Superman & Lois (TV Series)

What were your thoughts on the series? What did you like and dislike?

I know he's not technically Doomsday but I still like his look the most. I dare say it might be even better than Krypton one, which is also really good.

I’m conflicted. They’ve fixed pretty much all of the issues with the suit from last season. The symbol is brighter, and the muscle shading is more subtle. But they’ve made the colors so much darker. Even the Man of Steel suit wasn’t this dark. It’s one step forward, two steps back.

Hello, ladies and gentlemen. I'm Leader Vladimir and it has come to my attention that it was Warner Bros that ordered the ending of Superman and Lois, not The CW, as was previously believed.

According to Brad Schwartz, chief of entertainment over at The CW, the show was cancelled because WB didn't want S&L competing against Superman: Legacy when it hits theaters in 2025. Production costs were also a factor, as the show had a higher writing quality and visual effects than other shows broadcasting at the time.

I'm not surprised by this development. Superman, as a franchise, needs fancy costumes, high quality scripts and elaborate sets to adapts its operatic, larger-than-life story arcs and that means getting high budgets for its productions and a show S&L wouldn't have been able to provide that. Yes, S&L is more expensive than the average CW show, but even after all these years, TV budgets are significantly lower than those of movies.

There is also the matter of merchandise. Profits in big franchises like Marvel, Star Wars and Transformers have been declining because of the negative reception to their multimedia projects, to the point that merchandise distributors like Hasbro have been affected, as well. In comparison, Mattel has seen enomous profits thanks to the massive success of Barbie. Long-running franchises like Superman get the better part of their profits not from their multimedia projects but from their merchandise and a movie sells more merchandise than a TV show or even a video game.

Now, some of you will probably get angry at David Zaslav or James Gunn for the end of S&L, you know, because fandoms gonna fandom but from a financial perspective, the end of S&L makes sense. A lack of visible profits, excessive production values, a declining interest in The CW and its library and a need to increase merchandise sales were all conspiring against the show's longevity. Popular culture also played a factor: if you want to make a cultural statement about Superman, a big summer blockbuster is the best way to do it. That's a lesson WB and DC applied all the way back 2013 with Man of Steel.

Besides, it's not like S&L is getting unceremoniously cancelled. The show will indeed get a proper conclusion, which is not the same thing as a cancellation. S&L will be allowed to conclude its story and give a proper farewell to the characters and that's something that I, as a fan of Superman, can appreciate. It's sad that S&L is leaving us earler than expected, but it's good that we'll be allowed to say goodbye because the characters and the stories that really matter to us stay with us forever.

Well, that's all I've got for you this time. Now is your turn to tell me what do you think about this. Are you sad that S&L is ending? Do you plan to give Superman: Legacy a chance? This is meant to be a friendly discussion, so please be polite and argue your points in a civilized manner. We are all fans of DC and, hopefully, Superman here.

So leave a comment below, thanks for your time and stay safe out there!

Hello, ladies and gentlemen. I'm LeaderVladimir1993 and with Superman: Legacy hitting theaters in 2025, I'm wondering whether that movie, or any Superman material for that matter, can be embraced by general audiences.

Now, before you rush to your keyboards and say "of course it can! How can you ask that? Superman is a cultural icon!", please hear me out. I know some of you will deliver a positive answer because, let's face it, we're fans of DC, but I felt inspired to write this post after watchiing videos discussing the difficulties of adapting Mickey Mouse and Star Trek into film. Much like Superman, Mickey and Star Trek are also considered icons of American culture and the owners of those IPs have faced difficulties in making movies based on those IPs.

I also felt inspired into writing this post by the smashing (see what I did there?) success of The Super Mario Bros Movie, recognized for adapting a character more popular than Mickey into the big screen. The Super Mario Bros Movie was successful with men, women, children and adults. It was a summer blockbuster in the style of the Marvel Cinematic Universe or Transformers, with enormous mainstream appeal.

