Superman & Lois TV Series is Casting Two Teens — And They Sure Sound Like the Super-Sons

The next generation of heroes is coming to The CW. In addition to Green Arrow and the Canaries, the planned spinoff that will star Katherine McNamara as Mia Smoak and surround her with a new generation of supporting heroes, the Superman and Lois pilot is casting a pair of teenage boys that certainly sound like they fit the bill of Jonathan Kent (Superboy) and Damian Wayne (Robin). In a post made by David Rapaport (casting director for the Arrowverse, Riverdale, and more), and retweeted by Elizabeth Tulloch (who plays Lois Lane), a link to an open casting call for “Matthew” and “Ethan” gives audiences their first sense for the characters who are more likely than not the children of Superman and Batman.

In the Arrowverse, Bruce Wayne disappeared three years ago, and there has been no explanation as to where he went or why. With rumors that Damian could appear in Superman and Lois, one has to wonder whether he might have left Gotham to raise a child in a somewhat less vigilante-y environment.

Here’s how the casting call, which you can see here if you’re a teenage boy who would like to audition, describes the pair:

Matthew is a 14-year-old caucasian boy, with an eye toward casting someone between 13 and 16. He is described as “well on his way to becoming a physical specimen. Clean cut, modest and kind-hearted, with an aw-chucks attitude that somehow doesn’t seem dated. A three-sport athlete who’s already garnering attention from college and pro scouts.

Ethan, meanwhile — also a 14-year-old caucasian who they would like to be played by someone between 13 and 16 — is described as “a young Leonardo DiCaprio who has an inherent darkness to him. Ethan’s wildly intelligent, but his mercurial temperament and social anxiety limits his interactions with people, and consequently, he spends most of his free time playing video games.”

Assuming that this is really Jonathan Kent and Damian Wayne, it does raise some questions: Damian has always looked pretty caucasian in the comics, but his mother is Talia Head, the daughter of Ra’s al Ghul. She is not exactly lily-white, so there may be some questions about whitewashing Damian if the casting isn’t just right. It also begs a question of whether the Arrowverse’s Damian would be the son of Batman and Talia at all. After all, Talia had appeared on Arrow and there was no indication that she knew Bruce Wayne, or had a kid.

It also seemingly confirms that Jon Kent is being aged up so that he can be a teenager in the new series. That’s bound to disappoint some fans, who got excited when they saw the super-baby delivered in the previews for “Crisis on Infinite Earths.” In the comics, Jon was born during the Convergence event, and after that event, Superman and Lois were essentially thrown back in time so that by the time Jon was 10 years old and hanging out with Damian, the Kent-Lane family had caught up to the present day. Something like that could certainly happen after “Crisis.” Alternately, Superman and Lois could stay in the present, and the TV series could take place in 2040, where it would be in line with Green Arrow and the Canaries, allowing for the possibility that one day, Jon, Damian, and Mia could team up.

Word is, Superman and Lois is planning to film a pilot in the spring. The characters can next be seen in “Crisis on Infinite Earths,” which begins December 8 on The CW.