The Arrowverse is finally getting a Superman series in the form of Superman & Lois, but did the CW really make the best choice for a show about the Man of Steel? The new Superman show is a missed opportunity that could have explored the Kingdom Come version of Clark Kent, as played by Legends of Tomorrow’s Brandon Routh.
Apparently Green Arrow and the Canaries isn’t the only new show coming to the Arrowverse. It was reported this week that Tyler Hoechlin and Elizabeth Tulloch will reprise their roles as Clark Kent and Lois Lane in the Arrowverse spinoff, Superman & Lois. The series will focus on the lives of Superman and Lois as they deal with the complexities that come with being working parents. Hoechlin first played Superman in season 2 of Supergirl, with Tulloch stepping into the role of DC Comics’ most famous journalist in last year’s “Elseworlds” crossover. Both will be back for the 2019-2020 Arrowverse crossover, “Crisis on Infinite Earths”.
A Superman series set in the Arrowverse is something that fans have been requesting for a while, but considering what the CW plans to do with the Man of Steel in “Crisis on Infinite Earths”, it’s worth wondering if a different Superman could have received his own show instead. “Crisis” will feature three versions of Clark Kent: Hoechlin, Routh, and Smallville’s Tom Welling. The world of Hoechlin’s Superman has already been partially explored. Supergirl has already introduced Jimmy Olsen, Lex Luthor, General Zod, Metallo, Mister Mxyzptlk, and other characters associated with Superman comics. For many of these characters, their stories have been told.
A show about a different Superman wouldn’t lean too heavily on Supergirl, and would allow the series to start from scratch when it comes to world-building. Perhaps the most interesting route the show could have taken would have been to follow Brandon Routh’s character. In “Crisis”, Routh is playing the Kingdom Come Superman, which may or may not be an older version of Christopher Reeve’s Clark Kent. If this was the case, it would have explained why Brandon Routh is leaving Legends of Tomorrow.
The Kingdom Come Superman lives in a timeline where a new generation of selfish and morally questionable “heroes” have taken the places of Superman and the Justice League, who have retired due to being disillusioned with the state of the world and how people now regard crime fighting. But eventually, Superman comes out of retirement to reform the Justice League and go back into action. A Superman show set in such a dark environment would certainly be something new and unexpected for the Big Blue Boy Scout, as well as a welcome new addition to the Arrowverse.
More: Theory: Arrowverse’s Crisis Will Make Christopher Reeve Superman Prime
