Superman and Lois ended after four seasons, and I'm now convinced that Tyler Hoechlin's Superman is better than Henry Cavill's Man of Steel. DC has had several great live-action Superman actors over the years. Christopher Reeve serves as the gold standard about how the hero should be portrayed, but I also love Tom Welling's Clark Kent from Smallville and Brandon Routh's performance as the hero in The Return of Supermanalthough it wasn't the best film, and the Arrowverse's Crisis on Infinite Earths crossover.
David Corenswet's Superman will soon debut in 2025, adding another Man of Steel to DC's live-action history. Before that could happen, Tyler Hoechlin's time as a hero had to come to an end. Corenswet will be the only live-action Superman from now onwith Henry Cavill being replaced in the cinema and Hoechlin Superman and Lois ending after four seasons. Like the last two live-action versions of Superman, fans have compared Hoechlin and Cavill in recent years. After the Superman and Lois series finale, I think Hoechlin proved to be the better Superman due to key factors.
Henry Cavill never got his due as Superman
The DCEU's Troubles Affected His Tenure as Superman
I expected more from Henry Cavill's Superman than we got, but I don't blame the actor for the character's shortcomings. The DCEU has faced a number of problems over the years, from suboptimal story decisions to complicated behind-the-scenes dynamics, power shifts, and more. All of these factors contributed to Superman's story being rushed and overtly dark. Cavill's Superman debuted in Man of Steelwhere he killed Zod at the end of the film, then fought Batman and died in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice before returning to life near the end of Justice League.
I don't like how Cavill's Superman was part of darker stories than the hero normally is, which was intentional, like Zack Snyder planned to get to the Superman hopeful by the end of his arc. However, that would never happen, and I'm frustrated that Cavill's Superman has barely appeared in the DCEU. The hero disappeared for years, and fans didn't know if Cavill would return. When this happened through Henry Cavill's Superman cameo in Black Adampost-credits scenes, hopes of the reported in development Man of Steel 2 were frustrated by the recasting of the DCU and Cavill.
Tyler Hoechlin better balanced both sides of the DC hero
The actor could be the best Superman since Christopher Reeve
Speaking just about the appearances we've gotten of Cavill and Hoechlin's versions of Superman, I'm convinced that the Superman and Lois star brought a more faithful version of the Man of Steel to live-action. Hoechlin's Superman was powerful, but that wasn't his character's main selling point, unlike Cavill's, whose Superman was basically used as a weapon in Justice League. Hoechlin's Superman cared for everyone, was a determined and hopeful hero, and his appearances served to better those around him. This extended to heroes, ordinary people, and even some villains.
One of the most important parts of Superman is that the hero has two sides, and Superman and Lois did much better with Clark Kent when compared to the DCEU. Tyler Hoechlin's Clark was an even bigger part of the DC series than his superhero counterpart. The show focused on the powerful hero's humanity, with Hoechlin displaying Clark Kent's signature charm, delivering a fun, upbeat and lovable version of the character. I will say that there were flashes of classic Clark in Cavill's portrayal, particularly in Man of Steelbut the DCEU never fully went in that direction.
Superman & Lois finally made a major DC Comics story better than the DCEU
The DC series had a more emotional development
Finally, what makes Tyler Hoechlin's Superman better than Henry Cavill's for me is how both versions of the character adapted one of DC Comics' most iconic Man of Steel stories, with Superman and Lois easily surpassing the DCEU's efforts. The story in question is “The Death of Superman.” In the cinema, Cavill's Man of Steel would debut, die and be resurrected in three films, with a small role in the first live-action Justice League film, which was a terrible decision. The story was rushed, taking away the impact of Superman's death.
Superman and Lois Season 4 also killed off its version of the hero. However, Tyler Hoechlin's Superman had four seasons of preparation – and even more when counting his appearances in the Arrowverse – until his death. Superman remained dead for a few episodes and when he came back to life, the hero was not the same. Clark Kent received General Sam Lane's heart, which was not compatible with his Kryptonian body, so he slowly lost his powers and died 32 years later. There were lasting consequences Superman and Lois' story with emotional moments, cementing Hoechlin as better than Cavill for me.
Superman and Lois
Superman and Loisthe Arrowverse's seventh spinoff series, will take the titular characters from Metropolis to Smallville. The CW series is set after the “Crisis on Infinite Earths” crossover, which saw the collapse of the multiverse and the merging of worlds on what is now Earth Prime. Superman and Lois sees Lois Lane (Elizabeth Tulloch) and Clark Kent (Tyler Hoechlin) dealing with all the pressures of their jobs, as well as being parents to two teenage children. Lois and Clark are no strangers to the Arrowverse, with Hoechlin's Superman having been introduced way back when. Supergirl season 2. Meanwhile, Tulloch's Lois made her debut in 2018's “Elseworlds” crossover. The pair are joined by a growing cast of characters that includes a new iteration of Lana Lang.
- Release date
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February 23, 2021
- Presenter
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Todd helping
Upcoming DC film releases
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Superman
- Release date
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July 11, 2025
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- Release date
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June 26, 2026
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- Release date
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October 2, 2026