Warning: This article contains spoilers for Superman & Lois season 4, episode 1 & 2.
cliffhanger ending in Superman & Lois season 3.
Interestingly, though, while season 4 has adapted parts of The Death Of Superman story, it has many of its own distinct elements and concepts that, when taken into , make it trickier to predict how the show will conclude. This is especially interesting given many of the biggest tweaks are around the details of Superman's death, making the matter of whether he will stay dead - and how he could come back if not - a much more nuanced matter.
Superman's Death In Superman & Lois Season 4 Is Hard To Undo
Superman & Lois' Approach To Superman's Death Makes It Harder To See How He Could Come Back
Superman & Lois season 4 initially appears to show an easy way for Superman to come back from his loss to Doomsday. After the fight between Superman and Doomsday concludes, the mutated Bizarro removes Superman's heart from his body, bringing it to Lex Luthor, who places it inside a specially built container. Given Superman's powers and the Kryptonian suspended animation pod Jordan leaves him in, it at first seems the matter of bringing Superman back is as simple as stealing the heart back from Luthor, and returning it to its rightful owner, who can then be restored back to life.
However, Superman & Lois season 4, episode 2, makes this matter far more complex by having Lex Luthor stomp on and crush Superman's heart as revenge after Jordan attempts to rescue it from him, rendering things now far more complicated. While it's possible there could still be some way to heal the heart's damage, it doesn't seem likely, given how dramatic the moment is, that it will be taken back, meaning that the question of whether the live-action version of Superman can be revived has some far less clear answers.
Superman's Hologram Appearance Complicates His Death Even More
The Kent Family Seemingly Have A Version Of Superman Even After His Death
Superman & Lois season 4, episode 2 also has a surprise appearance of Superman in a sense, as a hologram version of the Kryptonian is revealed to Lois and her sons. Superman's hologram explains that he made this version of himself a while before the events of season 4 as an emergency backup in case anything happened to him. The hologram then states that he still intends to be there for his family in this capacity, even though it will be just the three of them outside of the Fortress Of Solitude.
This does make the prospect of Superman's return look less likely, as where Superman & Lois previously needed to bring Clark back in order for his family to have their emotional reunion with him, it seems possible that this version of Superman could instead take his place. With the show continually setting Jordan up to be the next Superman, this could even arguably make sense as the show's endgame, with the final chapter being about how the Man of Steel's colossal boots are filled by his kin. However, there are also some teases as to how Clark could come back.
Superman & Lois Has Teased How It Could Bring Superman Back
Season 4 Has More Than One Way To Justify Bringing Superman Back To Life
Superman & Lois' current plot appears to show that Superman needs a replacement heart in order to be able to come back. However, it also appears that heart doesn't necessarily have to be his, although a genetic match of some kind seems needed, given Kryptonians have some different physiology. As such, it's possible that the Kents may be able to do something like use Doomsday's heart to replace Superman's, since Doomsday was initially an alternate universe version of Superman himself - which would explain why the decision was made to make Superman & Lois' Bizarro into Doomsday in the first place.
It's also possible, if Superman & Lois is adapting The Death of Superman comic relatively closely, that the appearance of a hologram that Clark never mentioned but who conveniently appears after his death could be a plot hint. In the comics, after Superman is killed by Doomsday, a Kryptonian weapon known as the Eradicator steals his body and places it in a pod not unlike the one Tyler Hoechlin's hero is left in so the character can siphon his energy. As such, Superman's revival could be tied to the hologram's machinations, which could set up for a truly immense finale.
Based on the characters from DC Comics, Superman & Lois follows Clark Kent and Lois Lane, attempting to live a quiet life in Smallville with their twin sons Jonathan and Jordan. Unfortunately for the couple, their lives continue to be effected by Clark's superhero identity and powers. Tyler Hoechlin and Elizabeth Tulloch star as Clark and Lois, with Jordan Elsass and Alex Garfin portraying the couple's sons.
