Thanks to Superman & Lois’ Earth-Prime retcon, multiple Arrowverse characters can be reintroduced in future seasons. Prior to the premiere of Superman & Lois, quite a few key players from the Man of Steel’s corner of the DC Universe already had a presence in the Arrowverse. As a result of its Superman connections, Supergirl was able to find room for a number of supporting characters and villains tied to the Big Blue Boy Scout.
Originally, there was a sense that Superman & Lois was a Supergirl spinoff, though that’s obviously not the case anymore. Though it’s true that the series is using the actor that portrayed Supergirl’s Clark Kent, Superman & Lois has cemented its status as a show that exists outside the continuity of Supergirl and all other Arrowverse shows. In the season 2 finale, a speech from Sam Lane confirmed that Superman & Lois doesn’t exist on Earth-Prime. When Lane said that Superman is the Earth’s only hero and essentially ignored Flash, Supergirl, and all the others, it became apparent that in spite of what happened in “Crisis on Infinite Earths”, Superman & Lois occupies it’s own timeline.
Distancing itself from the rest of the Arrowverse was a move that made sense because the show’s recent stories have hinged heavily on this idea that the Earth would be left without a super-powered protector if Tyler Hoechlin’s Superman wasn’t around. While moving in this direction may have unfortunately killed its crossover potential, the show stands to benefit greatly from this surprising move. Since Supergirl is no longer canon to the show’s story, several of its characters can be rebooted on Superman & Lois now. The Crisis already made some changes possible, and now even more are on the table. Here are the five DC characters set up by Superman & Lois’ decision to remove itself from the Arrowverse.
Lex Luthor
In Supergirl and in the “Crisis on Infinite Earths” crossover, Superman’s greatest enemy was brought to life by Jon Cryer. The character was mentioned by Superman & Lois, but hasn’t appeared in the flesh yet. And with Lex trapped in the Phantom Zone at the end of Supergirl, there wasn’t a strong likelihood that the series would use him. For now, Superman & Lois has managed to do without the most important member of Superman’s rogues’ gallery, but it remains to be seen how long it will hold him back. And If and when it decides to change course and bring in Lex Luthor, it doesn’t have to use Supergirl’s. Since the two shows exist on separate Earths, the Lex referenced in Superman & Lois season 1 could be played by a different actor and could also have a different backstory.
Metallo
Metallo a.k.a John Corben is a major Superman villain recognized by his cyborg body and Kryptonite heart, which acts as a source for his superhuman abilities. Due to the chunk of Kryptonite stored in his chest, Metallo poses a clear and present threat to Superman every time they meet. In the Arrowverse, Supergirl created its own take on John Corben (in addition to other versions of Metallo) and made the villain an enemy of Kara Danvers. In a future storyline, Superman & Lois could ignore Supergirl’s use of Metallo and offer an all-new interpretation of the villain and his conflict with Clark. Hoechlin's Superman fought him on Supergirl, but needed help from Kara to take him down. Superman & Lois, on the other hand, can offer a one-on-one, uninterrupted showdown between Superman and Metallo.
Jimmy Olsen
Lex Luthor is one of the two biggest Superman characters missing from the show, with Jimmy Olsen being the other. Known as Superman’s Pal, the young Daily Planet photographer plays a key role in Clark’s adventures as the Man of Steel in DC Comics, the movies, live-action shows, the cartoons, and more. All things considered, his continued absence from Superman & Lois is noteworthy – but understandable at the same time. Since the show stands apart from most Superman stories by staying out of Metropolis and keeping the focus on Smallville, it’s not hard to see why Jimmy Olsen isn’t a great fit. However, that doesn’t mean he couldn’t make recurring appearances or at the very least, a cameo. It may be that one day he’ll be a guest at the Kent Farm.
If he were to show up, Superman & Lois wouldn’t have to use Supergirl’s Jimmy Olsen (Mechad Brooks), who fought beside Supergirl as the Guardian. If it did, it would have to retcon all of his history and ignore several seasons of character development. For that reason, it’s more likely that the series would create a new Jimmy Olsen (if it used him at all). If so, viewers could meet a more traditional incarnation of the character, meaning that he would just be a photographer and not an actual superhero.
Toyman
The Toyman, the villain who makes bombs and disguises them as toys, is an iconic foe of Superman and one of many DC characters Clark could eventually encounter during his stay in Smallville. Supergirl already dealt with Winslow Schott, but that won’t stand in the way of Superman & Lois finding a place for him as well. While the Toyman may not be a threat worthy of a season-long arc, he could work as a one-and-done villain for Superman to fight in a standalone episode. Or, he could be the driving force of one of Lois’ journalistic investigations that could play out over the course of a multi-episode storyline. That would make sense, as hunting him down could pose an interesting challenge for Elizabeth Tulloch’s Lois Lane in season 3 or beyond.
Mister Mxyzptlk
In DC Comics, Mister Mxyzptlk is a mischievous being who hails from a place called the Fifth Dimension. Using his mystical abilities, the character can manipulate reality at will and pose all sorts of problems for Superman and the Justice League. The key to beating him is tricking him into saying his name backwards. Due to the silliness that tends to come with his character, making him work in live-action can be a tricky task. That being said, the Arrowverse still found a way for him to make multiple appearances on Supergirl. As for Superman & Lois, it too could utilize Mister Mxyzptlk. Considering that the show has already introduced the concept of separate dimensions like Bizarro World existing in its reality, it’s not unfeasible for someone like Mister Mxyzptlk to be out there somewhere.