WARNING: SPOILERS for Superman & Lois season 4, episode 8.Michael Cudlitz shares his experience directingSuperman & Loisseason 4, episode 8, which also sees Lex Luthor step more into the spotlight. The final days of the Arrowverse are getting closer astheSuperman & Loisseason 4 storywinds down, meaning audiences will soon bid farewell to CW’s last remaining superhero show. Following this week,Superman & Loisseason 4 only has two hours left before Greg Berlanti’s DC TV era is concluded after 12 years.
InSuperman & Loisseason 4, episode 8, titled “Sharp Dressed Man,” Lex takes the fight against Lois and Clark to the public. With the iconic supervillain not looking to back away any time soon, Lex causes new trouble for both Lois and Superman. WhileClark Kent’s identityis now known to the world, Tyler Hoechlin’s titular character discovered that a bigger problem lies ahead for Krypton’s last son. To top it all off, the episode ends with Lex acquiring a massive upgrade.
DC Just Gave Lex Luthor The Perfect Theme Song
The latest iteration of Superman’s most terrifying nemesis has received the perfect theme song during a devastating and emotional scene.
Returning toScreenRantto share his time working onSuperman & Loisseason 4, episode 8 as the director, Cudlitz shared about how a conversation with showrunner Todd Helbing led to the new opportunity. Cudlitz also broke down the introduction of DC’s Milton Fine and the big development between Lex and Amanda McCoy. Finally, Cudlitz gushed about sharing the screen with Arrowverse veteran star Tom Cavanagh, whose mysterious new character is finally revealed.
Michael Cudlitz On Directing Superman & Lois Season 4, Episode 8
ScreenRant: First of all, congrats on a phenomenal episode, especially, as we’re heading towards the end now. Knowing that this was going to be one of the final three, did you feel any pressure going into it, especially with a story with this much meat?
Michael Cudlitz: I’d spoken to Todd [Helbing] about directing when we first talked about me coming on the show. He knew I directed over at Walking Dead, and asked me if I had any interest in directing on Superman & Lois and I said, ‘Yeah, absolutely. I don’t know if that’s really on the table or not.’ He goes, ‘No, that’s absolutely on the table.’ So we talked a little more about that, and then let it go.
Then when all the cuts came to the show, the season got shortened, I knew that there are some people that they have obligations to or maybe would want to get in to direct. I gave him the option to back out at the end, and said, Look, ‘I know the show’s going out. So if you have any people that you really need to bring back or want to bring back at the end of the show, please don’t feel obligated, I’m happy to be acting on the show. I’m glad we got picked up and we can go out that way.’ And he said, ‘No, no, no, we’re taking care of everybody that we need to and want to, but we would love to have you do that as well.’
I was excited, and initially, I was not going to be in the episode that I directed, and as the season progressed, they said, ‘Yeah, in fact, you actually are going to be in the episode,’ which is probably good that it happened that way because I wasn’t stressing out about it the whole season. Coming into a show like this, new as an actor, and getting to know everyone already, and then being able to direct on it and having that opportunity - that in itself is stressful enough. So finding out that I’d be in the episode later was probably better for my mindset going into it.
But that being said, by the time I got the script for the episode, they were really great. We had a lot of scripts in advance, so we knew where the series was going. We knew where everything was headed. By the time we got to 8, we were deep, deep, deep into it. I felt really comfortable with the cast and the crew, so by the time we literally got to the prep and started shooting, I was nothing but excited, and we had a great time. I’m really, really, really proud of the episode, [and] really excited for everyone to see what we did.
The cast members that were brought back, it was wonderful, you can see the cast was very excited about that. And there’s a lot of stuff that happens in the episode. It’s a pretty action-packed episode for an episode that wasn’t supposed to be that action-packed! [laughs]
What did directingSuperman & Loisadd to your experience as a filmmaker in comparison to other things you’ve already directed?
Michael Cudlitz: The wonderful thing about it is filmmaking is filmmaking - obviously, directors have different styles, but generally speaking, we’re all talking the same language. Episodic television is its own beast, there’s a schedule that absolutely is in charge of you. You have eight days, you have to fit as much as you’re able to into those eight days. You have to tell the story, you have to keep the vision of the showrunners, yet you want to add a little something to it where you can.
I think being an actor and being that close with the crew, you do develop a shorthand. You know the stories you’re telling. You know the way that you want to do stuff, you avoid the things that you know annoy everybody when guest directors can sometimes come in and attempt to do too much and then fail. You always want a director to come in and be incredibly ambitious, but it’s not to the benefit of the show.
When somebody comes in and they’re so ambitious that you’re actually not able to do the basics of what needs to be done. And a lot of times that happens, the crew winds up picking up the slack, and they wind up getting beaten up for it. I believe in doing a tremendous amount of prep. The story guides you where you need to go. We have an incredible, incredible camera crew and department [on] Superman & Lois. You got to trust the people that are there doing those jobs. I started thinking about directing when I was doing Southland, and Chris Chulack, our producing director, he’s basically my mentor as a director, told me I should be directing.
I didn’t believe him at first, and I was overwhelmed and terrified by the idea. But one of the things he said to me was, ‘You don’t have to know everything. You have to know the story you want to tell, how you want to tell it. You rely heavily on your crew.’ He goes, ‘You have professionals there who know these jobs better than you ever will. Rely on those people, trust those people. Don’t try to be the guy who knows everything, because you will fail.’ That’s probably some of the best advice I was ever given. Because I do trust my crew. I do have my vision, but when I’m there, all voices are heard. Mine is the final voice, but all voices are heard and if you keep that in mind, you will succeed, and we did, again, a wonderful result, from top to bottom, I couldn’t be prouder.
