The upcoming premiere of Superman & Lois will bring to the screen a television series version of the iconic character Lois Lane that has never been explored before. Bitsie Tulloch's portrayal of Lois will mark the fifth live-action television run of the Daily Planet's intrepid reporter. Including the three different film versions of the character, eight live-action versions of Lois Lane have been presented for fans over the years — but Superman & Lois can still bring something new to the iconic character.
From Phyllis Coates's first television appearance as Lois to the latest Amy Adams version in the Superman/Justice League films, Lois has been portrayed at various stages of her career. She is often introduced as an already accomplished, successful reporter before meeting Clark Kent. A talented reporter determined to do what it takes to get her story, Lois’s professional resume and stature would then skyrocket due to her articles on Superman. Usually romantically involved with Superman and/or Clark Kent, Lois Lane has been Superman's wife and partner in various versions of the story, and even the single mother of his child following his disappearance.
Tulloch’s Lois Lane will be pulling back the curtain on a unique chapter of the character’s story in Arrowverse's Superman & Lois. This Lois has been working alongside her loving partner, Clark Kent/Superman for over a decade. They've also been married long enough to have teenage sons. Now, the season 1 trailer reveals that the titular couple is facing some of their greatest challenges due to unemployment, the death of a parent (or possibly parents), and children with anxiety issues, all while balancing their callings to be journalists and heroes after moving back to Clark's hometown, Smallville.
Lois Lane has regularly been shown as the fierce urban reporter, someone who must be in on the action, chasing the big stories. She will likely have a difficult time fitting into the small-town, slow-paced lifestyle of Smallville, in a world where her husband will be more readily accepted than she. Her hard-hitting, investigative reporting may come across as unwelcome to the people of the small town. In Smallville, she will be an outsider where her notoriety and fame as Lois Lane could work against her.
That same tenacious commitment to her work that makes Lois a formidable journalist might also be a source of her sons’ anxiety. As she ferrets out the true motives of media mogul Morgan Edge and other villains with a single-minded resolve, the boys may grow fearful for her safety, concern about their father’s absences could also unknowingly generate. Family is not an avenue that Lois Lane is known for successfully navigating. Typically, Lois Lane is shown having a strained relationship with both her father, General Sam Lane, and her sister, Lucy. There are also other, unique parenting challenges that Lois and Clark will face by moving to Smallville. Getting help for their sons’ troubles would have been difficult in Metropolis, and it will be doubly so in the more rural Smallville. While a small town may limit the pressures on their sons for being the children of famous parents, Clark and Lois seem uncertain how to approach the possibility that one or both sons could inherit their father’s powers.
Without question, this Lois Lane on Superman & Lois faces quite different challenges than any she has tackled before. She possesses a significant advantage in that she won’t be alone, with her Superman and husband by her side. She’s also a more mature, more experienced Lois than most iterations of the character that have come before. Seeing Lois transition tackle the dual roles of truth-pursuing journalist and co-head of household while fighting for her family will be an interesting watch. This Lois Lane, like those who have preceded her, is sure to become a force unto herself.