'Superman & Lois' in development at the CW

[Patrick Gerard]

Flashbacks and Flashforwards I would not be surprised at. And I'm sure it'll lean into the CW's soap formula as much as the others. Though if I had to compare it to any of them I'd say maybe Black Lightning which leans heavily on the generational and family style storytelling that the pitch hinted at. Full on family drama ala This is Us doesn't seem to likely.

It'd be interesting if they adopted the Arrow style and had like an older Jon in the Flashforwards or even a Legion era Jon coming back in time. Berlanti and Co. burn through plot like no other so I'm fully expecting we'll see Death/Reign/Return at some point - honestly that'd make for a epic two year crossover if they merge the worlds. Do Doomsday one year having him tear through the other shows culminating in Death. Then play out Reign over the second half of the series and do Return (and Mongul/Cyborg) being the following year's crossover. You could introduce a Tyler Hoechlin as Cyborg Supes so he's not out of the series.

I think BL is definitely a part of the formula. Halfway between BL and TIU.

It’s probably worth looking at who’s working on Superman and Lois.

The talk as I understand it was that part of the Arrowverse writers were sent off to a temporary COIE writers’ room which is partly why we’re supposed to get half season plots this year.

The rumor is Bloodwork will be mostly wrapped by COIE and the back half of Flash’s season gets a new villain. There’s talk about Iris’ secret future parentage being a plot (the new showrunner flat out said he’s doing that plot) and I think we’ll get an Abra Kadabra arc adjacent to that along with whatever the post-Crisis Wells status is. (Wells as a character is poised for a big character makeover being the show’s “multiverse guy”. I expect a final new Wells who might just be Harrison Wells, no gimmick, in the new timeline).

But part of the writers left to start the S&L writers’ room. I think Sterling Gates is pretty likely to be on that team. And if we know which writers are there, we can have a sense of where the show is headed.

[stargazer01]

And Supes will be in Strange Adventures so he’s still going to be showing up on HBO!

Really? That show will be live action?

I need a trailer of Red Son already!

[Yoda]

Amy Pascal is absolutely onto something with the idea of a Superman romcom (supposedly one of her dream projects and something she argued WB was wasting money by not doing). But I think TV is where that take would have the most long term viability.

Out of curiosity, where'd this come from? I'd be so down for that take and haven't heard this before.

[Frontier]

It'd be interesting if they adopted the Arrow style and had like an older Jon in the Flashforwards or even a Legion era Jon coming back in time. Berlanti and Co. burn through plot like no other so I'm fully expecting we'll see Death/Reign/Return at some point - honestly that'd make for a epic two year crossover if they merge the worlds. Do Doomsday one year having him tear through the other shows culminating in Death. Then play out Reign over the second half of the series and do Return (and Mongul/Cyborg) being the following year's crossover. You could introduce a Tyler Hoechlin as Cyborg Supes so he's not out of the series.

I'm also expecting a riff of Death/Reign/Return, although Superlad has me thinking how soon before they might start using Bendis stuff...maybe not the Jon age-up, but Rogol Zaar as a Big Bad? Assuming they want to go there.

I do have to say, all these people lamenting the lack of money that a DC Universe or HBO Max version of Superman because it'd be better quality must not have seen the mid-2000's level CGI Titans rolled out for Trigun. Cause CW has regularly done far better than that with Grodd, King Shark, Beebo, etc. Really, the set design might be a little higher quality, but the effects aren't anything beyond what the CW regularly pulls off.

I wonder what the Planet set will look like versus CatCo, though it looks like they made one for Routh's Superman for Crisis.

[GilGarciaJr]

I'm also expecting a riff of Death/Reign/Return, although Superlad has me thinking how soon before they might start using Bendis stuff...maybe not the Jon age-up, but Rogol Zaar as a Big Bad? Assuming they want to go there.

