Superman: Legacy Caused Superman & Lois Cancellation, Says CW Boss

Last fall, The CW announced that Superman & Lois would end with its upcoming fourth season. For fans of the series, the cancellation felt like a little bit of a surprise given that Superman & Lois was a popular series for the network. Now, network president Brad Schwartz reveals the real reason the series is coming to an end: James Gunn's upcoming film Superman: Legacy.

According to Schwartz, the decision to end Superman & Lois came down from Warner Bros. because they didn't want a competing Superman product — and with the upcoming Superman: Legacy, there would be.

"They don't want a competing Superman product in the marketplace," Schwartz said (via The Wrap).

DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn had previously indicated back in early 2023 when Superman: Legacy was first announced that Superman & Lois was likely to continue for a bit, even with changes happening at The CW as well as the initial development slate for DC Studios.

"It's a show everybody likes, so it's going to keep going for a little bit," Gunn said.

The series ultimately went on for Season 3 and will have Season 4 — fulfilling the estimated "one to two more seasons" that was also mentioned at that time.

Superman & Lois Will Be The CW's Final DC TV Show

With The Flash ending last year and the cancellation of Gotham Knights after just one season, Superman & Lois will mark the end of an era for The CW, closing out the network's DC television series, something that began with Smallville in 2001.

"Over the last three seasons, SUPERMAN & LOIS redefined both the superhero genre and family drama as Tyler, Elizabeth and the entire cast effortlessly portrayed these classic characters with new layers of depth and complexity that had never before been explored in the Superman universe," said Brad Schwartz, President of Entertainment, The CW Network. "We are grateful for the years of hard work and graceful storytelling from the show's writers, producers, actors and crew, as well as our terrific partners at Warner Bros. Television and Berlanti Productions. As Superman embarks on his final flight, the team is leaving us with an absolutely epic 10-episode must-watch-every-minute farewell to one of the most legendary CW families ever."

Season 4 of Superman & Lois Will See Some Big Changes

When Superman & Lois returns for its final season, it will come with some changes. Shortly after the series' Season 4 renewal, it was confirmed that the cast of the series would be trimmed down, with Dylan Walsh (Sam Lane), Emmanuelle Chiriqui (Lana Lang), Erik Valdez (Kyle Cushing), Inde Navarette (Sarah Cushing), Wole Parks (John Henry Irons), Tayler Buck (Natalie Irons), and Sofia Hasmik (Chrissy Beppo) all demoted to recurring or guest star roles. Tyler Hoechlin (Clark Kent/Superman), Tulloch, Michael Bishop (Jonathan Kent), and Alex Garfin (Jordan Kent) are all set to remain as series regulars with Michael Cudlitz (Lex Luthor) also being promoted to series regular for the final season.

What Is Superman: Legacy About?

Per DC Studios, Superman: Legacy tells the story of Superman's journey to reconcile his Kryptonian heritage with his human upbringing as Clark Kent of Smallville, Kansas. He is the embodiment of truth, justice, and a better tomorrow, guided by human kindness in a world that sees kindness as old-fashioned. The film will also star Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane, Skyler Gisondo as Jimmy Olsen, Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor, Sara Sampaio as Eve Teschmacher, María Gabriela de Faría as Angela Spica / The Engineer, Isabela Merced as Kendra Saunders / Hawkgirl, Nathan Fillion as Guy Gardner, Edi Gathegi as Michael Holt / Mr. Terrific, and Anthony Carrigan as Rex Mason / Metamorpho.

"It's not an origin story," Safran told reporters last year. "It focuses on Superman balancing his Kryptonian heritage with his human upbringing. Superman represents truth, justice, and the American way. He has kindness in a world that thinks of kindness as old fashioned."