A 23-Year Era Of DC Shows Ended by Superman & Lois Just Like It Started & It Was Perfect
Superman & Lois brought an end to the best era of DC television, and did it perfectly. Tyler Hoechlin and Elizabeth Tulloch made their debut as Superman and Lois Lane in the Arrowverse. The actors made their debut as the most iconic DC characters in The Flash for Tulloch and Supergirl for Hoechlin. The duo appeared in many series in the Arrowverse over the years, with Superman and Lois playing roles in several major crossovers.
Although Superman and Lois changed their roles in the Arrowverse by setting the series on an alternate Earth, Tyler Hoechlin and Elizabeth Tulloch continued to play their characters in the Arrowverse more or less as they were in the series. The Superman series has since been a huge success, with a perfect balance of dramatic moments, heartwarming dialogue, and thrilling superhero action. After four seasons, the series finale of Superman & Lois ended the show with its most emotional hour to date. Not only did the episode bring to an end one of DC's best live-action TV series of all time, it was also a fitting end to a successful DC era.
The Start And End Of The CW’s DC Series Included Superman
The reason why Superman & Lois Season 4 was the perfect conclusion to The CW's long history of DC TV series is because that story began years ago with Man of Steel. Even before the Arrowverse existed, Smallville was the first DC series to air on the network. The first five seasons of Tom Welling's Superman prequel series aired on The WB before moving to The CW. Smallville seasons six through ten aired on the new channel.
From 2001, when Smallville debuted, until 2024, when the final season of Superman & Lois ended, DC's live-action series flourished. It's fitting that DC's 23-year era began and ended with a Superman project, and even more special that they had contrasting storylines. In Smallville, Tom Welling's Clark Kent grew over the years, eventually becoming Superman at the end of the series finale. And in Superman & Lois, Tyler Hoechlin's Man of Steel lost his powers and became human in the series' final episode. One was the journey to Superman, the other was the journey to Clark Kent.
DC’s Next Era Also Starts With The Man Of Steel
With the CW's DC series coming to an end, the next chapter of the comic book giant is unfolding in James Gunn's new DC Universe. David Corenswet played Superman as the star of the DCU's first film, and the hero is the only ongoing live-action incarnation of the character. Superman recently made his first appearance in a vision in the trailer for Creature Commandos, hinting at his larger role in the series. With the DCU taking over DC's most famous television era, it's only fitting that they actually launch Superman in 2025 to keep the momentum of Superman & Lois going.
