WARNING: SPOILERS from Superman & Lois season 4, episodes 1 and 2.Superman & Lois season 4 star Michael Cudlitz opens up about the beginning of the final season as Lex Luthor takes on the role of the final DC antagonist of The CW drama. It’s the beginning of the end of an era for The CW as their final Arrowverse show has finally returned for the final season. Following the massive Superman & Lois season 3 ending, season 4 finally premiered tonight, picking up right where they left off with the Man of Steel and Doomsday’s showdown.
Superman & Lois season 4, episodes 1 and 2 serve as the show’s own adaptation of The Death of Superman, as they put their own spin on it. While Doomsday ends up being the one who gets the Man of Tomorrow killed, the DC TV drama takes it to a whole other level. Throughout the two-hour Superman & Lois season 4 premiere, Lex not only gets Clark Kent’s actual heart, but he goes to the lengths of stomping on it, to inflict even more pain on the Lane-Kent family.
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Superman & Lois Season 4: Cast, Story & Everything We Know
With major cast changes on the horizon and a story involving Lex Luthor, Superman and Lois season 4 could be the hit series’ grand finale.
Screen Rant recently sat down with Cudlitz to break down the beginning of Superman & Lois season 4, with this interview focusing specifically on the two-hour season premiere. Cudlitz detailed how he landed the role of Lex, the responsibility of being the final main villain of the series, and adding new elements to the iconic foe from previous live-action incarnations. Cudlitz also shared how the darkest Lex moment in Superman media was made during production, and what key dynamics will be crucial to follow for the rest of the season.
Michael Cudlitz Shares The Journey Of Becoming Lex Luthor On Superman & Lois
“I always knew about Superman, I always was aware of Lex Luthor.”
Screen Rant: When you came in as Lex Luthor in season 3, you came in right as all the strikes were happening, so I guess my first question for you is before you joined the show. What was your familiarity with the Superman mythology? What kind of role did Superman play in your life?
Michael Cudlitz: Before this, Superman played more of a role in my life so far as the TV show, the original TV show, as a kid growing up, watched it all the time. I was not a follower of the comics, something I talked about when, when I started doing The Walking Dead, the comics have never been a big part of my life as a kid. For me, my escape was actually to go out and be involved in theater and the band and all those things at school. That was my escape as a child. We didn’t have money to even buy the comics. It was a situation where they just weren’t in my life at all. So the TV show was really my main connection to Superman, and then over the years, the movies. But obviously I always knew about Superman, and I always was aware of Lex Luthor, but as far as following the comics and reading the comics and having them be a part of my life growing up, it wasn’t that case at all.
When you got the role, was this an audition process of where they’re testing out for this mystery role or did they come to you directly going, ‘Hey, we want you to be our Lex Luthor,’?
Michael Cudlitz: Todd [Helbing] came to me, it was a long process, but Todd came to me and wanted me as Lex. For a long time, they didn’t think that they could get me, [laughs] that’s all on them. We kept hearing about that they were going to be asking or looking into. But it took them about four or five months before we actually really heard from them and then when I heard about it, I absolutely wanted to do it, [it’s the] opportunity of a lifetime. It’s, literally, the original bad guy, so yeah, of course, [laughs] but also terrifying!
The Larger History Of Michael Cudlitz’s Version Of Lex Luthor In Superman & Lois
“The more research you do into all of the different material, the more you realize it’s all valid.”
Because this is a Lex that is very established already, which makes me wonder, did Todd ever give you an idea or a road map of what this Lex has been up to over all these years, besides being stuck in prison? Or do you go episode by episode, as you were getting it?
Michael Cudlitz: That’s the kind of thing with television, a lot of it is as you get it, that’s kind of the nature of the format. But early on, when I started doing the research for it, the more research I did, the more I realized that between the worlds and the universes and the retcons and all these different iterations of Lex, the more research you do into all of the different material, the more you realize it’s all valid. You can go in so many different directions with Lex and still be true to the source material. There are some things that are consistent and constant but generally speaking, you really have an opportunity to go in any direction you want.
