Key Takeaways
- Jon Cryer regretted not being able to appear in Superman and Lois after his significant role in the Arrowverse as Lex Luthor.
- Superman and Lois took a different direction by setting itself on a separate Earth, moving away from Arrowverse connections.
- Due to James Gunn’s new role as co-CEO of DC Studios, Superman and Lois got the axe to avoid conflict with his new Superman movie, introducing Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor.
An Arrowverse actor admitted they have one big regret about their role in The CW’s DC franchise, which recently wrapped with the Superman and Lois finale.
Supergirl season 4 introduced Lex Luthor to the Arrowverse with Pretty in Pink and Superman 4: The Quest for Peace actor Jon Cryer in the role. This incarnation of Luthor was formerly friends with Tyler Hoechlin’s Superman before their relationship dissolved over ideological differences. Eventually, Luthor was imprisoned, but after his release, he directed his animosity toward Melissa Benoist’s Supergirl. Cryer’s Luthor had a significant role in Supergirl and the Arrowverse crossovers. Still, Hoechlin’s Superman and Lois series introduced a new Lex Luthor after the showrunners decided to keep its continuity separate from the Arrowverse by setting the show on a different Earth.
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During an interview with KJ Today, Cryer discussed his experience on the Arrowverse, expressing his fondness for the franchise’s ability to explore the DC further than other adaptations. Cryer also praised the Superman and Lois team, noting why he believed the series was successful. However, Cryer admitted that he regrets not being able to appear in Superman and Lois, which cast The Walking Dead star Michael Cudlitz as Lex Luthor:
The whole Arrowverse was just one for the nerds. I loved being a nerd. I loved reveling in it. We got into the deepest, darkest recesses of DC lore. I am sorry to see ‘Superman & Lois’ go as well, because I think that was just a fantastic new look at those characters. I think they managed to really crack it by being by being faithful to who Superman is. And my biggest regret is that I never was on it.
Superman and Lois was initially created as part of the Arrowverse prime. Elizabeth Tulloch’s Lois Lane was introduced in the Crisis on Infinite Earths crossover, which served as a backdoor pilot for Superman and Lois. However, the COVID-19 pandemic forced the Superman and Lois showrunners to scrap new crossovers with Arrowverse shows. As the series progressed, it seemingly grew further away from any Arrowverse connections until the Superman and Lois season 2 finale confirmed it exists in a separate universe.
Consequently, Cryer’s run as Lex Luthor ended with Supergirl‘s sixth and final season, which aired as Superman and Lois started its first. Of course, Superman and Lois would be in a similar situation to Cryer’s after James Gunn was appointed the co-CEO of the new DC Studios. Tasked with rebooting the DC movie and TV franchise as a more interconnected universe, many projects launched before Gunn began developing his new DC Universe (DCU) were ultimately scrapped. Superman and Lois got the axe to avoid conflicting with Gunn’s new Superman movie starring David Corenswet as the Man of Steel.
Gunn isn’t rebooting every past DC movie or show. Characters from The Suicide Squad, Peacemaker, and Blue Beetle will return. However, the Superman universe is starting fresh, with Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor. Where Hoult’s version will rank among the live-action versions of Lex Luthor remains to be seen.
Supergirl is available on Netflix.
DC
DC is a brand of superhero comics, television shows, movies, video games, merchandise, and more. The company owns the rights to popular characters like Batman, The Suicide Squad, Green Arrow, Wonder Woman, and many more.
Source: KJ Today