In its first real trailer, Superman & Lois gave Arrowverse fans a sneak peek at the CW’s highly anticipated new superhero show. The trailer is an intense 60 seconds setting up the trials to come for the iconic couple and their children. Superman & Lois premieres on the CW with a special 90-minute episode at 8pm, EST, Tuesday, February 23, 2021, immediately followed by a 30-minute behind the scenes special, Superman & Lois: Legacy of Hope.
Given the serious tone of the trailer, all signs point to Superman & Lois being one of the darker and more dramatic takes on the superhero narrative. This could prove an especially interesting take on the DC hero, given the mixed reviews of his more brooding interpretation in the DC Extended Universe movies.
Fans eager for news about the new show and hungry for any tidbits about the story were not disappointed by the trailer’s release. Here are some of the biggest highlights and reveals from the Superman & Lois trailer.
Superman & Lois Move Their Family to Smallville
Though the trailer begins with a cheery flashback to the celebration of Clark and Lois’ wedding, the lighting and tone quickly darken to accompany Lois’s narration hinting at the hard times ahead. A newly unemployed Clark and Lois somberly depart a newsroom - a reflection of ongoing real-world media layoffs. Their move with their sons to Smallville and the family farm, despite being a natural step for the parents to take to save on living costs and provide a haven for their children, is overshadowed by the myriad of challenges awaiting them.
Clark and Lois must find new jobs, make a space for themselves in the community, and will likely deal with the usual turmoil caused by uprooting and relocating teenagers. Lois may have a particularly difficult time trying to fit into a world that her husband once belonged to, but she never did. Clark’s past presents itself in Lana Lang, and there’s a hint of tension or even unresolved business between the old friends.
Superman & Lois Are On Their Own
In voiceover, Lois Lane refers to “parents gone too soon.” With Clark’s biological parents and his adoptive father long deceased, as is Lois’ mother, the fleeting image of Jonathan and Martha Kent suggests further loss. One must wonder if Martha Kent has passed too; despite the family living together at the Kent farm, she is not seen alive in the trailer. With no significant casting of the character either, there’s a good chance that her death could also play a factor in Superman and Lois moving to Smallville.
Since there has not been any mention of visits from Clark’s remaining family, his cousin Kara, his Aunt Alura Zor El, or even Lois’s sister Lucy, it is unlikely they will have those extended connections to lean on. Moreover, the trailer suggests the one recurring presence of a family member will be less than supportive.
General Lane’s Late-Night Visit to Superman Comes with Serious Implications and A Warning
Lois’s father, General Sam Lane, appears briefly with unclear intentions. Given his tone and the fact that he visits under the cover of darkness, it appears that there is bad blood between General Lane and his son-in-law, Superman, if not all aliens in general. He implies Clark's idea of living a simple life isn't possible, which suggests he may want Clark to help him with something, or there's something going on near Smallville that has attracted the Army’s interest.
The fact General Lane is visiting late at night leaves room for the possibility he came secretly to speak with only Clark or perhaps showed up on the pretense of visiting the family. If it’s the former, there’s a strong possibility that Lois and her father’s relationship is strained as well.
Clark and Lois’ Sons Learn Their Father’s Big Secret
The biggest story revelations in the trailer involve Lois and Clark’s sons, starting when Clark reveals to them that he is Superman. Jordan is considerably more upset about the Superman secret than his brother, Jonathan, insisting they’ve seen Superman with a tone that indicates that their father can’t possibly be the Man of Steel. The betrayal and hurt in his response clearly wounds his father as well, suggesting something deeper has affected this bond. Why do the boys respond differently? Under what circumstances had the brothers seen Superman before?
Earlier in the trailer, Lois makes the point about having sons with anxiety issues. Are these issues in any way tied into something in their past? Did Lois and Clark’s heroic pursuits create a gap between them and their children? Has Jonathan, introduced as a baby in Crisis on Infinite Earths, been affected in some way by his prior existence on the other Earth or timeline? One of the biggest questions fans have is whether one or both sons have inherited their father’s abilities. In the trailer, a large pile of pipes in the barn collapses, and one of the boys jumps and slides into their path to reach someone on the ground. This scene will likely reveal one of the boys does indeed have powers.
There Are More Questions Than Answers About Superman & Lois’ Mysterious Stranger
Despite all the family issues that facing the Kent family, this is, after all, a show about Superman. Worthy foes for the Man of Steel are a guarantee. A Mysterious Stranger appears prominently in the trailer, an antagonist hinted to be from outer space. One scene suggests a confrontation will occur above Earth between Superman and the Stranger, who apparently possesses a cache of Kryptonite and some sort of sonic weapon. The Stranger is shown going up against the military, which could possibly tie into General Lane’s late-night call.
The Stranger’s identity is concealed by scarred armor which suggests he’s been through some intense conflict. Concealing the Stranger’s identity is also an effective method to hide a familiar face from comic book lore or to hide the fact audiences will first come to know the Stranger in another role, perhaps that of a benign resident of Smallville.
Filled to the brim with big story reveals and hints about the next chapter for these beloved characters, the trailer promises that Superman & Lois will live up to the hype as one of the year’s hottest new shows.