20 Things We Learned About ‘Superman & Lois’ During PaleyFest

The cast of Superman & Lois gathered together at PaleyFest 2022 to give audiences a closer look into the hit CW series.

During a panel with Tyler Hoechlin, Elizabeth Tulloch, Emmanuelle Chriqui, Alexander Garfin, Inde Navarrette, Wolé Parks, Dylan Walsh, Erik Valdez, Tayler Buck, and showrunner Todd Helbig, the cast and writers spoke about what makes the series special, spilled a few behind the scenes secrets, and teased what’s still to come in Season 2. 

Here are 20 things we learned about Superman & Lois during PaleyFest.

1. Showrunner Todd Helbig almost didn’t agree to the show. 

Initially, Helbig was tentative about agreeing to take on running another superhero show after stepping down as showrunner from The Flash. Greg Berlanti had to call him up directly — and pitch him some great ideas for the show — to get him to agree. 

“I was completely burnt out,” said Helbig. “Berlanti calls me up and says ‘I might get the rights to Superman as a series, do you want to do with me?’ And I thought “I am so tired, but it’s Berlanti! We started talking, and he said I think the show should be about family and we should have Superman and Lois be parents.”

Berlanti and Helbig decided they wanted to do a show that felt like Everwood or Friday Night Lights, instead of something that solely focused on the “superhero” aspects. After that, Helbig was sold. 

“If we could make it about family and have heroics, we thought it would be something really special.”

2. Tyler Hoechlin and Elizabeth Tulloch signed on to Superman & Lois without having read a script.

Both Hoechlin and Tulloch — who play Superman and Lois, respectively — agreed to sign on to the show without having any more details besides what Helbig and Berlanti originally pitched them. 

“We went out to dinner, and [Helbig] was pitching it as Friday Night Lights meets This Is Us with a dash of superhero,” said Tulloch. “I loved the idea, and when he said ‘You guys would have older kids,’ that added complexity and depth in places we could go. Having hormonal teenagers was really exciting.”

Tyler Hoechlin said it was the emphasis on family that sold him most. 

“I’m coming to a point in life when you realize family is the most important thing, and I thought it was really special to take a thing as exciting as Superman and Lois Lane together, but with a family to raise. That seemed really appealing.”

3. Elizabeth Tulloch was thrilled at being able to dig deeper into her character after the “Crisis On Infinite Earths” crossover. 

There’s no doubt Tulloch has been excited to play Lois Lane since the moment she booked the job for The CW’s epic crossover superhero events, but it was being able to dig deeper into who Lois Lane was, that made her especially thankful for a full Superman & Lois series. 

“In the crossovers, you’re with Arrow, The Flash, and Supergirl. Out scenes were so big in the sense of the sheer number of cast, everybody would get like, one line. There just wasn’t as far to go, and our show is very grounded. Once we got our script, I was like, ‘Oh, now I can actually delve in, and get into [Lois’] skin.”

4. Dylan Walsh was excited — and surprised — his character Same Lane wasn’t one-dimensional. 

Coming into Superman & Lois, Dylan Walsh respected his character — that head of the DOP — to be one-dimensional because that’s what hard-shelled characters his age usually are. He was pleasantly surprised to find out the show had different plans. 

“I love the different ways that Lane is plugged into the stories. At my age, if it’s the police captain, it’s one-dimensional, but here that was not the case. I love the contrast between him barking orders, and then going to his daughter who barks at him. And I’m also a grandfather. You can’t pin him down.”

5. Erik Valdez actually loves that his character Kyle Cushing is flawed. 

There are a lot of reasons Erik Valdez loves playing Kyle Cushing, but his favorite thing is how flawed the character actually is. Cushing gets to be the small-town hero as Firechief, but he also makes a lot of mistakes along the way, and for Valdez, that keeps things interesting. 

“I love being part of something as iconic as Superman & Lois, and then reading more into Kyle, with all of his flaws, makes for a really cool ride and a nice contrast. You’ve got Superman, but you’ve got the small-town hero the Fire-chief with Kyle. Getting to see him fall on his face — it makes for fun stuff for me, but also great TV.”

