On The CW’sSuperman & Lois, Clark Kent (Tyler Hoechlin) andLois Lane(Elizabeth Tulloch) — well into their romantic relationship — pack up their lives in Metropolis for a fresh start in little ole Smallville alongside their twin teenage sons, Jon (Michael Bishop) andJordan (Alexander Garfin). But, small-town life turns out to be anything but peaceful, as Smallville becomes the hub for super-villainous activity, from businessman-turned-Superman’s half-brother Tal-Rho (Adam Raynor) to eccentric cult leader Ally Allston (Rya Kihlstedt). This has put Smallville, its citizens, and the world at risk multiple times, like when Allston merged with her other self from Bizarro World and tried to completely merge the worlds. Then, in Season 3 of the superhero drama, the long-anticipated arrival ofLex Luthor (Michael Cudlitz)brings about the arrival of another ofSuperman’s greatest foes: Doomsday. That said,Lex Luthor’s inclusion in the show isn’t necessarily something we’re celebrating.
Superman and Lois
Based on the characters from DC Comics, Superman & Lois follows Clark Kent and Lois Lane, attempting to live a quiet life in Smallville with their twin sons Jonathan and Jordan. Unfortunately for the couple, their lives continue to be effected by Clark’s superhero identity and powers. Tyler Hoechlin and Elizabeth Tulloch star as Clark and Lois, with Jordan Elsass and Alex Garfin portraying the couple’s sons.
Lex Luthor Has Been Overused in Superman Stories
The most obvious reason for our lack of enthusiasm about Lex Luthor joiningSuperman & Loisis that the character has been thoroughly explored in live-action Superman adaptations. While we love Superman in almost every iteration and each adaptation manages to bring new life to the character in some way,there’s really nothing new to do with Lex. He’s an egotistical billionaire mastermind who corrupts everything he touches and manages to get even the most powerful under his thumb. Despite his late entry to the show, we have seen examples of this twice inSuperman & Lois,with Lex getting every other person — employee and convict — to do his bidding in Stryker’s prison and then convincing Bizarro Superman to let him kill him repeatedly until Doomsday was born. His superpower is money and his willingness to go down any route due to his sociopathic tendencies. (There are enough Lex Luthor wannabes in real life already, thank you very much.)
Plus, we’re still burnt out after Lex (played byJon Cryer) completely overtook the final two seasons of The CW’sSupergirl. The writers were so excited to make use of Lex that everything on the show became about him in some way, which was absolutely exhausting to watch and permanently tainted the character for many viewers.His tricks are old and overdone, and his ability to constantly manipulate and manage all the people around him is about as believable aspeople not recognizing Clark Kent as Superman because of a pair of glasses. At the very least, it’s somewhat promising that there’s an edge to theSuperman & Loisversion of Lex that we haven’t seen before. He’s been in prison for nearly two decades after being framed for one of the few crimes that hedidn’tcommit. The reveal that he has a daughter is rather surprising, though certainly sticks to the theme of the series. Can that be enough to revitalize the character and make it worth watching another Superman/Lex showdown?
‘Superman & Lois’ Should Stick With Unexpected and Underused Villains
Honestly, it was a major relief whenSuperman & LoisSeason 1 revealed thatWolé Parks’ character was John Henry Irons instead of Lex Luthor. Whether it was the original plan, excluding Lex automatically separated this Superman adaptation from the others. It gave the series and the audience a chance to see Superman faceother iconic DC villains in live-action. For instance, the inclusion of Onomatopoeia as a major villain in Season 3 was thrilling, fantastic, and inventive (as the character from the comics had to be twisted to make the story work). Likewise, the story revolving around Bizarro Superman allowed us to see our favorite hero in action while also exploring another side to being the Man of Steel, which did not work out so well for theBizarro version of Clark.
In the end, turning the character into Doomsday was an unexpected and nearly perfect twist. The main villains of each season —Tal-Rho, Ally Allston, and Bruno Mannheim (Chad L. Coleman) — all brought something new to the Superman lore and the enduring legacy of this showdown the road. It has been incredibly fulfilling to watch Superman face off against enemies that show another side to the character and prove his multitude of abilities as a hero, rather than falling back on familiar foes, like Lex, that can only be stopped in so many ways.
Lex Luthor’s Inclusion Particularly Stings in Light of Season 4’s Cast Cuts
Unfortunately, it already seems promised that Lex will be a burden inSuperman & LoisSeason 4, but it’s all the more disappointing that this came at thecost of some of our beloved Smallville residents.Every main cast member aside from Hoechlin, Tulloch, Bishop, and Garfin has been cut; they have been offered the opportunity to return as guest stars in the upcoming season, though it’s unclear exactly who will be sticking around. But, in addition to this news, it was announced that Cudlitz was promoted to be a series regular for the 10-episode fourth season. This clearly promises a major Lex story next season, which will follow him closely. Whether it’s the intention of theSuperman & Loiswriters, this will completely shift the tone of the series and Lex’s presence will surely become a massive weight on the show that detracts from what many have loved about the series since it premiered.
Lex Luthor didn’t need to be introduced, much less become a series regular for the series’ final season. It’s already disheartening to be losing so many of the characters that we have grown to love, at least in the sense that they won’t be in nearly every episode from here on out. Additionally, it’s saddening to think that we’re losing a character that hasn’t been done justice in live-action, like John Henry Irons, in favor of seeing yet another incarnation of Lex Luthor battling against Superman. There was so much story to be toldwith the other characters that are being sacrificed to shift focus to Lex. There are so many other villains to explore that would test Clark and Lois in fresh, unpredictable ways.
