The two teenage sons: Jonathan and Jordan Kent, played by Jordan Elsass and Alexander Garfin, respectively. It was then confirmed that this new family dynamic (and more) would be explored in a solo series.
Fans were treated to the first full look at the show earlier last week. The show was immediately praised for its apparent cinematic-level quality. Many were even surprised by how blown away they were. As such, they had trouble correlating it with previous Arrowverse offerings. The reasons put forward regarding the tonal and style shift included an increased budget from HBO Max. Whatever the case, Superman & Lois immediately became evermore anticipated and potentially marked a fresh turning point in the small-screen multiverse. Alongside everything else, the new Superman & Lois trailer also offered signs that it'll avoid some frequent Arrowverse criticisms.
One of the most common complaints is that the Arrowverse seasons are overly long. As a result, many shows have had to embrace an episodic format that often deviates from that season's serialized story. These episodes have often been widely considered filler and a detraction from the overall quality. In recent years, many DC Comics adaptations have embraced truncated runs - to great success. They have included such loosely connected properties as Swamp Thing, Stargirl, and more, and shows directly associated have also benefitted. The final season of Arrow was a heavily serialized 10 episodes and viewed as a decent send-off. Equally, despite consistently having shorter seasons than its network siblings, Legends of Tomorrow has been deemed the best Arrowverse show. Superman & Lois will continue that promising trend, being comprised of only 13 episodes.
Also more in keeping with the best of the Arrowverse and wider DC offerings is that Superman & Lois has appeared to look more streamlined and serialized. In the wake of several setbacks, the titular duo will return to Smallville. Potentially inspired by the happy ending enjoyed by Tom Welling's Clark Kent in Crisis on Infinite Earths, Hoechlin's version will be in search of "the quiet life". That will see him reengage with elements and friends from less tumultuous days. However, trouble won't be too far away — with Clark having to share his Superman identity with his sons and halt the machinations of Superman & Lois' mysterious villain: The Stranger. There will definitely be one-and-done elements (literally and thematically) woven into the story of each episode. Still, it definitely doesn't feel like it'll have the traditional villain of the week on top of everything else.
The future of the Arrowverse has recently looked in doubt. Both stalwarts and relative newcomers of the shared continuity have been confirmed as on their way out. The next seasons of Supergirl and Black Lightning will simultaneously serve as the last. Equally, such anticipated spinoffs as Green Arrow & The Canaries were not picked up. Though several other shows are reportedly in the works, nothing has seemed certain with the Arrowverse's combined future. Furthermore, those that are definitely in the pipeline will be far less connected than usual. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, a previously-planned Superman and Ryan Wilder/Batwoman (Javicia Leslie) crossover was canceled already. Whatever the future holds, it's apparent that certain missteps have been noted and will seemingly be avoided. As such, Superman & Lois looks set to offer a further breath of fresh air and show that there is still life to be found in the Arrowverse overall.