I wouldn't be surprised if they did Rogol Zaar. "Supergirl" already name dropped Leviathan at the end of last season.

[Osiris-Rex]

I'm also expecting a riff of Death/Reign/Return, although Superlad has me thinking how soon before they might start using Bendis stuff...maybe not the Jon age-up, but Rogol Zaar as a Big Bad? Assuming they want to go there.

I wonder what the Planet set will look like versus CatCo, though it looks like they made one for Routh's Superman for Crisis.

I would like the Planet to be more seedy and run-down. In an old building with wooden desks, crowded, and lots of clutter. Something like we had in Lois & Clark and the 1970s Superman movies.
Like it has been around for a long time, in contrast to CatCo being all bright and shiny and new, because after all Cat Grant founded CatCo after she left the Planet so CatCo can't be that old.

[Yoda]

I'm also expecting a riff of Death/Reign/Return, although Superlad has me thinking how soon before they might start using Bendis stuff...maybe not the Jon age-up, but Rogol Zaar as a Big Bad? Assuming they want to go there.

With Leviathan already appearing in Supergirl - though I'm not sure how closely that's following Bendis take on it, I would not be shocked if they pull in the Invisible Mafia right away. Since Lex will probably be reserved for guest star status and how they are going to play Lena's connection at all, the Invisible Mafia would likely make for a good shadow villain for a season or two. And could play with Leone in the DP side of it.

I wonder what the Planet set will look like versus CatCo, though it looks like they made one for Routh's Superman for Crisis.

If they're building out a Daily Planet set for Routh's Superman, they could definitely keep it around for this series. I hope they do distinguish it a bit from CatCo. A more lived in look would be great. I don’t want an Apple Store knock off.

I wonder which US city they will take the flyovers for for Metropolis as well ala Boston for Star and LA for National City for Supergirl. Probably New York.

[Vordan]

Really? That show will be live action?

I need a trailer of Red Son already!

Yep that’s live action and Supes was one of the heroes on the promo image with a kid wearing an S-shield shirt (not Jon or Kon just a regular civilian).

[Yoda]

I think BL is definitely a part of the formula. Halfway between BL and TIU.

It’s probably worth looking at who’s working on Superman and Lois.

The talk as I understand it was that part of the Arrowverse writers were sent off to a temporary COIE writers’ room which is partly why we’re supposed to get half season plots this year.

The rumor is Bloodwork will be mostly wrapped by COIE and the back half of Flash’s season gets a new villain. There’s talk about Iris’ secret future parentage being a plot (the new showrunner flat out said he’s doing that plot) and I think we’ll get an Abra Kadabra arc adjacent to that along with whatever the post-Crisis Wells status is. (Wells as a character is poised for a big character makeover being the show’s “multiverse guy”. I expect a final new Wells who might just be Harrison Wells, no gimmick, in the new timeline).

But part of the writers left to start the S&L writers’ room. I think Sterling Gates is pretty likely to be on that team. And if we know which writers are there, we can have a sense of where the show is headed.

Black Lightning is really the best of the CW shows. Both seasons have been really solid and I don't know if its because of the lower episode count or what, but they have definitely carved out a unique look compared to the main ones which all have similar aesthetics. But the style of storytelling they do really could work well in the context of a Lois & Clark show (they have change the name, Superman & Lois just doesn't roll off the tongue as well as Lois & Clark though I can understand if they want to distance themselves from that a bit or can't use it for licensing or rights reasons). If they lean heavier on the soapier elements ala This is Us, I definitely could see that working as well. Though yeah, I suspect it's going to lean into the super heroics as much as Supergirl or any of the others.

I know the head writer from Flash is heading the pilot script. I haven't heard whether or not Gates is going over. It'd make sense if he did. Bryan Edward Hill writes for Titans and he's expressed a lot of interest in writing Superman as well. Given Johns & Berlanti's connections in all this, I wouldn't be surprised if he did. I don't know if Jessica Queller is still involved with Supergirl, but if they are pealing off writers from other shows there are some solid ones they could. Gwenda Bond tweeted she's available to write for it as well. That'd be pretty great.

