Superman & Lois Final Season Gets Major Release Date Update

Speaking at CW's TCA Panel  yesterday, network boss Brad Schwartz revealed that the fourth and final season of Superman & Lois has been pushed back, and will debut next fall. Speaking with reporters in Los Angeles, Schwartz said that he thought the show would have been wasted over the summer, and that it's good enough to compete with the fall lineup from other networks. That means a longer wait (yet again) for fans, but a vote of confidence on the part of the network that the last handful of episodes are going to be satisfying for the fans who have been waiting so long for them.

Series star Bitsie Tulloch recently took to social media to share her excitement for the start of filming, and included a photo of the episode's script cover, meaning we now know not only the title -- it's called "The End and the Beginning" -- but also who wrote the episode (showrunners Brent Fletcher and Todd Helbing) and will direct it (Gregory Smith, of Arrow and Riverdale fame).

"I watched the first episode last night," Schwartz teased. "It will make you cry."

The season, which will run for ten episodes, will wrap up the show, and serves as the final original DC superhero show on The CW for the foreseeable future. Erik Valdez (Kyle Cushing), Inde Navarrette (Sarah Cortez), Wolé Parks (John Henry Irons), Dylan Walsh (Sam Lane), and Emmanuelle Chriqui (Lana Lang) have all been downgraded from series regulars to guest stars, while Michael Cudlitz (Lex Luthor) was promoted to series regular.

Season three finale ended on a cliffhanger, with Superman and Doomsday about to do battle on the moon. In the comics (and in several previous adaptations), Doomsday killed Superman in his first major appearance, leading to the fan-favorite "Death and Return of Superman" epic. Parts of that story -- including major roles for John Henry Irons and The Eradicator -- have shown up in Superman & Lois already.

"While we're sad to say goodbye to Superman & Lois at the end of Season Four, we're grateful for the time we've had with our amazing cast, crew, vfx teams, editors, musical geniuses, and writers. Since the day this show was first discussed, it was about family. And that's what was created—on and off screen," said executive producers and co-showrunners Todd Helbing and Brent Fletcher when the final season was announced. "We'd like to thank our partners at Berlanti Productions, DC, WB and The CW for their endless support and enthusiasm during this journey…and give a very special thank you to all the fans for tuning in. We're thrilled about what we have in store in our final season, and can't wait for everyone to watch as Superman, Lois and all our heroes face off against the biggest threat in the show's history—Lex Luthor."

h/t Deadline