The Arrowverse’s version of The Death of Superman was almost going to look very different, as one of the Superman & Lois stars opens up on the season 4 approach of the DC arc. While they took some creative liberties, the Superman & Lois season 4 story did give fans a new adaptation of The Death of Superman saga that has been one of the Man of Steel’s most iconic moments in the DC canon. However, the audience was close to getting a different version of The Death of Superman in Superman & Lois season 4.

In a new interview with Screen Rant, Superman & Lois star Wolé Parks, who portrayed John Henry Irons, a.k.a. Steel, was asked if his character was originally meant to have a bigger role in season 4. Given Steel’s involvement with The Death of Superman/Reign of the Supermen, Parks confirmed that if season 4 had been longer, John would have had a larger presence in the absence of Clark Kent during his death, as he shared the following:

Wolé Parks: I will say yes, the whole idea of Steelworks and all this stuff, they were planning to do all that. The Death of Superman arc was going to be bigger than it is. They did a great job with it for season 4, there were bigger ideas out there. And then The CW and Warner Bros. were like, ‘You got one season, you got to reduce budget, so make it work.’ [laughs]

What Wolé Parks’ The Death Of Superman Story Comments Mean For Superman & Lois

Ever since Superman & Lois season 1, the show has slowly been putting the pieces in place for The Death of Superman/Reign of the Supermen, as the Arrowverse drama put emphasis on players like Steel and even their own take on the Eradicator. Despite not having access to Conner Kent, Superman & Lois had Jordan and Jonathan Kent, who ultimately became the Superboys of the show. Had Superman & Lois season 4 had the same budget as the previous seasons but also a longer episode order, that would have kept Clark dead for more episodes, allowing these players to step in.

In the end, as Parks explained, things didn’t unfold that way. In the case of Steel, this serves to explain why John was only around for a handful of episodes, including the Superman & Lois series finale, which made it tricky to do the Reign of the Supermen as close to the comics as possible. Nevertheless, it doesn’t take away how the Superman & Lois creative team was able to craft a solid final season with the budget that they had in the end.

Our Take On Wolé Parks’ The Death Of Superman Story Comments

From what Parks explained, it would have been fun if the Reign of the Supermen story had been able to shine more in Superman & Lois season 4. It’s possible that a future Superman adaptation will get to do The Death of Superman/Reign of the Supermen a bit closer to the comics, which could perhaps happen in James Gunn’s DC Universe. As Superman & Lois season 4 is officially over, time will tell where fans will see the next live-action version of Superman’s death and rebirth.