I think a combined timeline is almost a certainty and this show almost cements that for me. It's just a question of whether or not they fiddle with the timeline to age up Jon. If they are going to do a split flash forward, that wouldn't be necessary I suppose.

[manwhohaseverything]

Why can't superman be an actual action hero anymore? I hate the notion that superman needs a romcom or family drama something like that to be be successful. It's lazy, safe and uninspiring because that's what Superman has turned into and is currently now. He is no longer an action hero.

[Patrick Gerard]

Out of curiosity, where'd this come from? I'd be so down for that take and haven't heard this before.

It was reported on via the Sony hacks paired with anonymous sources.

In private correspondence, she was apparently in disbelief that WB wasn’t doing something more rom com-y. I believe she identified a good chunk of Donner’s Superman and Raimi’s Spider-man as love stories and basically opined that WB was throwing away money by not developing the love story more. I tried to resist digging into the hacked stuff directly.

I have to admit, SR is kind of stalker-y with no clear indication of a future romance and MOS/DoJ kind of jumps straight into the sack with no “dance” to the relationship.

[Patrick Gerard]

Why can't superman be an actual action hero anymore? I hate the notion that superman needs a romcom or family drama something like that to be be successful. It's lazy, safe and uninspiring because that's what Superman has turned into and is currently now. He is no longer an action hero.

What is it about action heroes that speaks to you?

For me, super-heroes are always action hero PLUS something. Domesticated gods. Or godlike neighborhood kids. It’s the mesh of contemporary urban/suburban drama that defines what a super-hero is and was what made Superman DIFFERENT from Flash Gordon or Hercules back in 1938. He has an apartment, neighbors, unrequited love, frustration with city zoning laws, hobbies, errands, a job.

Without that, he’s just Conan with a high school diploma and western cultural upbringing.

[Crabble]

Why can't superman be an actual action hero anymore? I hate the notion that superman needs a romcom or family drama something like that to be be successful. It's lazy, safe and uninspiring because that's what Superman has turned into and is currently now. He is no longer an action hero.

What do you mean by an "action hero" exactly? Also, who's saying that the big guy needs to be a rom-com or family drama in order to be successful?
We legit have backlogs of action-oriented Superman media to comb through.
I don't mean to be callous, I can see where you're coming from in that Rebirth Supes and the live-action Supes are focused on family currently, so that might not appeal to you.

[Yoda]

Why can't superman be an actual action hero anymore? I hate the notion that superman needs a romcom or family drama something like that to be be successful. It's lazy, safe and uninspiring because that's what Superman has turned into and is currently now. He is no longer an action hero.

No ones saying to exclude action. But these shows all incorporate action along with the drama. Have you seen Black Lightning? There’s plenty of action in that. Superman, particularly live action Superman, has always had romantic elements involved. Even the the Golden Age stuff had Clark and Superman romancing Lois. Why is that lazy, safe, or uninspiring. If anything the safest laziest route would be a CGI fest action movie.

[manwhohaseverything]

Look guys, my problem is taking the focus of from "action" and on to something else. I have no problem with superman having other elements. All action heroes do.
For the people, that are saying. Rebirth superman isn't for me. That is furthest from the truth. But, the honest truth. I enjoyed rebirth because of jon, not clark. Jon got key action moments in rebirth. For clark threats were minimal. An action hero is someone has fights with and gets over great obstacles, has training/learns new skills to battle foes, grows personally and powerwise. All these things happened. There is an action hero in rebirth. But, clark was not him. The focus was not on Superman the action hero. It was jon kent the action hero.
How does that help clark kent superman? The perception will be clark is just for drama stuff. When that ain't true
And bendis stories are more superman focused. It is nothing like rebirth