6. Emmanuelle Chriqui has no idea it would be so exciting to play Lana Lang. 

It was clear to Emmanuelle Chriqui when she initially stepped into the role of Lana Lang she was playing an iconic and historic character. What she didn’t realize, was how exciting that would be to her, and how gratifying the role would ultimately become. 

“It has beyond exceeded my expectations. Initially, I didn’t know what this was going to be. I knew that Lana [Lang] was a historical character that’s been here from the beginning, but with every episode, it just felt more incredible and gratifying,” Chriqui said. “To be able to go really deep, to come to set and feel like I need to bring it — there’s no calling this in — is what you want as an actor. Every episode is exciting to see what Lana is up to.”

7. Indie Navarrette and Tayler Buck had very different audition experiences. 

Navarette and Buck play the younger female roles in Superman & Lois, but their audition processes were extremely varied. While Buck’s experience trying out for Natalie Irons was quick and surprising due to the pandemic, Navarrette’s was a long, in-person process.  

“Mine was a self-tape for a two-episode recurring guest star,” Buck said. “The next day they call me up, and they say ‘Hey, we want you for the part, but we’re wondering if you would be interested in coming on as a series regular for Season 2.'”

Buck clearly didn’t have to be persuaded. 

“I was like, ‘Why are you even asking me that question!’ It was very simple, and I know it’s not usually like that.”

Navarette confirmed that thought when describing her own audition process, but found beauty in her specific experience. 

“My audition was a lot longer. Over a few months, I had a self-tape, a callback, and then we went in with other girls. It was actually really beautiful because all the girls looked different, so they were clearly choosing who they wanted for Sarah based on who they felt was best. It was extremely long, but I am extremely grateful.”

8. Alexander Garfin almost walked out of his audition entirely. 

Alexander Garfin makes the perfect Jordan Kent, which is why it’s surprising he was actually originally asked to read for the part of his twin brother, Jonathan.

Garfin tried his best to play along, but at the end of the day, he knew Jonathan wasn’t the right character for him. 

“I saw the audition on the wall at my school, and it was for Jonathan Kent. If you’ve seen the show, you know he’s kind of a jock. I was a really scrawny theatre kid, so I went to the audition at The WB, and I gave up halfway through. I said ‘I’m sorry, this isn’t me, I’m just wasting your time.'”

Luckily, what could have backfired ended up paying off for Garfin, when the casting director came up with a better idea. “The casting director took me to the backroom, printed out the sides for Jordan, and asked if I could come back tonight or tomorrow. I came back the next day. I still can’t believe I didn’t get blackballed.”

Quite the opposite. As soon as Garfin’s second audition began, he knew he had made the right decision.

“It’s an interesting thing, about that audition. I still think about those audition sides. Jordan was telling the Principal he wasn’t doing their job. And I realized it wasn’t about defiance, it’s about the teacher not doing their job.” 

It was clear Garfin found the character he was meant to play, and the rest is history. 

9. Wolé Parks had no idea he was auditioning for John Irons, aka Steel. 

Sometimes scripts are so top secret, even the people auditioning can’t read them. This was the case with Wolé Parks, who knew he was coming in to read for a part in Superman & Lois, but assumed it was just for someone named “John.” 

Not quite.

“When I went in to read, you could tell the sides were dummy sides, and I was reading for some guy named John. And then COVID happened and we shut down.”

That shutdown allowed showrunner Helbig to think about Parks’ audition, ultimately deciding to make him privy to who he was actually about to cast as in the series. To say Parks was pleased is an understatement. 

“Todd gave me a call to talk about the character, and he said ‘You need to know about this character. You’re really John Irons.’ To be honest, I started tearing up. I remembered reading these comics as a child. I remember seeing [Steel] as a little Black, quirky, weird kid from the Bronx I was so overwhelmed and amazed, and then terrified.”

10. Elizabeth Tulloch learned to Tik Tok dance from Jenna Dewan, who plays Lucy Lane. 

Chemistry between actors off-screen is never guaranteed, but Elizabeth Tulloch was unbelievably grateful to discover how much she and Jenna Dewan — who plays Lucy Lane — clicked upon meeting. 

So much so, Dewan even convinced her to learn how to Tik Tok. 

