Superman and Lois will take the Arrowverse back to Smallville as the titular heroes relocate with their presumably superpowered sons — however, an interesting twist would be if only one of them manifested Kryptonian abilities. Played by Tyler Hoechlin, Clark Kent (aka Superman) made his debut in The CW's shared universe during Supergirl season 2. Later joined by Elizabeth Tulloch's Lois Lane, the character would return for multiple crossover events. The most recent, Crisis on Infinite Earths, saw the pair journey through the multiverse in an effort to help defeat the Anti-Monitor. Along the way, they encountered several different incarnations of themselves, including those from previously established adaptations.
It was then announced that Hoechlin's Superman and Tulloch's Lois would get their own solo spinoff. Crisis on Infinite Earths directly set up the standalone series with the creation of Earth-Prime, which combined the reality of Superman and Supergirl with that of the other established heroes. The same also went for the characters of Black Lightning. Furthermore, the timeline had been retconned to make it seem as though they had always been there. Another consequence was that Clark and Lois' newborn baby had been erased in favor of two teenage sons: Jonathan and Jordan Kent. They are set to be played by Jordan Elsass and Alexander Garfin, respectively. The Superman and Lois' cast will also include Emmanuelle Chriqui as Lana Lang, Erik Valdez as her firefighter husband, Kyle Cushing, and Inde Navarrette as their daughter Sarah.
The titular duo will make the move back to Clark's hometown in the wake of a tragic event. Once there, the characters' lives will be impacted by a mysterious villain known as The Stranger (Wolé Parks), who is dedicated to proving that the world doesn't need Superman and may or may not be Lex Luthor from a different Earth. Despite that, the main focus of Superman and Lois will be on their attempt to adapt to their new lives and raise two teenage boys. As it stands, the expectation is that they will have both inherited their father's powerful abilities. However, that could turn out to not be the case.
Superman & Lois' Child in DC Comics
In the primary continuity of DC Comics, Clark and Lois only had the one child. Named Jonathan Samuel Kent, the character was created by Dan Jurgens and first appeared in 2015's Convergence: Superman #2. He was described as looking like Clark but in possession of an attitude more akin to Lois Lane's. In 2016, he officially adopted the persona of Superboy and in 2019, he joined the Legion of Super-Heroes in a run written by Brian Michael Bendis. Good friends with Batman's son, Damian Wayne (aka Robin), Jon Kent also co-starred alongside him in a series titled Super Sons. Jon's powers are identical to those of his father — from flight and invulnerability to x-ray vision and freeze breath. Unique versions of the character have also made appearances in various Elseworlds stories.
There is, however, no Jordan Kent anywhere in the world of DC Comics. As such, the writers of Superman and Lois have free reign to develop the character from scratch. The closest there has been to a Jordan in the Kent family lore is via Clark himself. Not dissimilar to the fate of Tom Welling's Clark Kent from Smallville (as glimpsed in Crisis on Infinite Earths), the Clark of an Elseworlds story once opted to give up his powers and settle down. In order to live anonymously with Lois and their version of Jonathan, Clark adopted the name of Jordan Elliot. In terms of the pair's children, a separate Elseworlds story — John Byrne's Superman & Batman: Generations — saw them conceive a daughter named Kara and a son named Joel. While pregnant with the latter, Lois was exposed to Gold Kryptonite radiation. As a result, Joel was born and grew up with none of Clark's Kryptonian abilities.
Theory: Only One of Superman & Lois' Children Will Have Powers In The Arrowverse
Though Jordan is a unique name for Clark and Lois' son, elements of its alliterative comic book counterpart could be carried over to the series. The idea was recently lent some credence by Tulloch herself. During the DC FanDome panel for Superman and Lois, she mentioned that the two boys would have very different needs. On the surface, that could just mean raising two teenage boys of different and even conflicting personalities. However, with the story being told through a comic book lens, it's just as likely that the concept could be explored more metaphorically and through differing power levels. Little was already revealed about Superman and Lois's history within the Arrowverse. Whatever happened anyway, theirs and Kara's history was also permanently changed by the events of Crisis on Infinite Earths. As such, it could easily be weaved into the story that something stopped Jordan from getting powers in their new shared past, or strips him of them in the present.
The idea is also somewhat backed up by the official character descriptions for Superman and Lois. Jordan is described as wildly intelligent, but also noted as having a mercurial temperament and social anxiety. As a result, his interactions with people are limited and he prefers to spend his time alone and playing video games. It's a stark contrast to Jonathan's description as possessing the kind of aw-shucks attitude demonstrated by his father and Clark's cape-wearing alter-ego. Jordan's description also lends itself to somebody not blessed with extraordinary gifts and potentially bitter about it. Then again, Superman and Lois could subvert things by having the traditional seeming hero that is Jonathan Kent be the one without powers. Whereas the more temperamental, socially-awkward Jordan could be the one that develops and needs to be trained in them.
Why Superman & Lois Having One Superpowered Child Is Better
No matter which son it turned out to be, the potential for thematic resonance would remain the same. It would be a compelling shorthand at distinguishing the two brothers and add a superpowered element to the concept of sibling rivalry. The dramatic tension and conflict that could emerge from such a dynamic would be too rich to miss. It would also afford a fresh approach to famous elements of Superman lore that the Arrowverse has largely bypassed. When Superman joined the shared universe, he was already well into his superhero career. Equally, he was engaged in a secure relationship with an already fully-aware Lois. By having only one son with superpowers and one without, the show will be offering unique iterations of Clark Kent and Superman at the time such abilities begin to manifest. Fans will get to see both elements of his dual personality reflected in his children.
The one without powers will also be able to serve as a reflection of Lois herself. Despite not having powers, she is every bit a fierce and stalwart hero in her own right. By having a powerless child, it will provide Lois a chance to impart singular wisdom. She would have the chance to pass on knowledge from experience that there are other ways to save the world without super-strength. Of course, she will be able to teach both children that lesson. However, it will no doubt be more emotionally resonant to the more human of the two. Lois would be able to guide her potentially disheartened child along a path more akin to her own. As the son of Superman without powers, it would no doubt be even more of a struggle to find one's place in the world. Such a storyline would have the potential to be moving and inspiring in equal measure. It would also allow Lois Lane just as much of a chance to shine as the brand-new costumed Superman — through her resourcefulness, courage, intelligence, and much more besides.
With this storyline, Superman and Lois would also be able to offer a play on the famous love triangle. Despite Lana Lang's presence, Clark and Lois will be unshakeable as a couple. Conversely, however, the inclusion of her daughter is set to result in a triangle with Jonathan and Jordan. As such, Sarah will be as much torn between the superpowered one and the more normal one as Lois once was between Clark and Superman. In their case, they won't turn out to be one and the same, but the parallel would remain just as poignant. Having one of the children powerless and dispirited would also make them ripe for manipulation and exploitation by the show's primary antagonist. That will be especially true if, like one of the aforementioned Elseworlds story, Jordan (or Jonathan) is gifted a dangerous way to manifest powers. Be the villain Lex Luthor or somebody else, it would certainly add to the tension and personal stakes of the overall story. Filming is already officially underway on the series. As such, some footage will no doubt be unveiled before long and will reveal whether both the children on Superman and Lois will have powers or indeed just the one.