The hit superhero seriesSuperman & Loisis less than a month away from airing its fourth and final season on the CW. Season 4 arrives with a two-episode premiere on Jul 02, 2025, picking up in the aftermath of the previous season finale. Audiences will see the conclusion of Superman (Tyler Hoechlin) facing off against Doomsday, adapting the iconic comic bookarcTheDeath of Superman. A strong way to endSuperman & Lois, but tackling the tragic storyline this season was not always the plan.Before the cancellation, the series creators wanted it to go on much longer.
In a report byEntertainment Weekly, the producers ofSuperman & Loishadhoped the series would run for seven seasonsand had planned for that outcome. This is the average life span for most CW superhero shows, asSupergirlran for six seasons,Legends of Tomorrowlasted seven seasons, andArrowended with eight. Meanwhile,The Flashhad an epic nine-season run. The showrunners forSuperman & Loishadn’t planned for theDeath of Supermanarc to be the final season’s story when they first pitched the series. However, Todd Helbing, one of the series creators, said,“It all worked out oddly in a really nice way. It’s just sad that it had to be the last season.”
Showrunner Brent Fletcher did not get to execute the seven-season plan, and a lot of the supporting cast had to be reduced, but he added,“We’re able to end it exactly how we wanted to end it, and that means a lot for us.”
Superman and Lois
Superman & Lois Was a Casualty of Corporate Rebrands
Superman & Loiswas a critically acclaimed series, so the news of its conclusion after four seasons was a bitter sting for many fans. However, it was not shocking, asthe writing seemed to be on the wall for years.Shortly beforeSuperman & LoisSeason 2 aired, Nexstar began discussions on acquiring a controlling interest in The CW, with the deal becoming official in October 2022.During this time, The CW canceled many of its shows, includingNaomi,Stargirl, andLegends of Tomorrow.The network began cutting costs across the board, looking to acquire cheaper television series from international markets and focusing more on reality series and game shows.Superman & Loisdebuted at a time when The CW was betting big on superhero series, not realizing what was around the corner.
James Gunn’s new DCU plan is also a major factor. Gunn looks to have DCU projects connected across a wide variety of media, including film, television, animation, and video games. While some projects are spared from that burden, like the animated showsHarley QuinnandMy Adventures with Superman,Superman & Loisappears to be not so lucky. It might have overlapped much with whatJames Gunn has planned for the DCU, particularly hisSupermanmovie. WhenSuperman & Loisdebuted on the CW, Henry Cavill’s Superman within the DCEU was in a limbo state, so a television series was a good way to keep the character in the public eye.
Why Superman & Lois Is the Best Modern Version of Superman
While Warner Bros. has struggled with the Man of Steel on the big screen, Superman & Lois is the best version of the hero since Christopher Reeve.
Superman & Loiswill conclude a little over a year before Gunn’sSupermanhits theaters and launches the DCU. The CW President of Entertainment, Brad Schwartz, pretty much spelled it out when he said,“They [Warner Bros.] don’t want a competing Superman product in the marketplace.“It is a shame thatSuperman & Loisdid not get to play out a seven-season plan, but the series has offered one of the best modern versions of Superman fans could want.
