After a long wait and numerous series chocked full of DC heroes, The CW is finally giving the biggest hero his own show in the Arrowverse. Now, as the series gears up for its inaugural run on the network, Superman & Lois co-lead Tyler Hoechlin has admitted that, at first, he wasn't even sure if a Man of Steel-centric series was something he was interested in.
The actor made the shocking revelation in an interview with Den of Geek when speaking about when he was first cast to play Superman on Supergirl in 2016. The CW had no plans for Superman at the time, and Tyler Hoechlin admitted he was completely fine with that:
Honestly, I was at a point in my life and my career where I didn’t want to commit to something that was a full-time thing on a show. I had just left [Teen Wolf] and was enjoying the opportunity to try different things and move around a little bit. So it felt perfect. [Filming] was going to be a couple of weeks up in Vancouver. I could check the list and say I got to play a superhero– and Superman at that.
Tyler Hoechlin would do other things, but as many Arrowverse fans are aware, it was not a one-and-done appearance. Hoechlin would play key parts in crossovers in the years that followed, with his co-star, Elizabeth Tulloch, making her debut in Elseworlds. Both actors returned for Crisis On Infinite Earths, which of course, set the stage for them to star in Superman & Lois.
That's quite a turnaround for a star who thought he was going to be a one-off appearance, but it's hard to blame Tyler Hoechlin for changing his mind along the way. The actor originally auditioned for the part ahead of DC's Man of Steel and, while he didn't get that role, he's had more opportunities to portray Superman than Henry Cavill.
And while Tyler Hoechlin may have already had a hankering to play Superman ahead of taking the meeting with Supergirl, the actor said it was the "shamelessly optimistic and hopeful" tone of the show that drew him in. Hoechlin has done a good job of maintaining that character (when he isn't changed by any book), so it will be interesting to see if Superman & Lois presents that same optimistic tone with Clark and his family. Raising teenage boys can be rough, so I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if his two sons make the Man of Steel, at the very least, a bit frustrated in this first season.
Superman & Lois debuts its two-hour premiere on The CW Tuesday, February 23. Gear up for the premiere by reading up on what we know about the show so far, and stick with us for more about the show afterward.
