WARNING: This article includes SPOILERS from the Superman & Lois series finale.The Arrowverse’s version ofThe Death of Supermanwas almost going to look very different, as one of theSuperman & Loisstars opens up on the season 4 approach of theDCarc. While they took some creative liberties,theSuperman & Loisseason 4 storydid give fans a new adaptation ofThe Death of Supermansaga that has been one of the Man of Steel’s most iconic moments in the DC canon. However, the audience was close to getting a different version ofThe Death of SupermaninSuperman & Loisseason 4.
In a new interview withScreen Rant,Superman & Loisstar Wolé Parks, who portrayed John Henry Irons, a.k.a. Steel, was asked if his character was originally meant to have a bigger role in season 4. Given Steel’s involvement withThe Death of Superman/Reign of the Supermen,Parks confirmed that if season 4 had been longer, John would have had a larger presence in the absence of Clark Kent during his death, as he shared the following:
Wolé Parks: I will say yes, the whole idea of Steelworks and all this stuff, they were planning to do all that. The Death of Superman arc was going to be bigger than it is. They did a great job with it for season 4, there were bigger ideas out there. And then The CW and Warner Bros. were like, ‘You got one season, you got to reduce budget, so make it work.’ [laughs]
What Wolé Parks' The Death Of Superman Story Comments Mean For Superman & Lois
Ever sinceSuperman & Loisseason 1,the show has slowly been putting the pieces in place forThe Death of Superman/Reign of the Supermen, as the Arrowverse drama put emphasis on players like Steel and even their own take on the Eradicator. Despite not having access to Conner Kent,Superman & Loishad Jordan and Jonathan Kent, who ultimately became the Superboys of the show. HadSuperman & Loisseason 4had the same budget as the previous seasons but also a longer episode order, that would have kept Clark dead for more episodes, allowing these players to step in.
In the end, as Parks explained, things didn’t unfold that way. In the case of Steel, this serves to explain why John was only around for a handful of episodes, includingtheSuperman & Lois seriesfinale,which made it tricky to do theReign of the Supermenas close to the comics as possible. Nevertheless, it doesn’t take away how theSuperman & Loiscreative team was able to craft a solid final season with the budget that they had in the end.
Our Take On Wolé Parks' The Death Of Superman Story Comments
From what Parks explained,it would have been fun if the Reign of the Supermen story had been able to shine more inSuperman & Loisseason 4. It’s possible that a future Superman adaptation will get to doThe Death of Superman/Reign of the Supermena bit closer to the comics, which could perhaps happen in James Gunn’s DC Universe. AsSuperman & Loisseason 4 is officially over, time will tell where fans will see the next live-action version of Superman’s death and rebirth.
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.