When Lex first came on, he’s red hair, he’s overweight, and he’s commanding this army on this floating island, dirigible that he’s going to take over the world, you know. The modern Lex’s completely bald, shaved, suit and then in between all that, you have all these different looks that Lex has, depending upon what world we’re in, or what universe or what storyline. We had a lot of fun with that basic stuff. You get a sense that we’re not locked into what the Lex of the moment. I believe we pay homage to the history of Lex and where his roots [are.]
Storywise, I knew that we kind of stayed with the Suicide Slums stuff with the abusive parents, which we’ll see later in the season. I don’t think that’s too much of a spoiler, because that’s the world we’re in. But when you first see me, when I’m doing push-ups, in the jail cell, you can see, very obviously, cigarette burns on his back, so the groundwork for that has been laid. For those who really do follow, they will have caught on that and for some that don’t, that’s okay, [because] they have that information now. So he is that Lex that came from that abusive family and made his own way in the world. That idea of family and loss of family plays incredibly, incredibly heavily in the pain that is driving Lex right now in our story.
Fatherhood Drives Lex Luthor In Superman & Lois Season 4
We’ve seen so many versions of Lex before, but this is really the first time that we see him being driven by fatherhood. Of course, there is a classic hatred towards Superman and Lois Lane, but in this case, what’s driving him, is the loss of his relationship with his daughter, which I think is a very nice parallel to Lois and Clark. This show is so heavily rooted in family, and in this case, we see now what happens to someone who loses his family, who doesn’t get to have what a father usually has, which is getting to raise their kids. Was that something that was very exciting for you to tackle as an actor?
Michael Cudlitz: It’s a highly playable action, the loss of one’s child, whether it be actual loss through death or even maybe worse, your child being stripped from you emotionally of no fault of your own. Even though he is obviously guilty of many other things, but this particular thing that he’s being accused of, he is not, and his moral compass is smashed because of that.
When you probably took on the role, you didn’t know you were going to ahead into what is now the final season. But how does it feel that you get to be the one that closes out Superman and Lois Lane’s story in this particular version?
Michael Cudlitz: I didn’t know the show until they started talking to me about doing the show, and then I went back and watched the pilot, and immediately fell in love with with the story. I think, had I not even done the show, they’re doing so well. Tyler is incredible. Bitsie is incredible. Everyone is amazing and the secondary characters, some are in the comic books, and some [are] not, they just round out that world. It’s a wonderful world that they’ve set up and it’s a real, very safe world for the audience. It reminds me, in a lot of ways, of the old Star Trek, they may get in danger, but next week, everybody’s going to be there. Unless, of course, you were in a red shirt, then you won’t be.
Lex’s Relationship With Amanda McCoy In Superman & Lois Season 4 Is Crucial
“Lex knows that if anyone else was running it, they would have run into the ground.”
One of the dynamics we see a lot this season for you is with Yvonne Chapman as Amanda. What does that relationship do for Lex because we see that she’s the only one that he really seems to open up to that. What kind of impact does Amanda have on Lex for the rest of the season?
Michael Cudlitz: First off, Yvonne Chapman, she’s incredible in the show and I can’t wait for everyone to see where that all heads. She’s lovely to work with and just a really, really incredible, incredible, strong actress. I like the relationship because everyone needs a confidant in order for the audience to learn about the character, someone who he feels, I guess, safe enough at this point, or he’s allowing her in just deeper than anyone else. We’re obviously [meant] to believe that she is very close to him, a very close friend, as well as someone who he has entrusted the entire business with, that we learn ultimately, she’s been running everything, you know.
Lex knows that if anyone else was running it, they would have run into the ground. We get that sense early on that she is, and I think I even say it in the early episodes, she is the only one he trusts to handle everything. To sort of have your personal life smashed by, by the removal of your daughter, and then to be able to trust everything else in your life over to somebody else, and know it’s going to be safe, and then 17 years later it is safe. There’s an incredible amount of trust there. So I feel like we are able to get a deeper look into Lex through Amanda, and that’s why she’s very important to have around. I can’t tell you anything else because it will spoil for the rest of the season.
