attaining his powers, and ultimately becoming the flying, good-natured hero fans have come to know and love. However, Superman & Lois circumvents the usual story beats that plagued Man of Steel and other Superman films, making the Arrowverse show the best iteration of the superhero right now.
Live-action Superman adaptations have begun with his origins on Krypton, with Kal-El’s parents sending their son to Earth in a pod to avoid being killed when their planet exploded. It’s a story that has been told several times over and one which fans know now by heart. In Superman & Lois, Clark Kent’s origin story is touched upon only briefly at first before transitioning to the present day. After all, the series isn't looking to repeat that story over again when it has a lot of other great plots to cover. While he’s still Superman, who flies away often to save the day, Clark is also a loving father to his and Lois’ twin teenage sons, Jordan and Jonathan. As a father, fans get to see an entirely new side to the Man of Steel. While Clark grew up alone with his powers, he gets to share the joy and burden that comes with having such unique abilities with Jordan, who is developing the very same powers.
Superman & Lois leans into the Man of Steel as a father, a role he has never had to contend with in live-action. The series also reveals Clark isn't reluctant to use, nor is he disdainful of, his powers. He embraces them while understanding the responsibility he has by using them. In Man of Steel (and even throughout most of Smallville), Clark has been painted as someone who is hesitant to be a superhero. It's not that he doesn't want to help people, but both versions of Clark in this instance grapple with the idea. However, Superman & Lois engages with Clark's humanity while attempting to balance his superhero life in a unique expression of his character. He understands that the balance is hard, but he doesn't question his need to help.
What's more, Superman & Lois shows Clark as an everyday guy facing relatable problems — financial trouble, moody teenagers, and job loss, among other things. In these instances, he's just a man who happens to be a superhero and not a god with the weight of the world on his shoulders. Life's issues don't bring him down to the point of him questioning his identity, either, subverting certain aspects of his story that many have become accustomed to in other iterations. Superman & Lois also sees Clark in an established marriage with Lois. The series' depiction of their relationship sidesteps the will they/won't they setup that is used throughout the superhero genre, one that is often used to avoid showing what a healthy, multifaceted relationship can look like.
Lois and Clark have history and their partnership gives them more equal footing. Lois has known Clark’s superhero secret for a long time, too, which is refreshing and allows their relationship to properly evolve without contrived obstacles. Here, Superman isn’t anguished about potentially putting Lois in danger because he knows she can handle herself and seeing Clark happy and not guilty about being in a loving romantic relationship is a step up from previous iterations of the character, including the DCEU's Superman. Ultimately, Superman & Lois’ Clark is confident and secure in who he is as a person and a superhero and that has been a wonderful change.