Key Takeaways
- Superman & Lois’ finale closed out the Arrowverse.
- The Arrowverse is ranked fourth for most episodes in multi-show franchise history.
- Superman & Lois brought emotional depth to the Man of Steel, unlike most other adaptations.
Superman & Lois might have regrettably brought the Arrowverse to an end after more than a decade on the CW, but the franchise ends in sight of a pretty impressive accomplishment that couldn’t have been achieved without each and every show.
Superman & Lois was a standout in more ways than one when it joined the Arrowverse in the twilight years of the successful franchise. Bringing a version of its titular heroes to the fore that fans had almost never gotten before, with leading stars Tyler Hoechlin and Elizabeth Tulloch giving the roles untold depth. When fans connected with the show, it proved to be immensely popular and there was talk of Superman And Lois becoming the new center of the Arrowverse, but the rest of the franchise would undergo a rapid curtain call one after another, leaving the show as the final vestige of the interconnected universe that had birthed it not long before.
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Before the final season came to its touching conclusion, the showrunners confirmed that Superman & Lois Finale would close out the Arrowverse and take on all the responsibilities that entailed, and part of that included cementing more accolades. In a report from The Hollywood Reporter giving fans a touching retrospective on the show and the larger franchise it represents the final vestiges of, the publication points out an interesting accomplishment that the final season of Superman & Lois helped to highlight with its final season. The Arrowverse, with its 817 episodes over 46 seasons of 10 shows, comes in fourth for the most episodes in a multi-show franchise since the late 80s, with only the juggernauts of Law & Order, JAG/NCIS, and CSI surpassing it. More importantly, this sets a record far and away from any other superhero franchise that has ever put out TV content, making the Arrowverse easily the most successful of them all.
Superman & Lois holds the double distinction of being both a part of the Arrowverse and entirely insulated from the rest of the franchise, contained in its own continuity and universe within the DC multiverse. Hoechlin and Tulloch appeared in other shows and crossover events but didn’t see much interference from other established Arrowverse actors on their own show, much to Jon Cryer’s regret. While fourth place might seem a bit lackluster, that’s only because the enormity of the achievement isn’t easy to parse on first hearing. Very few franchises of any sort have ever managed to keep fan interest for 12 straight years and over hundreds of episodes stretched across multiple shows with different narratives and approaches to storytelling. This feat is even more impressive for a superhero franchise, a genre that was still a niche when Arrow first aired in 2012 and largely favored the opposing Marvel IP when it did become mainstream. The Arrowverse was, for much of its run, more beloved and effective at adapting and telling DC stories than the DCEU was. With Superman & Lois bringing the spotlight to the Arrowverse again, there’s hope that James Gunn’s rebooted DCU will take a page or two from the success of what came before.
Superman & Lois has more than earned its place amongst the best Superman TV shows, and brought more emotional significance to the Man of Steel in a select few moments than most film adaptations have been able to accomplish across multiple films. More so than any other Arrowverse show, it stood alone as a deep and deeply loved family story and raised the bar on the way many fans expect to see Superman portrayed for years to come.
Superman & Lois is available to stream on the CW app.
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Source: The Hollywood Reporter