A new trend seems to be emerging on social media faster than a speeding bullet. Hashtag campaigns are becoming a societal norm. These movements are created to reinstate icons into their deserved roles, urge studios into releasing director cuts and show all out support and love for characters and their respective portrayers.
Last year, and earlier this month, the Daily Planet reported on such crusades as #HenryCavillSuperman, #ReleaseTheAyerCut and #RealeaseTheSnyderCut. Now we’re covering one very close to our hearts, #AmyAdamsLoisLane.
A group of podcasters, who maintain and produce Bitter Geeks Podcast, are looking to call attention to an otherwise under appreciated character in the DC Extended Universe (DCEU) come Jan. 31, 2021 –– Lois Lane.
The #AmyAdamsLoisLane event is set for Jan. 31, to close out the first month of 2021 by celebrating someone extremely important to the DCEU. On Feb. 14, Valentine’s Day, the group plans to celebrate DC’s first couple with another trending event, #ZackSnydersClois. According to organizers, this love story is one of the pivotal parts in Zack Snyder’s Superman trilogy, in the entire DCEU, and it should be celebrated as such.
Bitter Geeks Podcast, originally called DC Films Podcast, was started by Californian, Nick. His passion for DC, and all things nerdy, lead to his formation of the podcast of today.
“As time went on I brought on more people to the podcast who also shared that same level of love and interest in these characters,” Nick said. “A common thing we all shared was our appreciation and admiration of Lois Lane as a character.”
Nick has been a fan of Lois Lane since he was 12 years old.
“Lois is as important to me as Superman is,” Nick said. “Both characters have always been a package deal for me. So no matter what project of Superman I’ve watched, or have been interested in over the years, I have always looked at how they bring in Lois and see if they properly treat her as the equal.”
Lois Lane is portrayed by Academy Award nominee Amy Adams in the DCEU. Adams has played the character since “Man of Steel” in 2013 and many fans would like to see more of her. Adams had tried out for the role multiple times over the past few years and was finally befittingly chosen to play the reporter of steel by Zack Snyder.
Cohost of Bitter Geeks Podcast, Artyom, is a Russian gamer, “weeb” and, what he deems most important, a passionate Zack Snyder fan. He’s the original mastermind behind the Amy Adams / Lois Lane campaign.
“Amy Adams’ version is special in many ways, but I think what stands out to me the most is that she breaks free of some things that are outdated by today, primalry her relationship with Clark,” Artyom said. “I like that she is straightforward, she doesn’t take crap from anyone, even if you are a Kryptonian militant, and she figures out Clark’s secret all on her own.”
Artyom stated that the audience wasn’t forced to suffer through the classic love triangle between Lois, Clark and Superman.
“I like that Man of Steel gave a lot of information about what kind of person Clark is through Lois’ investigation,” Artyom said. “My favorite quote is ‘The only way you could disappear is to stop helping people and I sense that’s not an option for you.'”
According to Artyom, this truly showed how great a reporter Lois actually is.
Artyom’s fellow podcaster, Danielle, a DCEU fan from Minnesota, said her favorite overarching theme through the cinematic universe is the focus on love connections and interpersonal relationships. This is especially true when it comes to Lois and Clark.
“I find Amy’s interpretation of the character really unique,” Danielle said about Lois Lane in the DCEU. “She’s recognizable as Lois Lane but, because she’s allowed to be so much more contemporary, she reflects a lot of the nuances of contemporary working women in the way she embodies and uses femininity.”
Danielle appreciates how Amy’s Lois can deliver lines like “if we’re done measuring dicks,” drinks her liquor straight and demands equality with such strength.
“She has these incredible soft edges that I relate to,” Danielle said. “Like most Lois Lane’s, she’s an expression of feminine strength, but Amy I feel takes it further. Her Lois is extremely tender and expresses her empathy outwardly.”
Fellow Bitter Geeks Podcaster Le-Ann, a Canadian, bounced between different fandoms until finally settling in the DCEU.
“I’ve travelled – for lack of a better word – between fandoms for nearly 20 years and found myself with a reinvigorated passion for Lois and Clark when ‘Man of Steel’ and ‘Batman v Superman’ were released,” Le-Ann stated. “It had been a while since I was deeply engaged with media, but these DCEU films really touched me in a way that previous Superman content hadn’t done before. Although they are not the only characters that I adore, Lois and Clark have always held a special place in my heart.”
According to Le-Ann, she has been a fan of Amy before she even was cast to portray Lois Lane.
“I was already a huge fan of Amy,” Le-Ann stated. “I was absolutely ecstatic when it was announced that she was going to be Lois Lane, however many years ago that announcement was, and I was very excited to see what she was going to bring to the role.”
