It’s officially the end for The CW’s superhero television. When “Smallville” first aired on The WB, now known as The CW, it ushered in a renaissance for the superhero genre. It appears the end of this era will also conclude with a Superman show as “Superman & Lois” concludes on the same network in 2024.
The CW Network announced yesterday that the hit series “Superman & Lois” starring Tyler Hoechlin and Elizabeth Tulloch in the titular roles will conclude with its upcoming fourth season. The 10-episode final season is slated to air on The CW in 2024. The news follows reported budget cuts and casting downgrades, which were announced around Superman Day earlier this year.
As per the budget cuts, we will no longer see Dylan Walsh as Sam Kent. Emmanuelle Chriqui’s Lana Lang, and her family, will also no longer be main characters and only appear as recurring ones. It is also reported that Wolé Parks’ John Henry Irons and his daughter Natasha, portrayed by Tayler Buck, have received the same treatment.
“Over the last three seasons, ‘Superman & Lois’ redefined both the superhero genre and family drama as Tyler, Elizabeth and the entire cast effortlessly portrayed these classic characters with new layers of depth and complexity that had never before been explored in the Superman universe,” said Brad Schwartz, President of Entertainment, The CW Network. “We are grateful for the years of hard work and graceful storytelling from the show’s writers, producers, actors and crew, as well as our terrific partners at Warner Bros. Television and Berlanti Productions. As Superman embarks on his final flight, the team is leaving us with an absolutely epic 10-episode must-watch-every-minute farewell to one of the most legendary CW families ever.”
Many speculate that this recent slew of show cancellations, which includes titles like “Nancy Drew” and “Riverdale,” as well as most superhero series, are the direct result of Nexstar Media acquiring The CW exactly one year ago. Given how expensive “Superman & Lois” once cost, it’s no surprise that the series is also getting the boot.
“While we’re sad to say goodbye to ‘Superman & Lois’ at the end of Season Four, we’re grateful for the time we’ve had with our amazing cast, crew, vfx teams, editors, musical geniuses, and writers. Since the day this show was first discussed, it was about family. And that’s what was created—on and off screen,” said executive producers and co-showrunners Todd Helbing and Brent Fletcher. “We’d like to thank our partners at Berlanti Productions, DC, WB and The CW for their endless support and enthusiasm during this journey…and give a very special thank you to all the fans for tuning in. We’re thrilled about what we have in store in our final season, and can’t wait for everyone to watch as Superman, Lois and all our heroes face off against the biggest threat in the show’s history—Lex Luthor.”
Based on the characters from DC created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, “Superman & Lois” is from Berlanti Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television, with executive producers Greg Berlanti, Todd Helbing, Sarah Schechter, Brent Fletcher, and Geoff Johns.
In season three of “Superman & Lois,” after years of facing megalomaniacal supervillains, monsters wreaking havoc on Metropolis, and alien invaders intent on wiping out the human race, the world’s most famous superhero, The Man of Steel aka Clark Kent (Tyler Hoechlin) and comic books’ most famous journalist, Lois Lane (Elizabeth Tulloch), come face to face with one of their greatest challenges ever — dealing with all the stress, pressures and complexities that come with being working parents in today’s society. Based on the characters from DC Comics created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, “Superman & Lois” season three is from Berlanti Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television, with executive producers Greg Berlanti, Todd Helbing, Sarah Schechter, Brent Fletcher and Geoff Johns.
