CW’s fan-favorite show Superman and Lois leaves Zack Snyder’s DCEU legacy in the dust by firmly establishing Superman as a symbol of hope.

CW’s Superman and Lois has been creating a ruckus due to its high-intensity pacing. And quite rightfully so, as even with season 4 almost ending, the show’s penchant for dramatic cliffhangers is still going strong. Tyler Hoechlin and Elizabeth Tulloch’s performances are just as enchanting as ever, if not more, due to the turmoil they are currently going through due to Lex Luthor’s slander campaign against Lois Lane.

Bitsie Tulloch and Tyler Hoechlin as Lois Lane and Clark Kent in Superman & Lois | Credit: The CW
Luthor has shaken hands with Gordon Godfrey to paint her as an unscrupulous journalist who is out to frame him in a bid to stop her pursuit of justice against him. However, Lane continues gathering evidence against him, and in a rare moment during this process, CW ends up highlighting a side of Superman that has been grossly ignored till now. Even Zack Snyder could not do him justice in the DCEU, although fans might not agree with it.

CW’s Superman and Lois has been one of the favorite shows of the Kryptonian superhero’s fans since it started airing in 2021. Although it’s much smaller in scale than a lot of projects involving Clark Kent, it has won over fans with its impactful storytelling and performances. However, with the airing of the penultimate episode of Season 4, the show might just have left most other Superman projects in the dust, including Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel, Batman Vs Superman, and so on.

Chad L. Coleman as Bruno Mannheim in Superman and Lois | Credit: The CW
In the episode, when Lois Lane continues to look for evidence regarding Lex Luthor’s past crimes despite him going to despicable lengths to stop her, she finds an ally in one of the unlikeliest people.

That is, Bruno Mannheim, one of their former nemesis, who seemed to have turned a new leaf, and wants to create a just society to honor his wife’s last wishes. When Lois meets Bruno at Stryker’s prison where he is currently an inmate after his wife’s death, although he berates her initially, he ends up giving her crucial information regarding Luthor’s misdemeanors.

Superman and Lois opens up new horizons in the salvation arc

Due to this information, Lois ventures out to persuade Amanda McCoy, Lex Luthor’s romantic partner, whom she believes is the only one who can aid her in stopping him. When McCoy realizes that she has been nothing but a pawn in Lex Luthor’s elaborate game, she switches her position and agrees to help Lois. With this, Lois can at least shut down or hack Lex’s suit, which is Milton Fine’s war armor, or manipulate it to help battle Doomsday, who is fighting Tyler Hoechlin‘s Clark Kent, Jordan, and Jon.
Yvonne Chapman as Amanda McCoy with Bitsie Tulloch’s Lois Lane in Superman and Lois | Credit: The CW

Although only the final episode will shed light on whether they will be successful in stopping Doomsday and Lex Luthor, this highlights a very significant aspect of Superman’s storyline. That is, his character as a symbol of hope. Not only to the masses but also to the people who have gone off the deep end in the past due to their personal sufferings.

Even if they don’t see eye to eye on all fronts, they can still work out a way to help create the fair society they truly want to see, similar to Bruno Mannheim, and Amanda McCoy.

Superman and Lois gets ahead of Zack Snyder’s DCEU projects

This particular turn of events in the storyline has managed to single-handedly showcase something that even big projects have failed to do in the past. Although Zack Snyder in his Man of Steel, and Batman Vs Superman made Clark Kent’s character and story as realistic as possible, its grittiness took away from him this aspect of hopefulness that Superman always wanted to establish as his legacy.

A world where everybody works together to uphold a just society, and takes down corruption in the right way without losing themselves in crime.

Henry Cavill as Superman in Man of Steel | Credit: Warner Bros.
Snyder’s Superman, although masterfully played by Henry Cavill, showcased the side of him pushed to his limits, which even though was understandable, gave the overall premise a sort of bleak outlook. Whereas the DCEU Superman fought crimes in a hopeless world, CW’s Superman and Lois turned the same premise into a hopeful one, where there might be a silver lining even amidst the darkest of clouds.

It will be important to see if they manage to keep this up in the long run, or if their story too, dissolves in despair at the end. With only one episode left, though, fans won’t have to wait too long to find the answer.

Catch Superman and Lois’ final episode on December 2nd on Hulu and The CW app.