Posted in: CW, TV | Tagged: cw, superman & lois

Superman & Lois Showrunners Talk Hoechlin, Jordan, Lex Luthor & More

Superman & Lois Showrunners Todd Helbing & Brent Fletcher on Tyler Hoechlin's Season 4 presence, Lex Luthor/Amanda McCoy dynamic, and more.

As we inch closer to the October 7th premiere of the fourth and final season of CW's Elizabeth Tulloch, Tyler Hoechlin, Michael Bishop, Alex Garfin & Michael Cudlitz-starring Superman & Lois, we've been learning more about what viewers can expect from co-showrunners Todd Helbing and Brent Fletcher. As we've seen, the series return will pick up with The Man of Steel and Doomsday having a deadly face-off. While earlier previews left us feeling like Hoechlin might be MIA for a decent chunk of the season, Helbing notes to TV Line that the actor is "definitely still a presence" and appears in every episode. While he's gone, Jordan (Garfin) will look to step up, but Helbing notes that he "hasn't proved that he's ready for it yet."

As for Cudlitz's Lex Luthor, Fletcher noted that "there are a lot of pieces on the chess board that he's trying to knock off, including Smallville. We'll see the origin of where this comes from, and his beef with Superman and Lois Lane. There's a lot of history that we dive into." Assisting him with his agenda is Yvonne Chapman's Amanda McCoy – someone who Lex shares an "interesting and surprising" dynamic with. In addition, viewers can look forward to learning more about the ensemble cast throughout the season, with a "really fun" fourth episode that focuses on Kyle (Erik Valdez) and Chrissy (Sofia Hasmik) – an episode that also has what Fletcher teases is "possibly the best montage the show has ever done."

Superman & Lois: CW Offers Its Thoughts…

Previously, Brad Schwartz, CW's President of Entertainment (and someone who still seems to have "'Arrowverse'-on-the-Brain"), shared with TV Line his impressions of what he's seen so far of the final season. "I have watched nine of the 10 episodes, and [they are] f***king awesome. It is weekly-event television. Greg Berlanti and the producers have constructed 10 bangers. They really go for it. I've cried twice watching [the episodes], and I haven't even gotten to the finale yet. It's Emmy-worthy. And, by the way, you can watch this final season without having watched the previous [seasons] and still be emotionally invested in what is happening. It's a wonderful, 10-episode, contained arc." Though he hasn't seen the finale, Schwartz did read the script – adding, "People are going to be blown away."

Earlier this year, Schwartz discussed the series and the final season during the Television Critics Association Winter Press Event about the final season. Noting that the series return would be "wasted" during the summer, Schwartz confirmed that the series will hit screens for its final run this fall. Teasing that the upcoming season is "going to blow your minds, Schwartz added, "I watched the first episode last night. It will make you cry."

But that wasn't the only bit of news that Schwartz made during the event, also noting that Superman & Lois was going to end with its fourth season no matter how well it did. Why? "They don't want a competing Superman product in the marketplace," Schwartz explained, referencing Warner Bros. Discovery & DC Studios' Superman: Legacy, written and directed by DC Studios Co-CEO James Gunn. During a rollout of their short-term & long-term plans for their new DCU in January 2023, Gunn & Co-CEO Peter Safran said that they expect the series to run for "one or two more seasons" – with Gunn adding, "It's a show everybody likes, so it's going to keep going for a little bit."

Heading into the final, ten-episode season, viewers should expect to see Dylan Walsh, Emmanuelle Chriqui, Erik Valdez, Inde Navarrette, Wolé Parks, Tayler Buck & Sofia Hasmik. Yvonne Chapman (Kung Fu, Avatar: The Last Airbender) has joined the cast as Amanda McCoy, a trusted ally of Cudlitz's Lex Luthor. Douglas Smith (Big Love, Clarice) has been cast as Daily Planet photographer Jimmy Olsen, an extroverted 20-something known for being the 'life of the party' around the office. Despite being work colleagues with Clark, he's been unable to get him out of his 'awkward' shell. Unaware of Clark's super-secret, Jimmy's still determined to become his pal.

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