Superman & Lois is confirmed to be returning for season 4. While it was one of the few shows renewed by The CW after Nexstar Media’s acquisition of the network, its fourth season will also be its last.
During the shakeup at The CW, fans of Superman & Lois were holding out hope the show would be saved. After all, it has mainly received positive reviews from critics and audiences since its premiere in 2021. Additionally, Superman & Lois‘ pilot was the most viewed premiere of any CW show since 2019. Many viewers appreciate that Superman & Lois is self-contained and separate from the Arrowverse, as well as the fact that it’s the first series to focus predominantly on Clark Kent (Tyler Hoechlin) as a father.
The state of the Arrowverse, however, raised some concerns about the show’s future. Technically, Superman & Lois isn’t considered a part of the Arrowverse, though this wasn’t established until 2022. Still, considering that doppelgangers of the characters have shown up in Arrowverse crossovers, it tended to get lumped together with shows like Arrow, The Flash, Batwoman, and Supergirl. Meanwhile, the Arrowverse kicked off in 2012 and spawned six series, nearly all of which ended by 2022. The only remaining show in 2023 was The Flash, which aired its series finale recently.
Even though Superman & Lois is set outside the official Arrowverse, The CW seemed to be gearing up to end its DC universe, and fans weren’t sure if its new plans would include Superman & Lois.
Superman & Lois renewed for a fourth and final season
Fortunately, Superman & Lois has been officially renewed for a fourth season by The CW. The show was one of the very few current original scripted shows to nab a renewal from the network. Superman & Lois, All American: Homecoming, and Walker were among the lucky titles renewed, while many others—including Gotham Knights, The Winchesters, Kung Fu, and Walker: Independence—faced cancellation. While Superman & Lois is safe, it will still be impacted by some of The CW’s cost-cutting measures, as it will consist of only 10 episodes instead of its usual 13 or 15 and will be cutting nearly all of its series regulars aside from the Kent family.
However, shorter episode counts and cast cuts aren’t the only evidence of new ownership and cost-cutting. The CW recently confirmed that Superman & Lois season 4 will be the show’s final season. Four seasons is a pretty good run, and the show will at least get a proper conclusion. Still, in comparison to The Flash‘s nine seasons or Arrow‘s eight seasons, four doesn’t seem like quite enough for Superman & Lois.
The show had so many directions it still could have explored with its large cast and as it tracked Jordan’s (Alexander Garfin) superhero journey alongside his father. Not to mention, it has only scratched the surface of Superman’s comic book history. With cast cuts and a shorter season, though, most viewers probably had some anticipation that this would be the end. Still, it makes Superman & Lois‘ season 4 renewal even more bittersweet as viewers will go into it knowing it’s likely the last outing for the Kent family, and it may not be as grand of an exit as they deserve due to budget cuts. Considering its popularity and devoted fan base, though, there’s always a small chance another network or streamer could save the show.
(featured image: The CW)
