2024 is almost here, and at some point in the new year we will be getting the fourth and final season of the Superman & Lois TV series. The CW has not yet announced a premiere date, but especially considering the new season hasn’t started filming yet, it may be late Spring or Summer before we see our favorite characters again for one last 10-episode run.
To celebrate the new year, though, we’re listing our Top Ten Hopes for the final season of the series…. things we’d like to see or not see in 2024. Here goes!
#1. Superman Lives… though I’d also accept a “Reign.” Sure, the Season 3 finale didn’t look too encouraging there, but it’s not like The CW’s new budget would be so cheap that they’d get rid of Superman. The show is called Superman & Lois, after all! We better see Tyler Hoechlin and that “S” again pretty swiftly… though if they want to do a “Reign of the Supermen” with Tyler playing an Eradicator and a Cyborg version of Superman, I might allow it. We’ve already got John Henry Irons/Steel and surely The CW casting folks could find a fun Superboy. This story has never been fully adapted in live action and it’s a key part of my Superman comics reading experience. (If you’ve never read “Triangle Era” Superman comics, you are missing the best of Superman’s 85-year run!)
#2. No more Superman vs. Superman. Now, obviously if they did “Reign of the Supermen” I’d take this wish away, but in three seasons + Crisis and Elseworlds crossover appearances, Superman & Lois has managed to have Tyler Hoechlin fighting another Tyler Hoechlin Superman like 8 different ways, or playing different “evil” versions of Superman. Enough with that already! It’s the same trap The Flash would run into with different speedster villains every season. Variety can be good, and while part of me would love to see other Superman actors from across the multiverse show up, such as Brandon Routh or Tom Welling, I’m honestly pretty Multiverse-d out at the moment.
#3. Other Kryptonite. Blue, red, rainbow… we haven’t seen too many variations of these on Superman & Lois, and it might be cool, and so specially Superman.
#4. Continued presence for some no-longer series regulars. Like many, I’m bothered by the demotions of several actors who were series regulars on the series, now being guest stars. With a few exceptions, we don’t know how much they will show up again… but it would be a real shame to not have John Henry and Nat around, and while I am 100% against more Jordan and Sarah angst, I really want Sarah to stick around. They’re a part of the tapestry that makes the show good, just like the Kents are.
#5. A better costume for Jordan. He looks like a huge dork with those goggles… sorry, Alex. Give him something cool!
#6. Let the family be happy! Sometimes I feel like Lois and Clark hate their children, with the amount of times they yell at them every episode. After how emotionally taxing Season 3 was especially, I hope the Kents get to have fun sometimes. Remember the time they were painting the house together and Superman had to go do a save with paint all over his hand? That was charming and cute. More please.
#7. Metropolis and the Daily Planet. The Daily Planet is as important to the mythos as Lois, Clark, Perry, and Jimmy are. A return to the great metropolitan newspaper would put Lois back at the top of her game, especially now that the paper isn’t owned by a bad guy anymore (that we know of… I mean, Lex Luthor might try something). If the Planet isn’t available, WGBS will do! And hey… maybe if Jordan is following his father’s side of things, Jonathan could take an interest in journalism and start working with his mom?
Beyond that, it appears the Kent Farm house is taken down. It could just be relocated, or they might just use stock footage from here on out, but if it’s gone, it might be worthwhile to go to a new setting for Season 4… returning the Kents to Metropolis. Also – let’s see the show’s version of Jimmy Olsen, now that we know the show isn’t on Earth-Prime.
#8. An actual conclusion. We know Season 4 is the last; the show isn’t moving anywhere else, and The CW isn’t renewing it after the ten episodes of Season 4. For those of us who have stuck with the show for all four years and 50+ episodes, I want a satisfying ending. Don’t leave us on a cliffhanger. Imagine if the 2023 strikes made the studio and network decide “we’re not doing Season 4 after all.” That would have sucked.
#9. A set visit for KryptonSite. Set visits seem to have fallen by the wayside, but it would be so cool to visit and interview the cast as we go into Season 4. Apparently there was a trip considered prior to Season 3, but we weren’t included on that list.
#10. A flash forward. As DC welcomes David Corenswet as their new Superman, combining with my own personal hopes for a happy ending, I’d love to get a glimpse into the future to see Clark and Lois happy decades from now, their children continuing their legacy. The Superman and Lois of Earth-WhateverThisIs deserve it.
