The new show Superman and Lois has turned out to be an unexpected hit for the CW. While ostensibly a spinoff from Supergirl, the fledgling series has established a separate space for itself with movie-level aesthetics and a family-oriented storyline. The next few upcoming episodes of the show will shed further light on an alternate world, “evil” version of Superman who is a homicidal dictator. Executive producer for Superman & Lois, Todd Helbing, explained to ComicBook.com why the idea of a darker version of the Man of Steel was so compelling for their show.
“I think [lead actor] Tyler [Hoechlin] actually summed it up perfectly in one of the interviews that he did. Our show is about, really about family, and it’s about parents and kids and the decisions, as parents, that you have to make that are tough. And you’re not sure if they’re the right decisions all the time. And so we really, from day one, had talked about… It’s one of the lines in the pilot where Jordan is playing Injustice 2, and he’s like, ‘Ah, Superman’s boring.’ I think for so long, it felt like Superman was boring, because he was good. And that’s insane to all of us. That’s how he should be — that should be the most interesting part about him. I think it’s why we lean into the Clark Kent so much. In our show, we wanted to see the flip side, so everybody could see just how interesting the good version is, and how important he is.”
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The idea of an evil Superman is one that comics, games, and movies love to explore. Most recently, Batman v. Superman saw Bruce Wayne being driven by an obsessive fear of a world where Superman becomes a dictator, and Zack Snyder’s Justice League saw such a future come to pass, in which Superman has been brainwashed by Darkseid and turned into his evil minion.
The difference between those movies and Superman & Lois is that the lead character of the show is still the Superman that fans know and love, a shining beacon of morality who inspires the world. Instead, the Evil Superman is a being from a different world, the same one that the show’s main villain, Captain Luthor escaped from. According to Helbing, the upcoming episodes will provide more backstory for Captain Luthor while moving forward the personal arcs for other major characters.
“There’s a lot of information that starts to come out [in the next few episodes]. You get all the complications of Jordan having powers in a small town. Captain Luthor, you get a lot more of his backstory. Why he’s here, and really start to flesh out who he really is. You get all the meat and potatoes about his character. Lois and Morgan Edge start to go toe to toe a little bit more. All the stories sort of come together, and then Superman is brought into all of them.”
Superman & Lois stars Tyler Hoechlin, Elizabeth Tulloch, Dylan Walsh, Alex Garfin, Jordan Elsass, Emmanuelle Chriqui, Inde Navarrette and Wolé Parks. The series returns May 18 and will air Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET/PT on The CW.
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