Warning! This article contains SPOILERS for Titans season 4.The appearance of one outspoken reporter in Titans season 4 has viewers wondering if the character was meant to be Lois Lane. This, coupled with the rules laid down regarding Titans' use of Lex Luthor, has many wondering if Warner Bros. has changed its policies regarding live-action adaptations of its DC Comics properties. WB once had a strict policy of only allowing one live-action incarnation of a character at a time and Titans handling of the Superman family of characters could indicate that policy is back in play.
The Titans season 4 episode "Mother Mayhem" opened with Conner "Superboy" Kent (Joshua Orpin) being arrested for the murder of Lex Luthor (Titus Welliver). The rest of the Titans learned about what had happened through a local news report, delivered by a dark-haired news anchor (Pip Dwyer). While the public seemed ready to assume the worst, this reporter questioned the official LexCorp statement regarding Lex's violent death, and condemned the "rush to judgment against a young man that wears a symbol of justice." While this character was not named and was credited only as "Journalist," her behavior and appearance resembled the Lois Lane of the comics.
Titans' Lois Lane Cameo Would Fit With How It Used Lex Luthor
This potential Lois Lane cameo is one of several oddities regarding how the Superman family of characters has been handled in Titans season 4. Showrunner Greg Walker revealed, in an interview with TV Line, that they were only allowed to utilize Lex Luthor for a single episode, in Titans season 4 premiere. The same episode featured a possible Jimmy Olsen cameo, with an unnamed character credited only as Jim helping the Titans with navigating the Daily Planet archives. This raises the question of why Warner Bros. would suddenly be so reluctant to allow Titans to make use of the Superman family of characters.
How Titans' Use of Superman Characters Indicates Changes at WB
The answer may lie in the changing of the guard at Warner Bros. in the wake of the company's merger with Discovery. While WB had recently reversed a long-standing policy of only allowing one live-action incarnation of its DC Comics characters at a time, it is possible this policy has changed again following CEO David Zaslav's decree that DC Studios would focus on blockbuster films with big-name heroes over lower budget television productions like TItans and the Arrowverse superhero series. If that is the case, it could explain Titans season 4's limited use of Lex Luthor and the Easter eggs possibly hinting at Jimmy Olsen and Lois Lane.
With Henry Cavill confirmed to be returning as Superman, it is possible that Warner Bros. could be reserving the Superman characters for a new cinematic offering. This could mean trouble for Superman and Lois, which is the only DC Comics superhero series on The CW not confirmed to be coming to a close in 2023. It is certainly a problem for Titans now, as it will be difficult to develop Conner Kent's character without the ability to fully draw upon the Superman family of characters beyond half-hearted semi-cameos like the journalist who might be Lois Lane.