Posted in: CW, Preview, Trailer, TV | Tagged: lex luthor, preview, season 3, superman & lois, the cw

Superman & Lois S03 Showrunners on Lex Luthor, Cudlitz's Look & More

Superman & Lois showrunners Todd Helbing & Brent Fletcher discuss bringing aboard Lex Luthor, Michael Cudlitz's look honoring the past & more.

With less than a week to go until The CW's Tyler Hoechlin & Elizabeth Tulloch-starring Superman & Lois hits our screens, viewers are already preparing themselves to be spending quite a bit of time in Metropolis during the third season. And with an extended stay in Superman's stomping ground comes the inevitable – Lex Luthor, who we learned would be played by actor/director Michael Cudlitz (Clarice, The Walking Dead) back in January. Speaking with KryptonSite, season 3 showrunners Todd Helbing & Brent Fletcher (who also penned the season-opener "Closer") discussed how "The Powers That Be" think of their take on Superman's "big bad," putting the show's stamp on the Lex Luthor mythos, and Cudlitz's "Lex look" honoring the past.

DC, Warner Brothers & The CW Are "Stoked" About This Lex: "We wanted to tackle some different villains and sort of separate ourselves a little bit, but we felt like as soon as we could get Lex, to bring him in, he's the villain. He is Superman's guy, and when we finally got permission to use him, we came up with a take, and everybody at DC and Warner Brothers and The CW was stoked with what we are going to try to do," Helbing shared. "We were super, super fortunate and excited to have Michael Cudlitz [who is playing Lex]."

It Was Important for S&L to Have Its Own Lex Luthor: "The thing with Luthor is, he's such an iconic character that even people who aren't familiar with comics know Lex Luthor, so for us, the challenge is how to put our own stamp on it. And I think that's why we were able to get Luthor – we had to take that's different in terms of what you've seen in live action," Fletcher explained.

No Spoilers on How Lex Will Look, But "It Honors Previous Takes": When asked how the show's take on Lex Luthor would look, Fletcher wasn't biting, responding, "We can't tell you that right off the bat! We want people to guess." But however Cudlitz's look turns out, viewers can expect it to honor what came before it. "When you see this Lex Luthor, we feel like he's going to be one of the Lex Luthors to talk about for generations to come. We're really proud of Cudlitz and what he's doing with him," Fletcher added.

Superman & Lois Season 3: Here's What You Need to Know

Returning on March 14th, the third season of The CW's Superman & Lois opens weeks after Superman's blowout defeat of Ally Allston. Clark (Hoechlin) and Lois (Tulloch) are now working at the Smallville Gazette together and enjoying small-town life. But the Kents' romantic bliss only shines a light on how isolating "the secret" can be as Chrissy (Sofia Hasmik) struggles to balance a new love interest and her friendship with Lois. However, Lois' own work-life balance is put to the test when an undercover assignment reveals a deadly foe that promises to change the Kent family forever. Superman would move heaven and earth for his family, but with a villain this merciless, even that might not be enough.

Meanwhile, the Kent boys find themselves being pulled in opposite directions as Jordan (Alex Garfin) discovers what a superhero identity really means and Jonathan (Michael Bishop) searches for purpose beyond the football field. Amid all this upheaval, John Henry (Wolé Parks) is haunted by his doppelgänger's past, leading to dangerous consequences for him and Natalie (Tayler Buck). Lana Lang (Emmanuelle Chriqui) and Kyle (Erik Valdez) redefine their family post-separation, while Sarah (Inde Navarrette) explores what the future holds for her and Jordan now that she knows the truth about his powers. Having learned the hard way that no one else can be trusted to work with Superman, General Samuel Lane (Dylan Walsh) reclaims his post at the Department of Defense, only to face his own conflict in working with his grandson, Jordan. Also joining the cast this season are Michael Cudlitz (The Walking Dead) as Lex Luthor and Chad L. Coleman (The Orville) as Bruno Mannheim.

Superman & Lois Season 3 Episode 2 "Uncontrollable Forces": ELIZABETH HENSTRIDGE DIRECTS THE EPISODE – Clark (Tyler Hoechlin) and Chrissy (Sofia Hasmik) both notice a small crack in Lois' (Elizabeth Tulloch) game face. Meanwhile, Sarah (Inde Navarette) and Jordan (Alex Garfin) have an awkward encounter. Lastly, Lana (Emmanuelle Chriqui) receives a panicked phone call. Elizabeth Henstridge directed the episode written by Katie Aldrin.

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