Le-Ann’s expectations were already heightened when Amy’s casting was announced and, according to her, all of them were met, if not exceeded.
“Amy brought such a warmth to the role that I felt hadn’t quite been achieved by others playing her,” Le-Ann said. “She had a soft yet assertive presence that absolutely dominated every time she was on screen. Yes, it was a Superman film, but I was captivated.”
This is what led to Le-Ann calling for Amy’s return with #AmyAdamsLoisLane.
“It’s a no brainer,” Le-Ann said. “To me, there is no Superman story without Lois Lane. Amy’s Lois is one of a kind. This was a lightning strikes once situation, and I don’t think she gets enough attention for what she brings to this role and to the entire DCEU universe.”
Artyom feels similarly. He finds Amy’s interpretation extremely unique. This is what pushed him to help create the movement.
“DC Comics announced a series of love stories dedicated to various OTP (one true pairings) from that universe,” Artyom said. “Would it be a surprise for you learn that Superman and Lois Lane are not featured there? It wasn’t for me, but still pissed me off enough to make me want organise an event for #ZackSnydersClois to get trending on Valentine’s Day.”
According to Artyom, #AmyAdamsLoisLane is meant to be a precursor to the main event scheduled for Valentines Day.
“When I suggested [the Valentines event], a person replied to me with a suggestion that to lead to such an event it will be symbolic to get #AmyAdamsLoisLane trending, especially with #HenryCavillSuperman trending right before,” Artyom stated. “So it will be like we get both members of Clois (Clark and Lois’s ‘ship’ name) trending separately first and then we celebrate their love story.”
With utmost importance, Artyom said, “Amy Adams as Lois Lane never had an event in this fandom before. It was extremely important to remind about her importance with Zack Snyder’s Justice League coming.”
“I think Lois Lane is a character that is constantly brought up in discussion within the members of the podcast, even if we aren’t specifically talking about the DCEU,” Le-Ann said. “We’ve all seen how passionate the DCEU fandom is, especially when it comes to rallying behind their favorite characters, actors, films, etc. And while it’s so immensely moving to see so much support, especially from fans wanting another Superman movie, it seemed like Lois Lane and Amy Adams were always getting left behind.”
From the combined passions of these podcasters, these two movements were born. One to celebrate the illusive Lois Lane, and another to celebrate the love between DC Comics’ first couple.
“Admittedly, I was starting to take a bit of a break from fandom activity, as it tends to get a bit overwhelming at times, but when Artyom suggested that we should come together and show our support for Amy, I couldn’t say no,” Le-Ann said. “Like he said, there has never been an event for her in this fandom before. She is so crucial to this universe and, at least to me, it is so important that she gets the recognition.”
Danielle feels like many fans seem to leave Lois, who is admittedly (by everyone involved in this interview) a superhero in her own right, gets left behind when it comes to fan movements.
“Lots of people seem really intent on cutting her out of her own story and think that they can have Superman without Lois,” Danielle stated “And we all know that Lois works without Superman but Superman doesn’t work without Lois.”
Danielle hopes that Warner Bros., executives, producers and everyone else involved recognizes this
“[They need] to know that there are lots of fans who are not interested in Superman stories without her, especially considering what’s happening in the comics right now,” Danielle said.
“And if source material doesn’t want to celebrate her, we will do the job, because we actually love Lois Lane,” Artyom included.
“It often feels like, as a Lois Lane fan, you’re screaming at the top of your lungs to say how wonderful she is when you shouldn’t have to,” Le-Ann said. “She’s an incredible character.”
Artyom hopes this event helps people recognize Amy and Lois Lane’s worth in the DCEU.
“The DC Universe is not only about super powered characters and costume wearing ones,” Artyom said. “It is also about normal humans doing the right thing too. Besides, without Lois Lane there is no Superman. No Superman means no redemption for Batman and no redemption for Batman means no Justice League.”
Superman’s emergence into the public eye is largely due to Lois Lane’s coverage of the alien. Hell, she even gave him his name. In a way, Lois Lane was the “key” to the foundations of the Justice League.
“People have to recognise the actual source of everything that is now happening,” Artyom said. “It’s thanks to Lois Lane and her pursuit for truth that led her to Clark. Clark, inspired by this incredible woman, became a better superhero known as Superman. She is the mother of the DCEU.”
Danielle mentioned that many fans forget Snyder’s love for Lois Lane.
“I think it’s honestly quite an obvious thing that many DCEU fans overlook,” Danielle said. “Snyder has been really clear about both his love for Lois and the importance of Clois in the DC universe. We’ve seen a new level of sexual content in this films, we’ve seen a fair amount of romance, and you would hope that the fanbase would follow suit but they often put their focus elsewhere.”
