Superman & Lois seems poised to bring to life another retelling of the Cain and Abel warring brothers trope. CW shows have long maximized this trope's potential to create great drama, providing some truly unforgettable brotherly disputes. To add to that pile come the Kent brothers of Superman & Lois, and from all indications, the CW is bringing fans yet another sibling duo destined to be torn apart.

Brotherly conflict on the CW has ranged from rivalry to outright violence and treachery. To call the journeys of most CW brotherly pairs bleak would be an understatement. Klaus and Elijah Mikaelson of The Originals frequently tortured each other and wreaked havoc on the lives of everyone they cared about. Stefan Salvatore often wrestled with guilt over his role in turning his brother Damon into a vampire in Vampire Diaries. Even in Supernatural, with its far more positive Winchester brother relationship (though not without its ups and downs), one brother was always dying and leaving the other behind before being resurrected.

Related: What Arrowverse's Superman Show Must Do Different To Smallville

Superman & Lois has set the table for its own tragic brotherly conflict by introducing the sons of Clark Kent and Lois Lane, Jonathan and Jordan, who are, in advance press materials, said to have wildly different personalities. Jonathan, described as modest and kind-hearted with an "aw-shucks attitude", is a popular all-star athlete. Extremely intelligent and tech-savvy, Jordan is introverted, as his mercurial temperament and social anxiety limit his interaction with others. Add in the fact that the brothers may not know their father is Superman and you have all the right ingredients for some super-powered brotherly conflict - especially as it's unclear whether or not Jordan and Jonathan Kent have powers themselves.

Supernatural Brothers

While the Cain and Abel trope is a familiar one, Superman & Lois could deliver a unique version. Every possible turn of the Kent brothers' story bodes tension. Their relationship with their parents could be irreversibly altered if one boy gets powers and the other doesn't. When you add teenage hormones and that classic CW angst into the mix, getting powers at that age will be dangerous, especially if control of those powers is linked to emotions. If the easygoing, confident Jonathan gets powers, that will widen the natural gap between him and the more withdrawn Jordan. And vice-versa, if Jordan gets his father's abilities, Jonathan might not adjust well to being less powerful. Vampire DiariesThe Originals, and Supernatural dealt primarily with longstanding friction between adult brothers, depicting the initial relationship disintegration in flashbacks. Jonathan and Jordan's bond is likely to fracture in real-time.

Superman & Lois is introducing the Kent brothers with the deck stacked against them. Being Superman is likely to strain Clark’s relationship with his sons due to unexplained absences. And now, not only are they moving to a new city and adjusting to a new school at the start of the show, but they are also headed for the ultimate source of conflict: the love triangle. Both brothers will develop a crush on Sarah Cushing, whom they meet shortly after moving to Smallville. Two brothers vying for the same girl, one facing her own individual challenges, sets up an incendiary dynamic.

For the Arrowverse's Superman & Lois, the challenge will be showing enough of Jonathan and Jordan's relationship before their rift to give their conflict heavy stakes. Balancing that setup with getting the plot moving, while not forgetting the show is also about Superman & Lois, is a feat we can only hope the show will pull off. Although a potentially tragic brotherly rift is inevitable, such a division between Jonathan and Jordan is unlikely to be permanent. A bittersweet reconciliation is guaranteed in some form or another, as past CW shows have done.

Next: Why The Arrowverse Needs Robin (To Avoid Using Batman Too Much)