Superman the family man
In the new series Superman & Lois, Clark Kent faces his biggest challenge – raising teenagers.
IN the new series Superman & Lois, the Man of Steel and comic books’ most famous journalist face the biggest adventure of their lives: raising a family.
The show is set in the Arrowverse, where popular superhero series such as Arrow (2012 to 2020) and The Flash (2014 to now) overlap and share a common mythology.
Stars Tyler Hoechlin and Elizabeth Tulloch play Superman and Lois Lane as they return to their hometown, Smallville, with teenage sons Jonathan and Jordan.
Hoechlin, 33, first played Clark Kent’s alter ego in the Arrowverse show Supergirl from 2016 to 2020, but says this will reveal a whole new side to the iconic DC Comics character.
“It does feel very new and at the same time familiar,” he tells reporters on a Zoom call from Vancouver, Canada, where the series is filmed.
“I’m very excited to tell a completely different story than we’ve seen with these characters before,” says the actor, who appeared in the supernatural drama Teen Wolf (2011 to 2017).
For Tulloch, part of the thrill was getting to play “a strong female character as iconic as Lois Lane who, since she was first introduced in 1938 along with Superman, has really represented someone who’s incredibly dogged and determined and uncompromising”.
“And at a time right now when the profession of journalism has been under siege, as we have seen the last few years, it’s especially important and timely and I take it very seriously,” says the 40-year-old actress who was in the supernatural show Grimm (2011 to 2017). & Lois
Hoechlin was able to give his character more room to breathe on this show compared to when he was a supporting player on Supergirl.
As a result, it became more about the character having meaningful interactions with those around him.
“I find, a lot of time, it’s much more helpful to figure out what the people around you are making you do, as opposed to what you are creating on your own.
“So (it was) reacting to the kids and to Lois and having a little bit more time to breathe with these characters, as opposed to showing up for two or three lines in a scene where you’re kind of there to assist.
“And now we get to see a little bit more of the nuances that exist within the family,” he says.
Compared to other Superman stories, the series delves a bit more into his life as Clark Kent and facets of the character that are not usually explored.
“With Superman, he is so symbolic and there are things that you come to know that he’s unwavering in,” Hoechlin says.
“But with Clark, there is more leeway. You can kind of find those little subtleties, those things that are a little bit more human about him.
“And it’s a bit more flexible to have some fun with it, because in a way he’s putting on a show when he’s Clark.”
The actor believes there are at least five different versions of the character.
There’s “Superman as the symbol, and no one knows who he is; when he’s closer to people and they know who he is; the extreme version of Clark Kent; and then there’s a Clark Kent where they know he’s Superman, but right now he’s playing Clark”.
“And then there’s the one in the centre that I really don’t have a name for, but it’s who he genuinely is when he’s at his most comfortable and can be himself,” the actor says.
The show ultimately presents a far more relatable version of Superman and Lois Lane, Tulloch says.
“Part of what I’m hoping audiences respond to in our show is that this couple, even though she’s this dynamic journalist and he’s Superman, are incredibly relatable – they’re dealing with a lot of the same issues that normal people deal with, whether it is lost jobs or having hormonal teenagers who are pushing back against us at every turn.
“It does feel really grounded – like Superman and Lois Lane could be your next-door neighbours.” – The Straits Times/asia News Network
Superman & Lois airs every Wednesday at 9pm on Warnertv (Astro Ch 719/unifi TV Ch 451).