There are surely other things that could have made this list — “Uncle Tal,” a Jordan Elsass cameo, and Supergirl being high on the list — but I’m sticking to ten with this one. What do you think? Leave your wishes for the final season on the KryptonSite Forums – registration is easy and free!
Victoria
October 4, 2016 at 1:54 pm
OMG YES! PLEASE DO IT
Bob Marshall
October 4, 2016 at 2:56 pm
I think it’s simple, do a mini series anything from 4-10 episodes. Legends isn’t a full 22 episode season do just end that earlier and have a new Superman show plug the gap. I do think even if he doesn’t get his own series we will see him again on Supergirl and hopefully in the Flash, Arrow and Legends of Tomorrow at somepoint.
Craig Byrne
October 4, 2016 at 8:41 pm
Also a great idea Bob!
Captain Untouchable
October 4, 2016 at 2:58 pm
I think there’s a danger that a stand-alone episodic Superman series might encroach on Supergirl a little too much. There’s only so much story to work with, and every foe/concept/etc that the Superman series deals with is one that Supergirl can’t use.
What might work though is something similar to Marvel-on-Netflix (or Vixen on CW Seed): one big story, told over the course of several episodes. Picking an arbitrary number: The CW could take a single well-known storyline (like they’ve done for the Dominators crossover this year), and adapt it into a six-part story, to be broadcast over the summer. That event could be a stand-alone Superman story, a Justice League style team-up, or anything in between (the Justice League Detroit line-up, only the aliens, only the sneaky people, only the non-powered people, etc). It could even take the place of the existing all-series crossover that usually happens in December. A show like that would be a lot easier for The CW to hype over the summer… and anyone who misses it when it’s broadcast can take advantage of CW Seed instead, so the show is potentially getting the views either way.
There are other things that might work pretty well in that format, too. Constantine might thrive pretty well in that sort of approach: a few more episodes to complete the Rising Darkness storyline, with a little help from Oliver and/or Sara, perhaps? A Birds of Prey storyline that brings back the Huntress and pairs her with Sara, Evelyn, Kendra, etc? A Green Lantern storyline, either introducing the Green Lantern Corps or Alan Scott, with appearances as appropriate from Oliver, Barry, and his Justice League compatriots? A series that takes place entirely on Earth-2, or Earth-3, or that stars the Justice Society back in the 1940s…
So many options. Since The CW is running out of weeknights for new shows, this might be a great option to keep expanding the Arrowverse to include more of what the fans want to see.
xeph
October 4, 2016 at 7:59 pm
A bit premature at this time, but he still kind of looks more like a superboy than a superman to me. We’ll have to see how it pans out.
SVIlleGal03
October 4, 2016 at 8:36 pm
I would. But not if it means “Supergirl” gets cancelled.
Craig Byrne
October 4, 2016 at 8:40 pm
Of course. An option that includes “Supergirl cancelled” is not welcome to me.
Kenny Kraly Jr.
October 4, 2016 at 10:10 pm
Yes without question!!! And fans need to get over Tom Welling not being Superman in Supergirl it was never going to happen it is what it is
Mike
October 5, 2016 at 4:45 am
Great idea of a summer show. You are correct on many ends. Will not compete with Supergirl or the other hero shows, gives CW a summer show (hit), and puts Superman back on TV.
Joshua La Rue
October 6, 2016 at 9:15 am
Or retool the Supergirl series as a Supergirl/superman series and for every like three episodes of Supergirl we get 1 superman centric episode and occasionally two partners or mash up episodes ala law & order criminal intent I recall that show had two sets of main detectives and sometimes episodes would center around one team of 2 sometimes the other, so why not just have Supergirl and superman share a series, it wouldn’t be impossible and there would be no competing and no oversaturation of Kryptonian tv series on same network…..
Joshua La Rue
October 6, 2016 at 9:17 am
Two PARTERS or mashup episodes is what I meant to say early in my comment
Adriana
October 14, 2016 at 3:49 am
If the world has more than one Flash why can’t it have more than one Superman, bring it on
Adriana
October 14, 2016 at 6:55 pm
If we have The Winchesters, Salvatores and Mikahleson on a weekly bases, I see no harm in seeing the Super Cousins saving the world
mae
October 11, 2016 at 4:23 am
CW will never waste that much money on Summer. Only CBS produced duds and excess episodes of Midseason shows will be scheduled on Summer. Berlanti has Black Lightning pilot on FOX. If FOX passes on it, CW will save it. Also brings Akils back with the network.