Warning: SPOILERS for the Superman & Lois series finale are ahead!
The Superman & Lois series finale gave all its characters perfect endings, but it was the epilogue that was especially emotional. Following the one-year time jump after Lex Luthor was defeated, the final chunk of “It Went By So Fast” chronicled what happened for the rest of Clark Kent and Lois Lane’s lives, with the latter dying of breast cancer decades later as her husband and sons were by her bedside. That was enough to get the tears flowing, but in an interview posted after the final Superman & Lois episode aired on the 2024 TV schedule, Elizabeth Tulloch suggested a way this scene for her character could have delivered an even bigger emotional blow.
While speaking with EW alongside co-star Tyler Hoechlin, Tulloch, who’s been playing the Lois to Hoechlin’s Clark Kent ever since the Arrowverse crossover “Elseworlds” that starred the Earth-38 versions of these characters, shared that she wishes Dylan Walsh, who played Sam Lane, Lois’ father, could have been present for this death scene. In her words:
The one thing I did miss in Lois' final moments was Dylan [Walsh], not having her father there in some capacity, even if he was sort of a hologram or a ghost or something. I remember when I was shooting it thinking, ‘Oh man, I really wish Dylan was here.’ Because it would make sense — she says, ‘Daddy.’ Can't we fly him in just to be on the other end saying, ‘Pumpkin,’ because that's always what he called Lois? That was my one regret, but we were dealing with crappy budget cuts and I'm really proud of what the writers and the producers and the cast and the crew were able to put together given those restraints.
Sam Lane was another character who’d been part of Superman & Lois since the beginning, both in a family capacity head of the Department of Defense. However, because Season 4 got hit with major budget cuts, Dylan Walsh was among the actors who were trimmed from the main cast, and he only appeared in two episodes this season. In his final appearance, Sam was killed by Doomsday, but because he injected himself beforehand with Bruno Mannheim’s serum that contained Superman’s blood, his heart was transplanted into his son-in-law’s body, allowing the Kryptonian technology in the Fortress of Solitude to bring Clark back to life.
Elizabeth Tulloch’s Lois Lane saw her father right before she died, but now that the actress brought up how it would have been great for Dylan Walsh to actually appear in that scene, I’m picturing that expanded version of the scene in my head and can feel the emotions bubble up again. Truthfully, I was a little surprised that Sam Lane wasn’t one of the characters present for when Clark entered the afterlife and reunited with his loved ones. But like Tulloch said, the aforementioned budget cuts prevented flying Walsh to Vancouver for such a cameo. Still, at least there was that nod to Sam before all was said and done.
Currently only the first three seasons of Superman & Lois can be streamed with a Max subscription, but count on Season 4 being added there soon. Now that the series is over, learn what the future holds in store by looking over the upcoming DC TV shows.
