This text incorporates spoilers for “Superman & Lois.”
Secret identities are important and key to superhero tales. It is what helps maintain the phantasm that anybody could possibly be a hero and that anybody could possibly be beneath the masks. And but, there are fairly a number of superheroes with out a secret id. The Marvel Cinematic Universe basically did away with the idea from the very begin when Tony Stark revealed his id to the world. Within the DC universe, no less than within the comics, Surprise Lady lives with out a 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 basically the second he received 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 Residence” did an entire film out of discovering a magical strategy to make the world neglect Peter Parker is Spider-Man, and when Superman instructed 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 a variety of drama out of their heroes having to mislead 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 within 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 finished in a live-action film or TV present — he publicly revealed his secret id and instructed the world he’s Clark Kent.
Superman instructed the world he was Clark Kent
Like each different present within the Arrowverse, “Superman & Lois” paid a variety 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 targeted on the toll it took on Clark Kent to maintain his powers secret from family and friends, how a lot his mother and father pushed him to maintain the key, the way it tore him aside, stored his buddies away, and damage relationships.
He is probably not in a big-budget film, however Tyler Hoechlin has been performing some 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 is no approach this man could be 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 turn out to be 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 occasions previously at the price of having actually any good friend. At one level, seeing the frustration and coldness in Jimmy, Clark tells Lois that he is effective 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 in an effort 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 continuously interrogate whether or not secret identities are a good suggestion, even when they’re for shielding others. Protecting the key is a really Superman factor to do, however having Superman actively mislead 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 all the pieces modifications without end. Positive, different writers have imagined what would occur if the world discovered Clark Kent is Superman (even “Smallville” did it briefly) nevertheless it by no means caught for lengthy. Given this reveal occurred only a handful of episodes earlier than the top of “Superman & Lois” made it clear there was no going again.
What’s extra, the present discovered a strategy to evade the principle challenge with Superman revealing his id — that after everybody is aware of who Clark Kent is, he’s principally lifeless, for nobody would deal with him the identical. In “Superman & Lois,” nevertheless, 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 finished for them, but additionally the Kent household. We have spent a superb three seasons having characters discuss how a lot Martha and Jonathan Kent did for the group 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 prepare 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.
Nevertheless it hasn’t been straightforward. Even when “Superman & Lois” barely touches on the opportunity of what the confession means for Superman legally — like whether or not or not he might 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 standard 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 continuously mobbed by followers and having random celebrities like Jamie Kennedy messaging them — even their highschool soccer coach is now continuously asking Jonathan and Jordan to rejoin the crew after kicking them off in a earlier season. Superman did the suitable factor, and as all the time, it got here at a price.
Superman & Lois is the right Superman present
Each different Superman adaptation lived within the traditional Superman paradigm, holding 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 turned a good friend (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 dropping 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 dropping his powers and turning into an everyday 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 of the thought of rising previous, no less than not at a standard human tempo, however makes for the right coda to this depiction of the character, one which was all the time extra targeted on Clark Kent the person fairly 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 depart 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 mild, comics-accurate “massive galoot,” it was “Superman & Lois” that gave us the right Superman story that the majority precisely captured each side of the character as seen within the comics.
