After months of negotiations, The CW has decided to renew Superman & Lois for a shortened fourth season, the network announced Monday.
Superman & Lois, part of the CW’s Arrowverse, was one of three shows on the network awaiting news of a renewal. Homecoming: All American was also given the green light to return while Gotham Knights was canceled after one season.
“We are thrilled to bring Superman & Lois back to The CW,” network president Brad Schwartz said in a statement. “These series are two of our strongest performers across our linear and digital platforms with some of the most passionate fanbases in all of television. We are grateful to our partners at Warner Bros. Television and Berlanti Productions for their continued collaboration, and we cannot wait to get started on the new seasons.”
Superman & Lois is averaging 1.2 million total viewers and a 0.2 demo rating. That’s down 30 percent from its Season 2 numbers but ranks No. 2 in the total audience behind Walker.
Season 4 would be 10 episodes, down from 13 in the current third season.
Superman & Lois stars Tyler Hoechlin as Clark Kent/Superman, Bitsie Tulloch as Lois Lane, Alex Garfin as Jordan Kent, Michael Bishop as Jonathan Kent, Emmanuelle Chriqui as Lana Lang, Erik Valdez as Kyle Cushing, Inde Navarrette as Sarah Cortez, Wolé Parks as John Henry Irons, Tayler Buck as Natalie Irons, Sofia Hasmik as Chrissy Beppo and Chad L. Coleman as Bruno Mannheim and Dylan Walsh as Sam Lane.
Due to Superman & Lois being expensive to make, budget cuts that include reducing the number of series regular cast members will likely be made. This means the Cushings and John Henry Irons’ family may be departing Smallville towards the end of the current season.
In addition to trimming the cast, the series likely would lean more into the family dynamic of the show, which would mean a smaller chance of seeing Hoechlin on screen as the Man of Steel.
