Superman & Lois’ Cancelation Brings Superhero TV Full Circle 72 Years Later

Superman & Lois‘ cancelation marks the end of a DC era that spans 72 years and over six different actors who portrayed the Man of Steel on the small screen. Despite its ratings and popularity, Superman & Lois is ending with season 4, Nexstar’s acquisition of The CW has brought many logistical side effects, causing dramatic changes in all the channel’s shows. Superman & Lois’ main cast was on board, and the show still had all the narrative potential to continue for at least two more seasons, but budget cuts and major changes in direction behind the scenes have led the show to a premature ending.

On the bright side, Superman & Lois avoided the unfortunate fate that many network shows fall victim to after many seasons, as it managed to tell a rather self-contained story with a defined beginning, middle, and end, unlike other DC series such as the Arrowverse’s Supergirl and The Flash, which may have overstayed their welcome. Besides, Superman & Lois season 4 is set up to accomplishes an unlikely achievement, marking the potential end of live-action DC shows aired on network TV.

Superman Starred In The First & Last Live Action Network Superhero Show

It’s quite fitting that the last live-action superhero show on network television is centered on Superman, as Superman was the character who pioneered superhero shows on network TV in the first place. After the 1951 movie Superman and the Mole Men, George Reeves’ trailblazing Superman returned in 1952’s Adventures of Superman, which catapulted the action to fame and increased Superman’s popularity with his debut in a new medium. Since then, various actors have played the Man of Steel on the small screen, including Dean Cain, Tom Welling, and even Brandon Routh — all before Tyler Hoechlin concluded Superman’s seven-decade run on network TV.

Will There Be Another Live-Action Superhero Show On Network TV?

Although the end of all The CW’s DC series signals the death of the superhero show on network TV, it’s still technically possible for other networks to experiment with a live-action DC adaptation in the future. After all, James Gunn and Peter Safran’s new DC Universe leaves the door open for non-DCU titles in the form of Elseworlds projects. Unfortunately for those accustomed to the network format, there are no plans for a new network superhero show like Superman & Lois at the moment, as Marvel and DC’s focus on long-form storytelling has shifted to streaming services, where they capture an audience already invested in their respective cinematic universes.

However, that doesn’t impede networks to work on their own original superhero shows outside the Marvel and DC universes. Just as independent superhero titles like Invincible and The Boys have found success without several decades’ worth of source material, an entirely original show could introduce a new popular hero — or superhero team — who can bring network TV to its glory days. All previous series, from Adventures of Superman all the way through Smallville and the Arrowverse until Superman & Lois, have already presented the template for a new network TV show to rise in the future.