If Mario, a character that rivals Superman in cultural relevance, enjoys mainstream success, can Superman do the same? It's true that Superman: The Movie shot the franchise into the stratosphere, but let's face it, the tastes and interests of audiences have changed since 1978. I'm legimitely wondering what kind of chance does Superman have in hitting the mainstream.

I'm not gonna pull any punches about this: Superman is not as popular as he used to be. Yes, he is still popular, but Batman and Spider-Man sell more merchandise than Superman does. If Superman is to regain his mainstream popularity, a movie is easily the best way to do it.

Don't get me wrong. I love Superman and Lois and My Adventures with Superman, but those two shows are made for very distinct audiences. The former is a family drama and the latter is an action series with elements of romantic comedy and shonen anime. Those audiences are incompatible.

We also have to look at Superman's previous cinematic outings. Despite its positive critical reception, Superman Returns did not hit $500M worldwid. Alan F. Horn was quoted saying that the movie would have made a much higher profit if it tried to appeal to the younger male crowd, i.e. pre-teen boys, and writer Michael Dougherty wanted to add more action in the sequel.

While Superman Returns delivered a humanized, downright conservative portrayal of the titular superhero, Man of Steel went for a more action-packed direction. Superman became an action hero in the style of Captain America, Optimus Prime and even Batman. Despite the mixed reception from fans and critics, Man of Steel would go on to make $668M worldwide.

I'm not here to talk about the benefits or disadvantages of turning Superman into a generic action hero. I'm just trying to discuss what Superman needs to do so he can be embraced by general audiences again. What can you do with Superman? Superman does not have the same problem Mickey does. Unlike Disney, DC is not afraid to make a movie that runs the risk of tarnishing their beloved icon and his reputation, which is a really stupid reason to not make a movie, if you ask me.

Superman is a highly versatile character that can be adapted into any kind of story, as we have seen in countless movies and TV shows, but considering the reluctance of people to see Superman as anything more than a generic Boy Scout, it would seem that he doesn't take to reinvention as well as Batman does. Since Superman is expected to behave in a certain way, it seems difficult to make a movie that could develop him as a character and give him a meaningful conflict to overcome.

We, as a society, are partially to blame for DC's reluctance to experiment with Superman beyond comics and, to a lesser extent, TV shows. Thanks the movies, Superman is mostly remembered either as a vanilla goody-two-shoes, an overpowered demigod and, to a lesser extent, a blank slate of an everyman. He just isn't allowed to get darker or more mature like Batman does, and this is coming from someone who actually enjoyed the DC Extended Universe.

Ever since the failure of Justice League 2017, DC has moved away from darker stories with Superman and stayed with the limits of family-friendly, light-hearted stories like Superman and Lois or My Adventures with Superman, and that obviously limits Superman's potential as an effective protagonist in a dramatic story. That's kinda disappointing because we don't allow creators to display their full potential and explore new stories with Superman.

How do you make a Superman movie? Do you focus on Superman and his journey to develop into something we haven't seen before or do you focus the movie on a secondary character, maybe Lois, who is transformed by his/her experience with Superman? Does Superman even need to evolve as a character or does he simply need to trigger another character's evolution? We could discuss these questions all day long and we wouldn't reach a definitive answer.

I guess we'll just have to wait and see till 2025 to see what James Gunn has in store for us. As a fan of Superman, I always look forward to my best to suppoert him in whatever he does, but for now, we still have a lot of content we can enjoy. It's true that Batman and Spidey are more popular than Superman these days, but if Superman didn't have dedicated fans, he wouldn't have two successful TV show or a cult following on his recent movies. Superman means a lot to those who love him, maybe now more than ever. Whether we like it or not, Superman will always be with us.

Well, that's all I have for you this time. Now, it's your turn to tell me what do you think about this. Do you think Superman: Legacy can help the Man of Steel achieve mainstream appeal again? If so, what do you think that movie should do? This is meant to be a friendly discussion, so please be polite and argue your points in a civilized manner. We are all fans of DC and, hopefully, Superman here. We just see things differently.

