after his work in Superman & Lois, Michael Cudlitz has cemented himself as one of the best live-action Lex Luthor actors. The iconic Superman villain did not appear in much of the show, but with a role in the final two episodes of season 3 and being the main villain of season 4, Luthor became the show’s most frightening antagonist.
Lex had a complex arc on the show, as Superman and Lois imprisoned him for a crime he did not commit, leading to him spending 17 years in prison. Despite having the chance to reconnect with his now adult daughter, Lex chooses vengeance. Later, he passes on the chance of love with Amanda McCoy for vengeance again. Lex was both an intellectual and physical threat to Superman, and his sadistic torture of Bizarro to transform him into Doomsday helped make him stand out from other live-action Luthors. Interestingly, Lex showed remorse in the afterlife, and Clark forgiving him was emotional.
2 Lois Lane
The Series Finale Death No One Expected
Superman & Lois worked because it gave as much focus to Lois Lane as it did to the Man of Steel. Lois’ struggles were not glossed over, nor were her investigations, with DC Comics’ best journalist being key to many mysteries being resolved in Superman & Lois. Elizabeth Tulloch’s take on the character was faithful to the comics, with Lois being an active part of every major plot in the show.
Season 3 was Superman & Lois‘ darkest, as every episode dealt with Lois’ discovery that she had breast cancer and her fight against the disease. Ultimately, that would be the cause of her death, with the series finale revealing that Lois’ cancer returned decades in the future, and she died. Lois Lane had a life well lived in the DC series, being a force for good even without powers, and her determined personality shined every time she was onscreen.
1 Superman
One Of The Best Versions Of The Man Of Steel
Finally, Tyler Hoechlin’s Clark Kent was the best character in Superman & Lois‘ four seasons. Hoechlin made both sides of the character pop. His version of Superman was hopeful, caring, confident, and a true force for good. However, it was as Clark Kent that he delivered his best acting in the show. Clark was pitch-perfect, with the same bubbly personality he has in the comics, while also being a firm dad.
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At its core, Superman & Lois was about the title characters’ legacies. Hoechlin’s Superman struggled with that throughout the show, but after understanding that his sons needed to live a different life from the one he had, Clark found the right path. Superman had plenty of impressive action sequences, heartwarming conversations, and also sad moments, making his journey well-rounded. To top it off, Superman & Lois showed the full scope of Clark Kent’s life, including his death and meeting Lois in the afterlife, and it was perfect.
6/10
Superman and Lois
Superman & Lois, the seventh Arrowverse spinoff series, will take the titular characters from Metropolis to Smallville. The CW series is set in the aftermath of the “Crisis on Infinite Earths” crossover, which saw the multiverse collapse and the merging of worlds into what is now Earth Prime. Superman & Lois sees Lois Lane (Elizabeth Tulloch) and Clark Kent (Tyler Hoechlin) dealing with all the pressures of their jobs, along with being parents to two teenage sons. Lois and Clark are no strangers to the Arrowverse, with Hoechlin’s Superman having been introduced all the way back in Supergirl season 2. Meanwhile, Tulloch’s Lois made her debut in the 2018 “Elseworlds” crossover. The duo is joined by a growing cast of characters that includes a new iteration of Lana Lang.
- Release Date
- February 23, 2021
- Showrunner
- todd helbing
Upcoming DC Movie Releases
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- Release Date
- June 26, 2026
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- October 2, 2026
