Superman and Lois: Why the Show Left Main Arrowverse Continuity
The showrunner for Superman & Lois, Todd Helbing has finally revealed exactly why and how the beloved CW series exited from the main Arrowverse continuity.
As explained by Helbing, the reasoning behind Superman & Lois‘ position within the established Arrowverse’s overall canon while appearing in an interview with The Flash Podcast.
Todd Helbing Talks About Superman and Lois’ Continuity
“Originally, if you look at the original script [for the pilot episode] — I think it’s online somewhere — there are a lot of references to [Arrowverse crossover ‘Crisis on Infinite Earths’], with Clark and his family because of it,” he said. “We went from having one infant to two teenage boys, that was a huge part of it. But it’s just felt like, it was opening a can of worms and required so much explanation to, someone like, let’s say my mom, a new audience member, that it wasn’t going to play in the way that we originally intended. So Greg [Berlanti,] and I, along with The CW, Warner Bros. and DC, we just started to pull all those references out.”
Helbing Feels Arrowverse Shows Are Not ‘Upto The Mark Now’
He then continued, “Then I had a conversation with DC, in Season 1 about this, there was a desire to put our own stamp on the Superman mythology and just have it be able to function on its own,” Helbing continued. “But the more we got through Season 1 and the end of Season 2, it’s just felt more honest to not have it be on the same planet. I think when all the other [Arrowverse] shows were on at the same time, it was easier to do references like The Flash in Central City and Supergirl in National City… Unfortunately, now that these other shows are no longer going to be on the air, it just didn’t feel like it was gonna be rewarding. I’m sure there’s gonna be some fans out there that are upset. I totally understand, but I think the decision was just made to keep our show on a different planet and do the best we can.”
Superman & Lois Happens On a Different Earth
The finale of Superman & Lois Season 2, “Waiting for Superman,” only confirmed that the CW series happens on a very different Earth than the rest of the Arrowverse.
Before this episode aired, many DC fans had an assumption that the show was set on Earth-Prime, which is where The Flash, Supergirl and Legends of Tomorrow was set. A dialogue in “Waiting for Superman” made by General Sam Lane clears up all doubts on the whole matter, establishing that Superman is the only active superhero in this Superman & Lois reality.
This was also confirmed by Helbing that this alternate Earth of Superman & Lois means that the Arrowverse veteran David Ramsey plays a very different variant of John Diggle in the second seaosn finale.
This is why Diggle wears a beard and has a very different hairstyle in that episode, although Ramsey also had a look akin in the sixth season of The Flash, Episode 18, “The Man in the Yellow Tie.” Helbing also revealed that the show would be taking a much similar approach if Supergirl would be added in Season 3.
“Yeah, it would not be the Supergirl from the Arrowverse, it would be our version so we would invent a new backstory for her,” he said.
We do not have a release date for Superman & Lois Season 3 yet.
Source: The Flash Podcast
