Since the Arrowverse began way back in 2012, the world of DC TV has expanded in a major way. It started with the introduction of Green Arrow and The Flash, and quickly spiralled into a superhero-palooza that included the entire Legends of Tomorrow cast, Supergirl, Batwoman, Constantine and more. Now, there’s a new face joining The CW’s line-up: Superman & Lois.
While Tyler Hoechlin’s Clark Kent and Bitsie Tulloch’s Lois Lane have already appeared in the Arrowverse as part of Supergirl, this is the first time they’ll be in the spotlight.
If you’re keen to get stuck in with a new Smallville-style adventure, here’s everything you need to know about the upcoming show.
Superman & Lois: Australian Release Date
Superman & Lois launches on Binge in Australia on February 25, with new episodes airing every THURSDAY.
For cable TV subscribers, it’ll also air on FOX8 at 8:30 p.m. AEDT on Thursdays.
Its first season will have 15 episodes so you can expect the superhero goodness to continue until around mid-June.
What should I watch before the show begins?
Tyler Hoechlin’s Clark Kent was introduced in The CW’s Supergirl series, but you don’t have to watch every season to catch up with his story.
To get the full low down about how this Clark Kent operates, you should check out the following episodes of Supergirl:
- The Adventures of Supergirl (Season 2, Episode 1)
- The Last Children of Krypton (Season 2, Episode 2)
- Resist (Season 2, Episode 21)
- Nevertheless, She Persisted (Season 2, Episode 22)
You’ll also want to watch the last two major Arrowverse crossovers, Elseworlds and Crisis on Infinite Earths. These take place over multiple episodes of Arrow, The Flash, Legends of Tomorrow, Supergirl and Batwoman and aren’t strictly necessary, but they are a bunch of fun. They also give Hoechlin’s Superman a great chance to shine.
If you want to skip over these episodes entirely, that’s alright too. Most people know the basics of the Superman story, and there’s nothing too surprising with the Arrowverse version of the character.
Superman & Lois: Plot
Superman & Lois takes place a few years after the events depicted in Supergirl, and follows Clark and Lois as they return to live in Smallville with their two children, Jonathan and Jordan.
While Jonathan did make an appearance in the Arrowverse as a baby, the events of Crisis on Infinite Earths rewrote Lois and Clark’s destiny and essentially ‘created’ their two teenage children so their circumstances will be very new to audiences.
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The show’s set to follow their struggles as they balance Clark’s day and night jobs with Lois’ high-profile career, teenage anxiety, growing pains and the realities of living in a rural American town. Unlike traditional Superman shows, it’s set to be a more grounded tale focusing on human stories over superheroics.
Johnathan and Jordan Kent will be a major focus for the series as they deal with the pressures of high school and a very distracted father.
Who’s in it?
Lois and Clark will be joined by Smallville favourite Lana Lang (this time played by Emmanuelle Chriqui) and a cast of mostly-new characters as they navigate life in the small-time city. Clark’s father Jor-El is also set to appear, but outside of these two there won’t be a lot of familiar characters for Superman lore fans.
Arrow’s John Diggle will reportedly be making a cameo appearance, but beyond this there won’t be a lot of connections between the other Arrowverse shows and Superman & Lois. It means the show will be perfect for new fans who want to dive right in without nine years of story baggage.
In future, you can expect it to cross over with other shows, but for now it’ll be its own, self-contained story.
Is Superman & Lois connected to Smallville?
Sadly, no.
Superman & Lois is set in a completely separate universe from Smallville — but the characters from both worlds have already crossed over into the Arrowverse once.
During the conclusion of Crisis and Infinite Earths, the Smallville versions of Clark and Lois appeared to conclude their story.
In current Arrowverse lore, the original Smallville Clark gave up his superpowers to start a family with Lois and their two girls. You can check out the epilogue of Smallville‘s story here if you haven’t seen it already.
With that series now officially over, Superman & Lois is set to tell a whole new story.
Superman & Lois begins airing on February 25 in Australia.
Stay tuned to Gizmodo Australia for all the latest news on the show and more.