Superman & Lois: Why the DCEU's Approach to Older Heroes Was Actually Smart!
Superman & Lois: A Lesson in Superhero Storytelling from the DCEU's Successes
The DCEU (remember that now-defunct DC Extended Universe?) made some seriously questionable choices, creating quite a few controversies in the process. Yet some of those earlier ideas have found validation in The CW's Superman & Lois series. This isn't some fluke, it's a direct lesson to newer superhero movie releases; something everyone needs to learn to produce new, enjoyable content. Those previous releases and the challenges encountered create lessons from successes as well as failures.
The DCEU had those ups and downs, those moments of brilliance as well as truly catastrophic failures like Shazam: Fury of the Gods and The Flash; it showed clearly why understanding certain aspects relating to this genre is very important, and how these things would directly contribute to an effective and enjoyable end product. The DCEU's collapse created this anticipation over James Gunn's reboot, this upcoming Superman movie (releasing July 2025), it demonstrates a complete rethink, and shows lessons learned from that very complicated previous release!
Why Older Heroes Matter: Superman & Lois Shows Us Why
For ages, superhero movies started with those classic Origin Stories. Superman & Lois totally subverts that! We see an older, established Superman—which brings many advantages! This brings many benefits – not simply showing older characters themselves, this version of the series included a vastly older version of Lex Luthor; adding another incredibly complex dimension that those origin stories often lacked in creating greater tension and challenges! It provides many new story opportunities not often found.
Older characters add complexity to the human behind the mask! His family's paramount, adding major relatability– something many find missing in those powerful, near-godlike Superman stories! He’s not burdened with that classic “secret identity” struggle! That duality creates tension; and audiences typically want to feel connection, to see those issues affecting the central protagonist themselves. Having such an established Superman actually allows more intense storytelling regarding character traits that weren’t very clear from previous versions! Those relatable human traits which show the development beyond the “superhero” really shines.
The Need for Balance in the DC Universe (Old and New Heroes)
DC needs to show heroes at various stages, this really does showcase many different facets involved in those many important storytelling decisions! DCEU smartly showcases those elements in Batman v Superman (showing an older Batman); and other instances where those origin stories felt irrelevant– that is; the Flash for example–showing that these weren’t strictly necessary all the time, creating opportunities for developing complex storytelling across several titles! It continues in James Gunn’s DCU: Lanterns might show an established Hal Jordan alongside a younger John Stewart; and Batman’s storyline could show an older Batman (old enough to have a son)! All this matters; audiences often feel fatigued when seeing repetitive plots or ideas constantly being presented!
Origin Stories can totally work—but often fail in one critical way: once told; creating greater stories afterwards becomes immensely challenging. That ever-present “double life” conflict becomes stale— so these changes matter and show intelligent use of already-developed material in very unique, innovative and clever ways; and those moments of innovation create an enormous impact that might've been missed, even if everything seemingly feels standard or expected! Many elements require smart decisions on behalf of the production to become genuinely valuable, rather than merely exploiting the brand's reputation and popularity alone! There needs to be actual, consistent innovation and fresh story perspectives.
Superman & Lois: A Superior Example of Aging a Hero Properly
The major difference? The DCEU mostly focused on older heroes; less on the human beings behind those identities, it showed those kinds of very extreme emotional responses as seen throughout Batman v Superman, with plenty of action surrounding the superhero's struggles, showing intense emotional turmoil rather than showing those specific events involving their day-to-day and showing some greater depth involving humanity! That made many heroes dark, cynical and often outright violent, and some critics rightly point this out. Yet what does Superman & Lois show instead? We see more of Clark Kent; showing him balancing various aspects of his life; not merely the “Superman” aspects of that particular role, which is an incredibly creative choice in showing and further emphasizing various layers and developments of character only achievable by spending time exploring specific characters and not only that heroic side of what makes him popular.
This is where Superman & Lois truly shines; the series focuses on that humanity first, showcasing that crucial distinction in developing these iconic superheroes, reminding us Superman’s just Clark’s extension; emphasizing that humanity first, to build an effective and impactful and a truly memorable and moving storytelling which could become inspiring!
Conclusion: The Power of Maturity in Superhero Storytelling
DC clearly benefits from those established heroes. Superman & Lois shows us how! They avoid that usual trope surrounding hero creation. The maturity and deep complexity added in those human relationships surrounding that existing well-established narrative of Superman truly generates more lasting power. There's a clear model of storytelling going forward; yet also shows that even an established brand with immensely deep fan involvement benefits immensely when paying attention toward what fans themselves might prefer.
