Henry Cavill may have won the battle with his haunting portrayal of a troubled Man of Steel but Tyler Hoechlin wins the war with Superman & Lois.

One of the many traits that separates DC from Marvel is the need to mask their superheroes’ real identity from the world. Their heroes don’t get into streetfights in their civvies like the Cap did with the Winter Soldier back in 2014. But for the first time in 76 years since Superman’s live-action debut, Tyler Hoechlin’s Clark Kent did the unthinkable in Superman & Lois finale.

Superman & Lois [Credit: The CW]

The celebrated CW series ended with the most emotionally vulnerable arc inspired by the comic storyline in The Death of Superman. After collapsing in the middle of Smallville’s Main Street, the truth about Clark Kent begins to unravel. It becomes potentially impossible to escape the inevitable truth.

After a little plotting on Lex Luthor’s end, Clark faces a moment of reckoning that culminates in the most beautiful slow-motion reveal ever filmed in cinematic history. In the aftermath of his resurrection and the dramatic outing of his lifelong secret, Superman goes on to battle two of his greatest nemeses in a fierce showdown that leaves the fans questioning everything about the Kryptonian superhero.

Superman & Lois Delivers 3 Major Plot Twists

Tyler Hoechlin and Elizabeth Tulloch in Superman & Lois [Credit: The CW]

The creativity that DC imposes on its small-screen superhero stories and the Arrowverse spinoffs speaks multitudes about the inherent talent hidden within the writers’ rooms. In comparison, the big screen has failed to achieve even a fraction of the complex, emotional, meaningful, and layered storytelling that television has delivered consistently for the past decade or so.

As Superman & Lois draws the curtains on Arrowverse, the comic book live-action universe that gave us the most heart-wrenching arcs and dynamic character-focused storytelling spells the end of an era. However, before the final goodbye, the CW series leaves behind a gift for the fans by introducing not one or two, but three major plot twists in Season 4.

For one, Superman’s resurrection and receiving Sam Lane’s human heart slowly transforms him into a human, too. As his powers weaken over time, Clark Kent ages far more rapidly and his lifespan is cut short as he dies 32 years into the future, culminating in a happy reunion with Lois in the afterlife.

Far more surprising is DC agreeing to reveal Superman’s true identity to the real world, a factor that was never taken into account by the studio before. But most of all, the series finale delivers a horrifying plot twist that sends shockwaves across the world due to one gruesome and bloodcurdling scene.

Tyler Hoechlin’s Superman Rises Above Henry Cavill

Tyler Hoechlin’s Man of Steel in Superman & Lois [Credit: The CW]

Zack Snyder achieved immortality among hardcore DC fans after creating an unapologetic universe of superheroes that was not ashamed of blurring the line between good and evil. DCEU dismantled the merry band of do-gooders and introduced a morally and ethically questionable Justice League that often took comfort in exploiting the darkest versions of its heroes and villains.

In such a universe, Henry Cavill stood out above the rest by recreating a version of Superman that was as human as the rest of us. Filled with feelings of vengeance, remorse, pity, and grief, Cavill’s Man of Steel was as righteous as he was flawed after growing up in a world that abused and exploited the weak and was corrupt beyond measure.

In Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Henry Cavill’s Superman fell prey to Lex Luthor’s twisted plan as he pitted Batman and Superman against each other with neither realizing the truth until it was too late. Broken and helpless, Superman impaled himself against a kryptonite staff to take down Luthor’s monster, effectively sacrificing himself to save the world. His death marked the rise of an unforeseen evil across the universe, heralding Apokolips’ arrival.

In Superman & Lois, however, Tyler Hoechlin‘s Man of Steel was flawed in another aspect that set him apart from Henry Cavill’s version. He was gifted with a human heart that altered Superman physically from his Kryptonian lineage. When faced with his greatest weakness – Kryptonite – Hoechlin’s Man of Steel was able to overpower and overcome the weapon through sheer will alone, making him far stronger than any live-action rendition of the hero.

As Superman & Lois pulls down the curtain on a satisfying finale, fans come to terms with a legacy-making era that marked one of the best live-action versions of Superman – as portrayed by Tyler Hoechlin. The Arrowverse saga could not have asked for a better closure than the one delivered by the series, turning an explosive showdown into a poignant ending filled with love and hope for a brighter future.

Superman & Lois is streaming on Max.