This text comprises spoilers for “Superman & Lois.”
Secret identities are very important and key to superhero tales. It is what helps hold the phantasm that anybody may very well be a hero and that anybody may very well be beneath the masks. And but, there are fairly just a few superheroes with no secret id. The Marvel Cinematic Universe primarily did away with the idea from the very begin when Tony Stark revealed his id to the world. Within the DC universe, at the least within the comics, Surprise Girl lives with no secret id, as does Aquaman (largely as a result of he’s overtly the king of Atlantis along with a superhero), and even Elongated Man revealed his id primarily the second he acquired powers.
However there are heroes whose identities are so important to the character that they’re sacred and untouched (largely) like Batman, Spider-Man, and Superman. Even when these characters have their identities revealed, it would not final lengthy — “Spider-Man: No Approach Dwelling” did a complete film out of discovering a magical option to make the world neglect Peter Parker is Spider-Man, and when Superman advised the world he was Clark Kent within the comics in 2019, it wasn’t lengthy earlier than the world magically forgot about it.
Within the Arrowverse, too, secret identities had been sacred and the first supply of drama for many of its run. “Arrow” and “The Flash” significantly mined quite a lot of drama out of their heroes having to misinform their family members about who they are surely. That’s, in fact, till Oliver Queen uncovered his secret in “Arrow,” however even then that did not change the present’s dynamic that a lot, and earlier than lengthy, Oliver died. However issues are completely different in the final Arrowverse present. Within the final season of “Superman & Lois,” the Man of Metal did one thing he is by no means earlier than performed in a live-action film or TV present — he publicly revealed his secret id and advised the world he’s Clark Kent.
Superman advised the world he was Clark Kent
Like each different present within the Arrowverse, “Superman & Lois” paid quite a lot of consideration to the thought of secret identities, the price of sustaining them, and the way it impacts the heroes’ private lives. For many of its run, the present centered on the toll it took on Clark Kent to maintain his powers secret from family and friends, how a lot his dad and mom pushed him to maintain the key, the way it tore him aside, saved his buddies away, and damage relationships.
He will not be in a big-budget film, however Tyler Hoechlin has been doing a little excellent work as Clark Kent in “Superman & Lois.” He completely captures the lovable goofiness that makes everybody each like Clark Kent and in addition overlook that he’s truly the Man of Metal as a result of (glasses or not) there isn’t any method this man is usually a superhero.
Within the season 4 episode “A Common Man,” we lastly meet Superman’s Pal, Jimmy Olsen, besides he’s no pal of Clark’s. As a substitute, it’s clear that what was beginning to change into a friendship was lower quick by Clark’s fixed lies to guard his secret id and his gaslighting of Jimmy, one thing he is needed to do many instances prior to now at the price of having actually any buddy. At one level, seeing the frustration and coldness in Jimmy, Clark tells Lois that he is advantageous with it, as a result of “I am used to it,” with Tyler Hoechlin utilizing Clark’s goofy exterior as a shell to cover a heartbroken man who’s needed to sacrifice his private life as a way to do good for the world.
It is clearly been an issue for the remainder of the household, too. The second Clark and Lois determine to inform their two sons that he’s Superman, it instantly modifications the household dynamic and the belief between them. The present and the characters always interrogate whether or not secret identities are a good suggestion, even when they’re for shielding others. Maintaining the key is a really Superman factor to do, however having Superman actively misinform folks is not, which makes the second he lastly reveals himself to the folks of Smallville, after which the world, so monumental. It’s an episode with no battles, and barely any Superman in it, but it feels as epic as any main battle towards a supervillain.
What occurs when the world is aware of who Superman is
“Superman & Lois” has all the time been a unique, extra human interpretation of the Superman mythos — not simply because it facilities on Superman’s household — however as a result of that is the second every little thing modifications without end. Certain, different writers have imagined what would occur if the world came upon Clark Kent is Superman (even “Smallville” did it briefly) but it surely by no means caught for lengthy. Given this reveal occurred only a handful of episodes earlier than the tip of “Superman & Lois” made it clear there was no going again.
What’s extra, the present discovered a option to evade the principle situation with Superman revealing his id — that after everybody is aware of who Clark Kent is, he’s principally useless, for nobody would deal with him the identical. In “Superman & Lois,” nonetheless, the truth that the city of Smallville slowly finds out first, however they determine to maintain the key as a result of they understand how a lot not solely Superman has performed for them, but additionally the Kent household. We have spent an excellent three seasons having characters discuss how a lot Martha and Jonathan Kent did for the neighborhood with out asking for something in return, and now it is time for the city to do one thing for Clark. It is the Superman equal of the wonderful practice scene in “Spider-Man 2” when the New Yorkers protected Peter’s id, with the folks of Smallville even coming collectively and kicking Lex Luthor out of city as a result of he was messing with Clark and his household.
However it hasn’t been straightforward. Even when “Superman & Lois” barely touches on the potential of what the confession means for Superman legally — like whether or not or not he may be sued for property injury or assault in his heroics — it shortly turns into clear that Clark, Lois, and their sons will not have any resemblance of a traditional life. Jonathan’s girlfriend briefly breaks up with him due to how a lot consideration she’s getting from the press and followers at 16. Whereas he and Jordan at the moment are being always mobbed by followers and having random celebrities like Jamie Kennedy messaging them — even their highschool soccer coach is now always asking Jonathan and Jordan to rejoin the workforce after kicking them off in a earlier season. Superman did the best factor, and as all the time, it got here at a value.
Superman & Lois is the proper Superman present
Each different Superman adaptation lived within the traditional Superman paradigm, maintaining the established order even when it briefly modifications some issues. However that is not the case with “Superman & Lois,” a present that is all the time pushed the character ahead. It began with the introduction of Jonathan and Jordan within the first episode, killing Sam Lane, giving Lois breast most cancers, giving Superman a half-brother that grew to become a buddy (then disappeared to Bizarro World), and now, having Superman reveal his id to the world as he’s turning into mortal.
That is proper, the Man of Metal is shedding his powers. Within the first episode of the ultimate season, Superman died combating Doomsday (a comics-accurate, visually beautiful Doomsday), and even when he got here again to life, he did not simply recharge with the solar and went again to regular. As a substitute, he began growing old, getting grey in his hair, and eventually studying he’s slowly shedding his powers and turning into a daily man who is not going to outlive his family members, however develop previous and die like Lois. This made Clark have a mid-life disaster as he by no means actually thought-about the thought of rising previous, at the least not at a traditional human tempo, however makes for the proper coda to this depiction of the character, one which was all the time extra centered on Clark Kent the person quite than Superman the Kryptonian.
This has all the time been a present about household, about legacy, and what higher legacy than being the Man of Tomorrow, and having Clark go away the cape behind for his two sons to select up? Earlier than James Gunn introduces a brand new Superman in 2025, one which he guarantees will likely be a delicate, comics-accurate “huge galoot,” it was “Superman & Lois” that gave us the proper Superman story that almost all precisely captured each facet of the character as seen within the comics.
