Superman & Lois will be coming to an end with its fourth season due to corporate hi-jinks, but there is still a chance that fans can convince Warner Bros. Discovery to keep it going.
What Is It?
This series follows the title characters who return to Smallville to focus on their family life but learn that it is hard for a superhero (with two sons coming into powers of their own) to separate himself from a world that needs him.
Aired: The CW, 2021-2024, 4 Seasons Totaling 53 Episodes
Starring: Tyler Hoechlin, Elizabeth Tulloch, Jordan Elsass, Alex Garfin, Erik Valdez, Michael Bishop
Developed By: Greg Berlanti, Todd Helbing
Why Was It Cancelled?
This series has just kicked off its fourth and final season on The CW as both it and the long-running Arrow-verse go out with a whimper. It was among the highest-rated shows on that network since it debuted in 2021, but new ownership took over starting in 2022 and they have shifted to low-cost acquisitions for their scripted content. S&L is at least getting a final season–unlike cancelled Arrow-verse entries such as Legends of Tomorrow, Batwoman, and Naomi–but it received only ten episodes to wrap up its storylines and that comes with a significant budget cut.
The new President of Entertainment at The CW Brad Schwartz gave the typical, corporate-speak “We are grateful for the years of hard work” statement, but the fact is that this show was completely thrown under the bus by the network. It regularly performed well for The CW and will likely to continue to draw strong viewership numbers for its fourth year. The network is cancelling S&L because it does not fit into the model of cheap-rate originals that new management has put into place after taking over. It should have shifted over to Max (both the streaming service and the show are owned by Warner Bros. Discovery) where it could have run for at least a couple more seasons and built up enough episodes for a syndication run. But the DCEU is going through a complete reboot with James Gunn and Peter Safran at the helm, and there was no interest in allowing Superman & Lois to continue despite the fact that it has been a hit across its first three seasons. So now the show gets only a shortened, budget-slashed ten-episode run to cap off the once-proud Arrow-verse franchise.
Can It Be Saved?
Superman may be one of the greatest heroes of all-time, but corporate shenanigans are definitely Kryptonite to him and possibly too much to overcome. The decision to end the show came before the strikes in 2023, and there is a good chance the options on the cast and crew have since expired. In addition, since the DC Universe is just now ramping up its reboot with the new Superman movie in the works, there is not much interest in having another version of the Man of Steel around. So it certainly seems like the show will just fade away after it wraps up its fourth season.
But then the Arrow-verse is an expansive franchise, and there are plenty of fans out there that would like to see more adventures from those heroes. And while Superman & Lois has only a tangential connection, it could still help to keep that franchise alive. I previously discussed some possibilities to keep the Arrow-verse going at this link, and as for S&L, there might still be a chance for more seasons if fans prove that it is worth keeping around.
Watching the new episodes live does no good unless you are a Nielsen family. But you can watch them the day after on The CW’s website and those views will be counted. In addition, and probably most importantly, the prior three seasons are available on Max. Fans should stage watch parties while also getting the show trending on social media. They could also run a drive to get people to subscribe to Max to watch the show (and the other Arrow-verse entries available there). That impacts the bottom line, and will draw the attention of Warner Bros. Discovery execs. (You can find more ideas to help the show at this link.) It is certainly a longshot at this point, but if fans put in enough effort, perhaps the show will shift over to Max and stick around for a few more seasons (and maybe have a crossover with other Arrow-verse characters).
Where Can You Watch It?
New episodes are airing Mondays at 8 PM EST on The CW. Those are then available to stream for free (with ads) the next day on the network’s website. Seasons 1 through 3 are streaming on Max.
Are you watching Superman & Lois and would you support fan efforts to save the show? Chime in below in the comments.
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