Each of the main heroes in Justice League will have at least one member of their supporting cast appearing in the upcoming DC Extended Universe movie. Batman has Alfred and Commissioner Gordon; Wonder Woman has Hippolyta and other Amazons from Themyscira; Aquaman has Mera and Vulko; Cyborg has his father, Dr. Silas Stone; and Flash has his father, Henry Allen (Iris West's cameo has reportedly been cut). As for the yet-to-be-resurrected Superman, he'll be joined by Lois Lane, ace reporter for The Daily Planet and his love interest. Lois was an integral character in Man of Steel and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, so with Justice League primed to somehow bring Kal-El/Clark Kent back to life, it's fitting that she's being brought back for a third time. But the question remains: what will Lois Lane be doing in Justice League?
Until today, our only look at Lois Lane in Justice League was in the April trailer, where she was seen looking up at the sky. Some speculated that she was seeing Superman flying in the sky, but let's be honest, with a shot that short, it's impossible to draw any meaningful assumption. However, the latest Justice League trailer changed that, with Lois dreaming that she was seeing the Kryptonian in the cornfields of his Smallville farm home (a moment that echoed Superman: The Movie). Clark was pleased to see Lois wearing the engagement ring that she received from Martha Kent at his funeral in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, but Lois woke soon after, remembering that the love of her life was still dead.
Lois Lane's dream, along with the radio report that plays as she sits up in bed, reminds us of how Superman's absence is affecting the world. Fortunately, the world will soon have new protectors to serve as beacons of hope in the Man of Steel's absence, and not a moment too soon since Steppenwolf and his Parademon army have come to tear our world apart in search of the three Mother Boxes. But how does Lois fit into the main Justice League narrative beyond her longing for Superman to be back? It's certainly possible that we'll see her reporting on the alien invasion for The Daily Planet, but to borrow a phrase from Batman v Superman, we also shouldn't discount that Lois is "the key" to Superman's full return, calling back to what the future Barry Allen alluded to Bruce Wayne after he experienced that Knightmare of Superman ruling an Apokolips-controlled Earth with an iron fist.
Details concerning Superman's return have wisely been kept under wraps, but there's been speculation that when the Kryptonian hero is resurrected, he'll be a force for darkness. This has primarily been fueled by the prospect of Superman wearing a black suit and composer Danny Elfman saying how his twisted version of John Williams' Superman score will play during a moment when we're not sure whose side Superman is on. It goes without saying that if Superman is indeed evil once he's back among the living, that's only temporary. Whether he's being controlled by Steppenwolf or has been perverted by whatever rebirthing process he went through, eventually Superman will revert to being the superhero he's supposed to be.
Well, what if in this timeline, Lois is "the key" to snapping Superman back to normal. If the Justice Leaguers can't get the job done, then it may fall to Lois to appeal to his humanity, so to speak. If the future Flash's cryptic message did indeed mean that Lois is the one who can keep Superman free from permanent corruption, then her connection to him will be what ultimately turns him back into a force for good. This subsequently turns the tide in the Justice League's favor while fighting Steppenwolf now that Superman is on their side. Even if all this doesn't end up happening, ideally we can at least look forward to Superman and Lois reuniting by the end of Justice League, ready to continue their life together into Man of Steel 2 and the rest of the DCEU.
Justice League opens in theaters on November 17. To find out what else is being released for the remainder of the year, look through our 2017 movie premiere guide.