“I have so much fun with Jenna Dewan. I worked with her all last week, and Jenna, who is a professional dancer — I can barely walk straight — convinced me to learn a Tik Tok dance. But she’s that fun, and it’s so infectious. And we’re sisters! The two of us, it’s wonderful. It’s a natural fit and she is a wonderful, great addition to the show.”

11. The addition of Jenna Dewan — and Lucy Lane — has helped Dylan Walsh discover his character. 

Tulloch and Dewan may be bonding as the Lane sisters, but Walsh — who plays their father — has experienced some great benefits from Dewan’s addition to the cast, as well. 

“Lois and The General going to rescue Lucy, allows our dynamic to grow. It teases some new things. There was a scene we shot where I realized, ‘Oh, this is where I am forgiving. I get a small moment of relief, and it was cool to find it in the middle of the take.’ That’s my favorite part of the show — the stuff with Bitsie, and Jenna too. They are like my two daughters.”

12. The Cushing family chemistry you see on screen isn’t fake. 

Valdez, Navarette, and Chriqui are all extremely thankful they were cast as the Cushing family. Valdez stressed how uncommon that is, and how helpful it can be when executing the more emotional scenes. 

“The chemistry that all of us have is very unique — you don’t always have that. We get along on such a deep level off-camera, it really helps the situation, and providing a safe space.

When you have a storyline that takes you to the highest highs and then it gets ripped apart, you have to have that. You can’t fake that kind of chemistry. When we get to read the words and bring the pages to life, we trust each other so much. We have such a wonderful connection, and you guys get to see it. I can’t imagine a better family situation. 

Navarette agreed, claiming that Valdez can make her cry “just by holding her hand.” When he reached out to do just that as she was speaking, she scolded “Don’t you dare!”

13. Alexander Garfin and Indie Navarette are both sad about Sarah and Jordan’s breakup — but they both think it’s for the best. 

“It’s heartbreaking as a young woman to lose that first love,” Navarette said, “Because what we try to play is that nobody understands [Sarah] and nobody understands [Jordan] like [they] understand each other. So to let go of the relationship is hard, but it’s been slowly going away anyway.”

Garfin agrees it’s hard to watch his character go through heartbreak, especially being so close in age to Jordan himself. 

“I came into this project when I was 16, so I’m not very far removed from the ages I’m playing. When I came onto the show, I had a girlfriend, and I Remember what that breakup was like — all of that lovely teenage heartbreak stuff.”

But while he can relate to Jordan’s pain, he does ultimately think his character parting ways with Jordan is a part of the growing-up process. 

“As you get older, you’re taught maturity is getting over things. That’s the hard part of maturity — it’s the resistance of getting over things. But we also discover a lot of maturity is knowing when you are hurt, and when other people are hurt, and when that line gets crossed. The relationship eventually comes to an end. It’s for the natural benefit of both of them. You have to grow up.”

14. Playing Bizarro has kept Tyler Hoechlin on his toes. 

Season 2 of Superman & Lois asks Tyler Hoechlin to play triple duty. Not only is he playing Superman and Clark Kent, but he’s also playing his off-world lookalike villain counterpart, Bizarro. 

For Hoechlin, a job like that is a dream. It keeps him from getting bored. 

“It was a lot of fun [playing Bizarro]. The one thing with TV that’s scary is getting bored. You feel like you go back and do the same thing over and over again. I had that experience on a certain set at one point, but it’s been nice to have a new challenge and focus. It keeps you guessing, and searching.”

What “certain set” kept Tyler coming back to do the same thing remains a mystery, but there was one more perk of playing Bizarro that Hoechlin enjoyed.

“It was nice to win a fight, even though I was against myself! We joke about that on set all the time.”

15. Jordan Elsass is basing his Bizarro character off a different DC villain. 

Jordan Elsass — who plays Johnathan Kent — wasn’t able to make the PaleyFest panel due to a scheduling conflict, but Alexander Garfin was more than happy to speak for him in regards to playing the newly introduced Bizarro world version of Johnathan. 

“I know Jordan outside of the show probably better than anyone else. We hang out every single day, so I know he personally idolizes Heath Ledger’s performance in The Dark Night. Him getting to play a villain — or someone who is “off” — someone that could be in that realm, was something that he’s always wanted, and he thinks it’s great.”

