Superman & Lois, The CW’s newest addition to the Arrowverse, is almost here, and the show’s premiere is receiving high praise in early reviews. With Arrow over and other mainstays of the franchise like Supergirl and Black Lightning soon coming to an end, fans have wondered what kind of longevity the Arrowverse has left. Fortunately, it sounds like Superman & Lois is breathing new life into the franchise for the near future.
Starring Tyler Hoechlin and Elizabeth Tulloch, Superman & Lois follows Clark Kent and Lois Lane as they return to Clark’s hometown of Smallville with their teenage sons Jonathan (Jordan Elsass) and Jordan (Alexander Garfin). The series has been pitched as a hybrid superhero show and family drama, with the eponymous couple struggling through comic book crises and parenting dilemmas at the same time. The show was developed for The CW by Todd Helbing and Greg Berlanti.
The family-focused, small-town energy shown in Superman & Lois’s early promotional materials teased a very different series from what the Arrowverse has been known for so far, leading to questions about how the finished product would look and feel. Fortunately, with a few exceptions, the new show seems to be a big hit so far. Check out the spoiler-free review clips below to see what critics are saying.
Jesse Schedeen, IGN
Superman & Lois is far more entertaining than its fairly generic title might suggest. The series makes the most of Tyler Hoechlin and Elizabeth Tulloch's chemistry, utilizing the two characters and their romance in a way Supergirl never could.
Sam Stone, CBR
There's plenty of promise here and lots of nods and crowd-pleasing moments that really remind audiences why Superman is such an iconic character that has thrilled millions for generations. Led by an appealing cast and balancing high-flying superhero action with family drama, Superman & Lois is off to a solid start if it can drop its more self-serious trappings and tighten its narrative focus on the Kent family.
Matt Webb Mitovich, TVLine
Well, here is today’s headline from the Smallville Gazette: Superman & Lois works. And oftentimes it is quite wonderful.
Russ Burlingame, ComicBook
With a beautifully filmed premiere episode from Riverdale and The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina veteran Lee Toland Krieger, The CW's Superman & Lois has set a very high standard for itself -- and for superhero shows to follow in the Arrowverse.
David Opie, Digital Spy
Despite being one of the most popular heroes ever created, Superman is a hard one to pin down. Make him too heroic and he comes across as goofy. Make him too dark and you risk betraying the character at his core. Superman & Lois commendably tries to navigate that balance, but the lighter aspects of this story are smothered by clunky scripting and a distinct lack of charm.
Paul Dailly, TV Fanatic
Being a superhero is hard, but trying to save the world while simultaneously raising two children appears to be a recipe for disaster. Superman & Lois is The CW's latest foray into the superhero genre, and it presents a nice change of pace.
Jay Snow, Hypable
All in all, so far, I’m impressed with what Superman and Lois has managed to do. It’s not the strongest pilot by any means, though it has quite a bit of potential for the future of the show.
Overall, Superman & Lois seems to be off to a strong start. Praise for the visuals, production values, and performances from Hoechlin and Tulloch have been particularly high. With many viewers fearful that HBO Max will spell doom for the Arrowverse as DC moves towards more original streaming content, that should bring a sigh of relief. At least for right now, the future of the franchise is looking a bit more secure.
Of course, the new series hasn’t been without its share of troubling signs as well. Most notably, former writer Nadria Tucker claimed she was let go from the series after repeatedly raising issues with content in its writing. Nadria asserted topics ranging from #MeToo jokes to poor narrative treatment of black and female characters were frequent. She believes her release was tied to her efforts to call out such regressive material. Audiences will be able to judge Superman & Lois's end result for themselves when it debuts on The CW on February 23.
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