Michael Cudlitz On Introducing DC’s Milton Fine Into Superman & Lois Season 4
“There was just something about him that really drew me to his performance.”
We finally get introduced to the very-mentioned Milton Fine, how was it working and directing him? I know you’re not gonna flat out say it but we’re getting to the Brainiac of it all, at this point. So what can you tease about how he factors into these two final episodes?
Michael Cudlitz: Nikolai Witschl was wonderful. What was exciting about casting him was, this was the first time we had in person auditions since COVID. I was going through the tapes of everybody, seeing everybody on tape, and there were a couple of people who I really liked for the role, when we were open to really any direction. So we cast a really wide net while initially looking, and when I saw him, there was just something about him that really drew me to his performance, and I wanted to see everybody, if I could work with them for a little bit. They said, ‘Oh my gosh, we haven’t had in-person sessions since before COVID. But yeah, we can attempt to figure something out.’
And I brought back four actors, and they were all so excited to be in the room as was I. To just get back to normal - it’s crazy, we are four-five years after the initial beginning of COVID. And we’re just now still getting back into the room and doing things for the first time again that we hadn’t done in five years. To be able to work with the actors and play around in the room was really fantastic. Ultimately, [Nikolai] was great, we played around a little bit. I knew he was my choice, and all I had to do is go through approval with our showrunners, and ultimately the studio confirms that we can hire them. But I got who I wanted, and he’s a lot of fun, I think the fans are going to really enjoy what he has to bring for the rest of the season.
Michael Cudlitz On Working With Tom Cavanagh In Superman & Lois Season 4, Episode 8
“He’s very giving, very present, and incredibly talented and funny.”
You got to work with Tom Cavanagh as Gordon Godfrey in this episode - I knew he was coming, but not this soon! How was it working with him?
Michael Cudlitz: He’s a hack! [laughs] It was wonderful and he knows the crew and the cast. He’s directed over there before, and I really didn’t think about that, I think, till afterwards. But knowing even that on top of everything, makes the experience that much more lovely, because he just let me direct, and he was very present for me. We were both on the same page about what we wanted to do and I thought about it afterwards, and I was like, ‘Here’s another actor/director on this show.’
When we have to change hats and become a director or an actor, people have asked me in the past, ‘Is it hard?’ For me, it’s not - when I’m acting, I go back into actor mode, and I take my directions, and I have my opinions about certain things, but you process things differently. But the directors are the one who’s ultimately in charge, and I thought about it afterwards, there was not even a hint of of him in any way trying to be like, ‘Well, this is what I would do.’ It was just wonderful the whole experience. He’s very giving, very present, and incredibly talented and funny.
We finally are getting closer to Lex being in the suit that everyone knows and loves with the look that we know of Lex. Whenever we do see you suited up, what was it like to actually suit up?
Michael Cudlitz: It’s awesome. I can say with confidence, you will definitely see it within the next two episodes after this one.
Whatever you’re doing in the suit, was it fun, and was it very heavy?
Michael Cudlitz: Oh, no, it’s a lot of fun, actually, it’s like getting back to being a 10-year-old and acting out/getting to be your favorite superhero. It’s ridiculous in the best way, you can’t move around very easily. You’re very restricted, and it takes three -myself included - to get you into it. So the three of us are all working very hard to get these components on so that everything looks good. But, yeah, no, it’s not heavy. I’m sure Wolé [Parks] would confirm that it’s not something you want to wear every day. But when you see it on film, you think, ‘Well, if I had to, I would wear it every day.’ It’s like a dream come true.
Michael Cudlitz On Amanda McCoy & Lex Luthor’s New Development In Superman & Lois Season 4
“As the season goes on, we realize what is potentially happening there.”
I had a suspicion this was going to happen, but Amanda and Lex are in love! Did you know from the beginning that this was the direction or did you find out when you got the script?
Michael Cudlitz: There’s kind of a hint of it, which is really interesting. Our PR department kind of slipped up a tiny bit, and no one really picked up on it. There’s a still photo that was released with me reaching out and touching Amanda’s face that we did in two takes, when she brings me to the hotel for the first time, to my new office across from the Smallville Gazette. [When] we started [filming,] I said, ‘Oh my gosh, should we play this?’ and we were like, ‘You know what? We’re not sure if we want to play it yet.’
But I reached out and I touched [her] face when I say, ‘There’s a reason I trust only you’ and that still was released, but if you see the edit of the scene, I never touch her in the scene that we actually did, because they wanted to save it for later. So when that photo came out, I was like, ‘Oh no!’ and nobody said a word. So it’s absolutely underneath everything. There’s a tension there, and we don’t know what it is, but as it builds, as the season goes on, we realize what is potentially happening there. Yvonne Chapman is honestly, again, incredible to work with - lovely, smart, talented, [she] was so present. Coming into a show that’s already running 100 miles an hour, and to just jump right on, seamlessly, she’s incredibly talented. I’m really excited for what she does in the future and I cannot wait to work with her again, because she was just a gem.
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 moreSuperman & Loiscast members:
Superman & Loisseason 4 airs new episodes on Monday nights at 8/7c on The CW.
Superman & Lois
Cast
Superman & Lois follows the Man of Steel, Clark Kent, and journalist Lois Lane as they navigate the strains of contemporary parenthood while confronting threats from supervillains and alien invaders, blending personal challenges with heroic responsibilities in this 2021 television series.
