After Supergirl season 1 concluded on CBS, there was some time in which fans weren't sure whether or not the show following Kara Danvers (Melissa Benoist) would return for a second outing. However, it was announced that Supergirl would transition from CBS to The CW -- joining fellow DC Comics series Arrow, The Flash, and Legends of Tomorrow. In the time following Supergirl's network change, CW president Mark Pedowitz confirmed the Girl of Steel would join her fellow DC heroes in a massive superhero crossover this winter, and it was later announced Kara would reteam with Barry Allen (Grant Gustin) in a two-episode musical crossover.
However, outside of the CW's DC TV universe implications, another reason for fans to eagerly anticipate the second season of Supergirl arrived in the announcement that her superpowered cousin Clark Kent aka Superman would be appearing -- played by Teen Wolf's Tyler Hoechlin. Although Hoechlin is currently only expected to appear in the first two episodes of Supergirl season 2, the show's producers are already thinking ahead of how to continue and expand on this particular iteration of the Man of Steel.
As reported by Collider, during a Q&A last week following a screening of the second episode in Supergirl's season 2, 'The Last Children of Krypton', executive producer Andrew Kreisberg was asked about the potential for other Superman character Lois Lane appearing on the series (she was name-dropped in the season 2 premiere); he said, "There’s no real plans right now. We’re happy we have Superman." Additionally, Kreisberg spoke about the potential of spinning Superman off into his own series:
We asked if we could have Superman in the first episode, and DC and Warner Brothers said, “You can have him for the first two episodes!” And we were like, “Great!” I’m not going to sit here and say that there’s never going to be a world in which there is a Superman TV show and that Tyler’s going to star in it. I don’t know what the future holds. But right now, that’s not our focus. Right now, we’re working on Supergirl, which is the flagship, and working on a way for Tyler to reprise the role is really what our focus is on Supergirl right now.
Certainly for that to happen, Kreisberg and The CW would need permission from DC and Warner Bros to use the character in a solo television show -- which they may not want to do given the Man of Steel's prominent part in the DC Extended Universe film franchise, where the character is played by Henry Cavill. Additionally, The CW currently already has four DC Comics-based series in Supergirl, Arrow, The Flash, and Legends of Tomorrow, which anchor four out of five nights of programming for the network; it seems unlikely The CW would add a fifth superhero show to their lineup.
That said, Hoechlin's take on Superman has so far received a largely positive reception from fans and critics, providing an entirely different version of the character that has been portrayed in the DCEU. Although DC Comics fans will undoubtedly have their favorite among the two current Men of Steel in pop culture, they offer counter-programming to each other -- while Supergirl's Superman is as optimistic and light-hearted as the show's namesake, Cavill's Superman is much more grounded and conflicted like the rest of the DCEU.
So, while DC and Warner Bros. may not want the TV universe to step on the toes of the film franchise, the characters are different enough that they could easily exist in the same pop culture era -- certainly, fans have already been introduced to two different versions of Barry Allen's Flash. Additionally, if The CW were to cancel or otherwise bring any of its other DC Comics series to an end, the network may be open to adding a new show to its lineup.
All that said, based on Kreisberg's comments it doesn't appear that a Superman series starring Hoechlin is in active development at the moment. But, for those fans who have enjoyed the actor's portrayal of the Man of Steel, it may at least be encouraging that the producers are working to bring him back to Supergirl for another appearance beyond 'The Last Children of Krypton'.
Next: Supergirl Season 2’s Connections to Richard Donner’s Superman
Supergirl continues Monday October 17th with ‘The Last Children of Krypton’ @8pm on The CW.
Source: Collider