Superman & Lois Season 4 will arrive in just a few months and, at present, fans remain eager to see how the story continues following the third season’s explosive ending. When viewers last saw Supes, he was engaged in a battle with Doomsday (formerly Bizarro) in space and, as revealed by the first S4 trailer, the hero will seemingly perish at the monster’s hands. So what does that mean for Clark Kent’s role in the final installments of the show? Well, lead actor Tyler Hoechlin joked about just how frequently he’ll appear in the upcoming episodes, before shedding some light on what lies ahead for Mr. Kent.
At San Diego Comic-Con this past weekend, Tyler Hoechlin took part in a farewell panel for S&L, which wrapped filming on Season 4 a few months back. Hoechlin later caught up with the press, during which he shared a few more details on the fourth and final season. With Clark seemingly dead, Hoechlin was asked just how much material he actually filmed this time around. He quipped that when it came to shooting in Vancouver, he “was there for like a week.” However, the jovial star then provided a serious answer that may come as a of relief for fans:
I was there for like a week, I was in Vancouver for a week. Nah, I’m kidding. I’ll definitely be there. And you know, there’s always many tools and flashbacks and whatnot.
Using flashbacks and other storytelling devices to keep Clark in the mix definitely makes sense. Tyler Hoechlin went on to confirm to TVLine that the show will indeed feature a take on “The Death of Superman,” the famous DC Comics storyline from the early ‘90s. In that story, Clark eventually returned after being killed by Doomsday and even donned a black suit. I’m not sure if that’ll happen on Superman & Lois, but Hoechlin did tease something else that’s in store for his eponymous superhero:
You’ll be seeing him team up with a lot of people in ways that maybe we haven’t seen him team up before. He’s going to need a lot of help from everybody, so everybody’s trying to find a way to do their part and fill his shoes.
So it sounds like the Man of Steel is going to find himself in some intriguing partnerships amid his unique circumstances. And, all the while, it would appear that – like in the comics – some will look to take the hero’s place as a defender of Earth. One of the main candidates in that regard is Jordan Kent, who’s still coming into his own as a superhero. There’s also John Henry Irons – a.k.a. Steel - who, in the comics, tried to take Clark’s place as well. I’m not sure if we’ll see a Cyborg Superman or the Eradicator here, though.
While it’s still disappointing that S&L is ending with Season 4, all signs point to the show going out on an action-packed and emotional note. The world is going to have to learn to live in a world without Superman and, from a narrative standpoint, that should make this last batch of episodes quite compelling. I’m just glad that Tyler Hoechlin will still get his due, and I’m hopeful that when it’s all said and done, his version of Clark will fly off into the sunset.
The fourth and final season of Superman & Lois hits The CW with a two-hour premiere on October 17 as part of the 2024 TV schedule. While you wait for the new episodes to arrive, grab a Max subscription and stream the first three seasons of the superhero family drama.
