A promotional poster for Superman's introduction in The CW's Supergirl has gone viral for its innuendo, but the apparent Arrowverse fluke may not be what it seems. Supergirl provided the Arrowverse with many memorable highlights such as Nicole Maines' Dreamer, Tyler Hoechlin's Superman, David Harewood's J'onn Jonzz, and of course, Melissa Benoist's Kara Danvers. However, Supergirl was no stranger to controversy throughout its six-season run, with Kelly Olsen's offscreen realization about Supergirl's secret identity and season 5's subpar visual effects causing heated online discussion.
Not only did Tyler Hoechlin avoid negative criticisms with his performance as Superman, but he also excelled in the role to the point of starring in his own successful spinoff, Superman & Lois. Now, Hoechlin's Kal-El is providing some well-needed Superman material at a time when the DCEU's Superman is nowhere to be seen. But hilariously enough, Tyler Hoechlin's Superman also stars in a questionable poster for Supergirl, which seems to suggest an incestuous relationship between both Kryptonian cousins.
The poster in question looks like a normal picture of Superman, but the caption below it contains a phrase many have noted is deeply questionable: "Superman is coming in Supergirl". While this viral image has fooled many internet users ever since it first surfaced in 2016, it's safe to say that it is not real. The actual poster for Supergirl officially released by The CW says "Superman is coming to Supergirl". Thankfully, the CW never suggested any immoral acts between Superman and Supergirl, much less posted an accidental CW sex joke on the internet without a double check.
Why The Fake Superman/Supergirl Poster Keeps Going Viral
On closer inspection, the letters I and N seem closer together than they should be when compared to the word "coming". However, the edited poster is still clever enough to trick most people every time it regains popularity. Finding small errors in big-name productions is an effective way to gather attention on social media, and if a quick look across recent trending tweets and memes is anything to go by, the combination between sexual humor and Hollywood mishaps is the perfect recipe for viral success.
Besides, the change is small enough to pass off like a real mistake, as a bigger edit would be easier to debunk by those who know a thing or two about image manipulation. Added to the fact that the poster comes from an early season of a canceled Arrowverse show, the edited image is bound to keep popping up every now and then. Certainly, 2022 will not be the last time the infamous "Superman in Supergirl" poster will fool unsuspecting internet users.