DC Ending Another Fan Favorite Superhero Series
Variety reports that The CW’s Superman and Lois will not be renewed upon the conclusion of its upcoming fourth season. Despite the show’s high ratings and unique twist on both the superhero and drama genres, the series’ cancellation should come as no surprise. According to reports from this past January, DC Studios heads James Gunn and Peter Safran announced that the series would run for another season or two, and this makes sense when you consider the fact that the new DCU is slated for a massive reboot.
Season 4 Of Superman And Lois On The CW Will Be The Series’ Last
The fourth and final season of Superman and Lois will be short and sweet, and only run for 10 episodes. The conclusion of the series will also mark the end of the DC era of The CW, whose new owners, Nextar, are moving away from original scripted content in favor of broadcasting acquired shows. In other words, we’re lucky to be even getting season 4, which will allow the series to arrive to what we can only hope will be a satisfying conclusion.
The CW Is Moving Away From Original Scripted Content
As of this writing, the only three original scripted shows that will remain on the network since Nexstar took over will be All American, All American: Homecoming, and Walker.
The CW had to let a number of series regulars go to even make season 4 of Superman and Lois possible. Seven of the 12 cast members were cut from the series, including Dylan Walsh, Emmanuelle Chriqui, Erik Valdez, Inde Navarrette, Wolé Parks, Tayler Buck and Sofia Hasmik.
Expensive To Film, Superman And Lois Wasn’t Making A Profit
The reported budget for a single episode of Superman and Lois during its season 3 run was $5 million, meaning the 15-episode run cost $75 million. One of the series’ claims to fame throughout its run has been its use of VFX, which is more in line with what you’d see in a feature film rather than a network cable program. But with stellar visuals and cinematography comes a less-than-desirable price tag.
A high production cost isn’t necessarily a bad thing if the show is generating revenue, but according to The CW’s President of Entertainment Brad Schwartz, the show didn’t directly generate any profits for the network.
Season 4 Is Complete Fan Service
Even though The CW, as well as DC Studios are heading toward new and unfamiliar territory with their content initiatives, Superman and Lois’ fourth season was green-lit out of respect for the fans. Though trimming the cast down to its core components, as well as having a shorter run than previous seasons may be disappointing to some, it’s probably the only reason that we’re going to have a season 4 in the first place.
Superman And Lois Is Ready To Go Out With A Bang
It’s no mystery that Superman and Lois has been very well-received by critics and audiences alike, with an 83 percent critical score against an audience score of 82 percent on Rotten Tomatoes. But due to the upcoming DCU reboot, which will kick off with the upcoming Superman: Legacy movie that’s slated for a 2025 release, the timing makes sense.
But the good news is that Superman and Lois will go out with a bang. Despite having a smaller recurring cast, and a shorter run than its first three seasons, the series will bring Lex Luthor into the mix as it walks into the sunset.