There’s one more important thing Garfin wanted people to know about Elsass’ Bizarro world role.

“He wears really tight pants!”

16. Superman & Lois’ Bizarro episode will be a love letter to the fans. 

With the incredible success Superman & Lois has seen, showrunner Todd Helbig said they “wanted to thank the fans.”

In finding a way to successfully do that, the show came up with the idea of making a Bizarro world episode, as a “love letter to all of them.”

What fans can actually expect, will be strikingly different than what they are used to seeing on the show. 

“We went a little bonker, I think,” said Helbig, “We really do make the theme ‘bizarre.’ We changed up the structure a lot, and we learn about people in different ways. We like to find ways to tell stories, and switch things up as much as we can.”

Elizabeth Tulloch backs up Helbig’s statement, saying, “WIthout exaggeration, it will blow peoples minds. The art direction, the VFX team, they are killing it. The costumes, the wardrobe, everything was different and it was extremely fun to shoot. I really feel like people are going to like it.”

Without exaggeration, it will blow people’s minds. The art direction, and the VFX team, are killing it. The costumes, the wardrobe, everything was different and it was an extremely fun episode to shoot and I really feel like people are going to like it. Their minds will be blown. 

17. Wolé Parks is happy Season 2 is diving deeper into John Irons. 

As nervous as Wolé Parks was to step into the role of Steel, he ultimately felt like the first season of Superman & Lois was somewhat easy for him, because his character motive was simple. It’s being able to explore his character as John Irons — not Steel — in a more complex way in Season 2 that has really given him a challenge. 

“The first season was easy because it was just ‘I’m killing Superman. Done.’ What’s been fascinating for me, is [John] has now made peace with that, so what does his life look like? What do I do? I can be a father — a single father, I’ve never done that before — so how does that work? How do I build a new life in this new world? I love being able to go on a journey with him.”

18. Tyler Hoechlin intentionally avoided being on TV for five years after Teen Wolf. 

Hoechlin famously played the part of Derek Hale in MTV’s Teen Wolf series for almost six years. After walking away from playing the same character for so long, he intentionally took a five-year break from the TV world, in order to reset, and try new things. 

“I took some time after Teen Wolf. I think it was a good 5 years between [Superman & Lois] and that one. I did that on purpose. I wanted to feel free to bounce around and explore different things for a bit. Being on a show is a big commitment. It’s years of your life, the hours are very demanding. I knew the next time I went into TV, I wanted it to be something I was committed to. So, I took the time I felt like I needed. I felt ready to go.”

19. Alexander Garfin wants Superman & Lois to be a show that helps people feel less alone. 

Looking back on his own life, Garfin can remember times TV shows helped him feel less alone. Those same shows also helped shape him into the person he is today, and he hopes Superman & Lois can do the same. 

“The longevity of these types of shows is why I wanted to be an actor. If a show is on for nine seasons, that’s kind of incredible. You get to know these people. There were a couple points growing up where I felt like I was alone, like I didn’t have any friends my age. There were some TV shows that followed me, and those were my friends. They made me who I am today. i tear up thinking we could be doing that for someone else. That’s everything.”

It was a reflective moment for the entire cast and audience alike. But before things got too somber, Garfin chimed in with, “Then again, my favorite show was It’s Always Sunny In Philidelphia, so I’m not sure how good of a person I actually turned out to be.”

20. Superman & Lois is a love letter to Tyler Hoechlin’s parents. 

Tyler Hoechlin may not be a parent yet, but life experience has taught him how lucky he was to grow up in such a supportive family environment. He uses his role as Clark Kent — a husband, and father of two — as a love letter to his own family, thanking them for all the love they’ve given him throughout his life. 

“I’m not a parent, so this job I get to do is kind of a love letter to my own parents. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve realized — I grew up in a great, home, and my parents are still together. They’ve always supported me in doing this professionally. I think I took that for granted from not meeting as many people from different walks of life. I’ve realized it’s not the norm. So, I appreciate all they’ve done for me and my siblings. This is an homage to them, by pretending to do it.”

When it comes to being a parent in real life, Hoechlin only said this.

“Someday I’ll really do it, but for now, it’s just on TV.”

—

Superman & Lois airs Tuesdays at 8/7c on The CW.

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