So leave a comment below, thanks for your time and stay safe out there!

We probably should have seen this coming, but, according to Variety, Superman and Lois will end after its upcoming fourth season.

Personally, I'm not surprised. S&L has always been very expensive by (CW standards) and I guess James Gunn just didn't want to confuse people with two different Supermen flying around in both the big screen and the small screen.

While I'm sad that S&L is ending, I'm happy to have watched in the first place and I can only hope it gets a satisfying conclusion. I was excited by the ending of season 3 and I believe it makes sense for S&L to end with a confrontation between Superman and his most famous enemy, Lex Luthor, in what has proven to be the best show produced by The CW.

Hello, everyone! I'm Leader Vladimir and I bring you some fantastic news: according to Deadline, The CW has renewed Superman and Lois for a fourth season!

To facilitate the renewal, Warner Bros Television and Nexstar Media Group (The CW's new owner) had to reduce the show's budget, which means reducing the number of series regular cast members. Superman & Lois has 12 series regulars. The leading actors will probably be not affected but supporting actors probably will be.

Also, this new season will probably be the final season, as James Gunn will introduce a new Man of Steel in 2025's Superman Legacy, which will mark the beginning of a new, unified DC Universe across movies, TV shows, animation and even video games.

Even so, Superman and Lois' renewal is cause for celebration among fans. With its unique storytelling, compelling performances, and integration into the Arrowverse, the show has firmly established itself as a fan-favorite within the superhero genre. If this will be the show's final season, then hopefully, it will give a proper farewell to Superman, Lois and their community.

Are you a fan of Superman and Lois? Please write your comments below and have fun!

Hello, everyone. I'm Leader Vladimir and I really don't like being the bearer of bad news, but Variety and The Hollywood Reporter have, well, reported that The CW is considering the cancellation of fan-favorite TV show Superman and Lois in an attempt to cut costs.

Superman and Lois has always been very expensive for The CW to produce and The Hollywood Reporter has stated that it's likely that The CW will probably cancel this show, despite its strong ratings, in favor of series with lower budgets like Gotham Knights.

James Gunn did say that S&L will probably end after one or two more seasons, but he probably doesn't want it on the air when Superman: Legacy hits theaters in 2025, especially with plans to bring all the DC TV shows under one roof on Max.

If The CW, DC or Warner Bros. ultimately decide to end the show, I can only hope the cast and crew have enough time to conclude Superman and Lois in a satisfying conclusion.

Well, that's all I have for you this time. Now, it's your turn to tell me what do you think about this. Do you think S&L will end after its current season or perhaps it will survive for another year? Whatever your opinions might be, please write them in a polite, civilized manner. We're all fans of DC here. We just see things differently.

So leave a comment below, thanks for your time and stay safe out there!

According to Deadline, James Gunn and Peter Safran have stated that Superman and Lois will likely continue to run (or should I say "fly") for one or two more seasons.

As a fan of this show, I consider this to be good news. Gunn had already said that it makes sense to keep a TV show everybody likes running. That said, I'm aware that no show can run forever and sooner, or later, it will have to end.

If DC or Warner Bros. ultimately decide to end the show, I can only hope the cast and crew have enough time to conclude Superman and Lois in a satisfying conclusion.

Just found out that WBD and Paramount, who had co-ownership over CW, have sold the network. The majority share holder is now nexstar. The arrowverse was already dead so I'm not really concerned about what happens to those shows now, but what do you think will happen to Superman and Lois?

I think there is a fair chance that it will move networks and the show will continue on elsewhere but then again, the current management at WB doesn't really wants to continue with DC shows and movies which aren't "a big budget spectacle." Do you think it will be cancelled? Or will nexstar and WB allow S&L to continue airing on the same network?

What do you think about the issue?