WonderCon 2022: ‘Superman & Lois’ Showrunner Promises Questions About Kara Danvers Will Be Answered
by Erik Amaya
Back before Superman & Lois was even a remote possibility, the Man of Steel made appearances on Supergirl either in the form of actor Tyler Hoechlin — who now stars in Superman & Lois — or as an instant messenger chat encouraging his cousin, Kara Danvers (Melissa Benoist), to press on being awesome. But curiously, no mention has been made of Kara since the characters last shared the screen in the 2019 “Crisis on Infinite Earths” Arrowverse crossover event.
But at a panel celebrating Superman & Lois at WonderCon on Saturday, showrunner Todd Helbing suggested some clarity about Kara may finally happen. “I’ll say at the end of this season, you’ll get the answers to the questions you have,” he told moderator Damian Holbrook and the assembled fans in the audience.
It is understandable why she hasn’t been seen, of course, with Benoist having finished Supergirl and moving on to other things. Additionally, as Helbing explained when asked about a possible crossover with Naomi, “because of the pandemic, it’s hard to have those conversations.” Indeed, plans for small-scale event story between the show and Batwoman were abandoned in 2020 once it became clear COVID-prevention protocols would make it impossible for the stars of both programs to visit each other’s sets. Superman & Lois star Elizabeth Tulloch even mentioned during the panel that it still difficult to get guest actors approved for single-episode appearances.
Beyond the practical production issues, though, Kara’s absence as a member of Clark’s (Hoechlin) stated family — particularly in scenes when he mentions a shared Kryptonian heritage — has always been one of the stranger elements of the series for those still watching all the Arrowverse programs. But, hopefully, Helbing’s comments will mean something the show intends to set things straight, even if she never appears on screen.
Beyond answering that question about Arrowverse continuity, the panel served as a sort of catch-up panel for the ones missed across 2021 as the series entered its first season. Hoechlin, for example, recalled auditioning for Man of Steel and using some of his memories from that experience when first trying out for the Supergirl guest spot — which he also said was only meant to be the first two episodes of Supergirl‘s second season. “After that, there was a conversation for two more. With the crossovers, there was a discussion that it would be the last time. It wasn’t an intentional stringing people along. It was just the way things go,” he explained.
Other topics included Helbing’s decision to set the program in Smallville because Metropolis “has been done a lot,” Tulloch having fun with her audition scene — a deleted moment from Superman II which only exists now as part of Margot Kidder‘s audition — and the reason why the Supercouple have two sons: Helbing himself has a pair of boys. Tulloch also teased the program’s return on April 26th, saying, “You guys are going to freak out. You have no idea the scale of this episode. She says episode ten will be a love letter to the fans.” She also thanked the fans for their “understanding” regarding the hiatus as it came about due to those ongoing COVID protocols and the automatic shutdowns which occur from time to time.
Superman & Lois returns April 26th on The CW.
