The CW’s Superman & Lois is finally in production on its third season, which is sure to excite fans of the Arrowverse-adjacent series. We’ve already seen a massive behind-the-scenes change for the show, with the exit of one of its lead stars (with their role recently recast). Now, the show has brought in an actor to play a new character to the series entirely. S&L has officially cast its villain for Season 3, and it’s tapped an Arrow alum for the job.
Chad L. Coleman has officially joined the cast of Superman & Lois as the villainous Bruno Manheim, according to TVLine. The actor is arguably best known to superhero fans for his role as Arrow’s Tobias Church, a role that he played for four episodes during the fifth season of the series. Coleman has been in more galactic surroundings as of late, since he’s currently playing the role of Klyden on The Orville (which is streamable with a Hulu subscription). His credits also include The Walking Dead, The Expanse, All American and It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.
The actor is an intriguing pick for Bruno Manheim, who was briefly mentioned by John Diggle during the final moments of S&L’s Season 2 finale. Based on the description of Manheim, this iteration of the classic Superman villain will pretty much fall in line with his characterization in the comics. The baddie is described as “a local hero” in the city of Metropolis and has “revived the struggling neighborhoods of the city.” Despite that, Lois Lane has apparently been working for years to prove that he’s the leader of the criminal organization Intergang.
It’s good to finally have confirmation that Manheim will indeed be involved in this latest stretch of the acclaimed series. But one can’t help but wonder if he’ll be the only big bad that the show has to offer during the third season. Season 2 featured two antagonists in Ally Alston and Bizzaro, though the latter proved to be more of an antihero by the time of his shocking death. Superman & Lois has been known to deliver a villain switcheroo or two, so I’m curious as to how they proceed this time around.
As previously referenced one of the other big stories regarding Season 3 is the departure of Jordan Elsass, who played the role of Jonathan Kent. The star explained that he’d opted to leave the show in order to focus on his mental health. This time last week, it was reported that Elsass would be replaced in the role by Australian actor Michael Bishop.
Changes like cast additions and exits can cause uncertainty, but Superman & Lois’ producers have given fans few reasons to doubt their work. In terms of Chad L. Coleman’s casting as Bruno Manheim, I’m excited to see what he does in the role. The Arrow alum has proven himself to be a talented actor and can certainly hold his own alongside the show’s other talented stars.
A release window hasn’t been confirmed for Superman & Lois Season 3 just yet but, while you wait, check out the first two seasons using an HBO Max subscription. Also, take a look at CinemaBlend’s 2022 TV schedule for info on shows that are premiering in the near future.