Danielle stressed that people have been fighting for Lois and Clark for decades and stressed the importance of the couple both in comics and on the screen.
“It is extremely frustrating for Lois to be put in the background when she was there [in the forefront] from the beginning,” Le-Ann said. “Superman wasn’t the only character that made their debut in Action Comics no. 1. Lois is part of the foundation of the DC Universe.”
Le-Ann believes a lot can be said about movements like #AmyAdamsLoisLane.
“As we’ve said, we want to recognise Amy’s role and the character’s importance, but it’s so much more than that,” Le-Ann continued. “It’s an ongoing struggle to have to fight for Lois and to fight for how beautiful the relationship and romance is between Lois and Clark. Zack Snyder showed that he valued both of these characters, and their relationship, and they were so integral to his vision.”
When asked about their thoughts on a possible HBO Max series featuring Lois Lane, all chimed in ecstatically. Even though no such project has been announced, HBO Max provides an excellent platform for possibilities.
“The great thing is that with HBO Max we finally have a place to put a series worthy of an actress like Adams,” Danielle said. “There was no way we were going to pull someone like her on the CW, DC Streaming, or even ABC. They have a great opportunity here if only for a limited series.”
All expressed their gratitude when it comes to Amy Adams’ representation, saying Warner was extremely lucky to land such a recognized talent. Le-Ann specifically mentioned her appreciation for Amy, and Lois’, age in the universe.
“This may come as a shock for some, and I know this comes across with a little bit of a bite to it, but women exist beyond their 20s and 30s,” Le-Ann continued. “Media isn’t very kind about that in general, and that’s just ridiculous.”
According to Danielle, Amy’s age is one of the many things that make her a target. Danielle also stated that Warner needs to step up and get their act together.
“She deserved much better than she got from WB across the board and the burden is absolutely on them to keep her informed and engaged with the project on an ongoing basis,” Danielle stated. “The fact that she hasn’t heard a single thing about where this might go or what her role might be is ridiculous.”
Artyom personally hopes for recognition when it comes to Amy’s Lois Lane.
“[I want her] just as acknowledged as Justice League itself and never forgotten going forward,” Artyom said.
When asked what he expects from this upcoming event, Artyom said he hopes people express their love for Amy through text, gifs, videos, edits, screenshots and more.
“We definitely don’t encourage harrasment,” Artyom said. “That’s not was neither Lois Lane nor Amy Adams are about.”
Danielle wishes for the same.
“The hope is always that people involved see it, but I think it’s also important for the fandom to be regularly reminded that Amy is out of the loop and that’s risky for the whole franchise,” Danielle concluded. “I personally want people participating in this hashtag to express their appreciation for what we have received from Amy and our hopes for the future.”
Danielle doesn’t think it’s unreasonable to express that Henry are a set package deal at this point in the franchise.
“I think the first step is actually rallying up the fans,” Le-Ann stated. “We didn’t want to bombard our social media feeds too early before the January 31 date, but we want people to know that we’re here and we’re going to do this.”
Le-Ann, along with everyone else involved, recognizes how powerful fan-based movements can be.
“Will something come from it,” Le-Ann questioned. “Well, we sure can hope! It’s about showing the love for the character and for Amy that is well overdue. It’s about showing that continuing without Amy Adams in this franchise is a huge loss.”
Danielle stressed that this event is not about the groups expectations of Amy. She’s already exceeded those and they just want to see her Lois Lane again.
“I do think we should touch on the fact that this isn’t about our expectations for Amy as much as our expectations for the people in charge here,” Danielle said. “If they extend an offer that doesn’t work for her, or if after everything that happened she doesn’t end up wanting to come back, that’s entirely on the studio.”
According to Danielle, if the studio failed to offer the role reprisal to Amy, fans will never know. No matter the outcome, all the fault now lays on Warner.
“You can’t have #HenryCavillSuperman without #AmyAdamsLoisLane,” Danielle said.
The #AmyAdamsLoisLane event is set for Jan. 31, to close out the first month of 2021 by celebrating someone extremely important to the DCEU. On Feb. 14, Valentine’s Day, the group plans to celebrate DC’s first couple with another trending event, #ZackSnydersClois. According to organizers, this love story is one of the pivotal parts in Zack Snyder’s Superman trilogy, in the entire DCEU, and it should be celebrated as such.
The Daily Planet will be participating in this event.
I’ll be there!
[…] filmmaker’s take on the DC Universe for years. Campaigns for Henry Cavill’s Superman, Amy Adams’ Lois Lane, #ReleaseTheAyerCut and the restoration of the “SnyderVerse” took place throughout the […]