Michael Cudlitz Teases More Backstory For Lex With Lois Lane & Clark Kent In Superman & Lois Season 4
We get snippets of a few flashbacks of what Clark, Lois, and Lex have all been up to in the past. Can you tease if there’s more of that that we will get to see? I know it’s a very short season, but do we get more tastes of your Lex’s history with with these characters?
Michael Cudlitz: Yes. 100% Yeah. We definitely get the sense of the origin of where this all began, and how much of a loss it is to him. It is through the course of the season, put in perspective how much of a loss his daughter is to him, and we have early on, we play with the flashing back to Lex and that is a consistent storytelling device we use throughout the season.
Destroying The Man Of Steel’s Literal Heart In Superman & Lois Season 4
Was the heart stomping a shock? Because I went, ‘Can they show this on The CW?’ When I was watching my screener, I went ‘Oh, is this scene even going to make it into the network version?’ This is one of the most gruesome scenes we have ever seen in Superman media, so far. I was, of course, feeling so bad for Jordan at that moment, but how many takes and how many spare “hearts” did they have that you got to stomp on?
Michael Cudlitz: Interesting…that was fun, oh, that was fun. That was great! [laughs] Maybe I’m jaded. We had two or three that I just dropped that could be dropped, and it didn’t matter because once it dropped, we were out of it. Then, the one that was crushable, I think we had two actual ones that we could crush, and then we could rebuild them, if we had to, and put them back together, and they could CGI.
I think we knew that, but we had two actual physical parts that we thought were going to work. I think we got it on the first one, but we wound up using everything we had for it. It’s just with a situation like that, you want to make sure you’re covered so we do a bunch for safety. But yeah, Alex [Garfin] was incredible on the scene. It’s a very, very emotional scene for the fans. I’m sure I’m gonna be well-loved after that one for a while! [laughs]
More About Superman & Lois Season 4
Season four of SUPERMAN & LOIS picks up right where last season left off: with Superman (Tyler Hoechlin) and Luthor’s monster locked in a ferocious, moon-wrecking battle, as Clark (Tyler Hoechlin) fights for his life against the seemingly unstoppable creature. Back on the ground, General Lane (guest star Dylan Walsh) struggles to stay alive after being kidnapped by Luthor’s henchmen, while Lois (Elizabeth Tulloch), Jordan (Alex Garfin), and Jonathan (Michael Bishop) race against time to rescue him. But standing in their way is Lex Luthor (Michael Cudlitz) himself, who has permanently moved to Smallville as the next step in his malicious plan to destroy Lois Lane. Meanwhile, Lana Lang (guest star Emanuelle Chriqui) uses her position as Mayor to fight back against Luthor’s schemes, a move which puts her in the sights of the most dangerous man in the world and threatens everything she holds dear.
This includes her relationship with John Henry Irons (guest star Wolé Parks), who must put his Ironworks plans on hold and rejoin the DOD, now that General Lane is missing. But they aren’t the only duo in trouble, as Chrissy Beppo (guest star Sofia Hasmik) and Kyle Cushing (guest star Eric Valdez) face an uphill battle of their own, with countless roadblocks that threaten to ruin their future together. Amid all the chaos, Sarah Cortez (guest star Inde Navarette) and Natalie Irons (guest star Tayler Buck) also join the fight against Luthor, while both facing impossible decisions about their paths in life. And as Clark’s battle with the terrifying monster continues, Lois, her boys, and the world must face an unthinkable possibility: what if Superman never returns?
Check out our other interviews with more Superman & Lois cast members:
Superman & Lois
season 4 airs new episodes on Monday nights at 8/7c on The CW.
Superman & Lois
Based on the characters from DC Comics, Superman & Lois follows Clark Kent and Lois Lane, attempting to live a quiet life in Smallville with their twin sons Jonathan and Jordan. Unfortunately for the couple, their lives continue to be effected by Clark’s superhero identity and powers. Tyler Hoechlin and Elizabeth Tulloch star as Clark and Lois, with Jordan Elsass and Alex Garfin portraying the couple’s sons.
- Release Date
- February 23, 2021
- Seasons
- 3