Because of how long Superman has been around, we've seen many, many, many different versions of the Man of Steel over the years -- and soon yet another will be added to the ranks. Tyler Hoechlin has been cast to play Clark Kent a.k.a. Superman in the upcoming season of Supergirl, which will soon become a more significant part of the ever-growing DCTV Universe. But given the variety of Supermen we've seen over the years, how are Hoechlin and the showrunners figuring out what their version should be? According to the actor, the approach was all about taking in all of the different incarnations, and deciding what really makes the character compelling.
Tyler Hoechlin is currently doing press to support the Blu-ray and DVD release of the amazing Richard Linklater film Everybody Wants Some!!, and after a great conversation of the movie, we concluding our conversation by talking about his approach to the Last Son of Krypton. Because Henry Cavill's Superman has gotten a whole bunch of exposure recently, I asked if he was actively trying to do something different with the character, and he explained that it wasn't about doing something different, but exploring the best aspects of the hero. Said Hoechlin,
Definitely not actively or purposefully trying to do anything the same or different. Just looking at the character for what it is on the page and in this story and this representation of the character. There's been multiple, multiple versions of Superman, so the producers and I had a great meeting about what we find fascinating and interesting about the character, what I personally find interesting about him. So, you know, just trying to stay true to those ideas and those thoughts, definitely not trying to include or dis-clude anything that's been done previously or going on right now. So, just really trying to make it my own and I think that's always the best way to go about it when you do something like this.
Tyler Hoechlin landed the role of Superman on Supergirl just last month, with the news of his casting hitting the trades in mid-June. The actor will be making his debut as the character in the first episode of the series' second season (which will be the first to air on The CW instead of CBS). He is also set to play a part in the second episode, though that's all we know for now. Given how exciting the presence of Superman is, we expect that he won't be limited to only two appearances -- though one hopes that the showrunners know not to overexpose him when Melissa Benoist's Supergirl really should be taking center stage.
While I can definitely be counted as a fan of Supergirl's first season, the presence of Tyler Hoechlin as Superman has me very excited for the next 20-something episodes. While the show definitely worked without the Man of Steel being a major presence, it was just a tad stupid the way that the show had to dance around his existence. Now that they don't have to, it could lead to some great Superman TV action.
Supergirl Season 2 and the debut of Tyler Hoechlin's Superman is currently scheduled for October 10th -- but for those of you curious about the actor's chops, do yourself a favor and check out Everybody Wants Some!!, which is on Blu-ray and DVD now.
