Superman & Lois will end with Season 4 on The CW, and while I expected to see some big names like Jimmy Olsen popping up, we were hit with a big curveball when it comes to final season casting recently. In fact, network mainstay Tom Cavanagh will appear, specifically in the series finale, and that news alone has me both so intrigued and confused at the same time. Let’s talk it out.
So far, we know Cavanagh will appear in an episode titled “It Went By So Fast.” The actor revealed at FanExpo Philadelphia he originally wanted to direct the finale, as he’s helmed past Superman & Lois episodes before, but the series already had that role all squared away. Instead, he told FAN EXPO Philadelphia that showrunner Todd Helbing offered him a role in the finale (via TV Line), and now my mind is racing about what that will mean.
Why I’m Intrigued By Tom Cavanagh Joining Superman & Lois’ Finale
Bringing Tom Cavanagh into an Arrowverse series would always cause a stir, especially when this is the last show remaining from a formerly robust slate. Cavanagh’s performances as Harrison Wells (in various forms) and the villain Eobard Thawne are the best things about The Flash. Given the episode title is “It Went By So Fast,” should we assume he’ll play the iconic villain Reverse-Flash in the finale? Is that a Flash reference in general? I have questions that need answers.
Cavanagh was also in the finale for The Flash, and that made sense. It would be awesome to see him reprise his role as Reverse-Flash for Superman & Lois, but obviously there are some confusing bits that we have to talk about if that were the case.
Why I’m Confused By Tom Cavanagh Joining Superman & Lois’ Finale
In the Superman & Lois Season 2 finale, which you can revisit with a Max subscription, we learned something very important about the show’s story. In the episode, it was established that the series took place on a different Earth than the rest of the Arrowverse shows, despite Clark being connected to them pre-Crisis on Infinite Earths.
I love this.
This is important because if there is a Harrison Wells in the Superman & Lois world, he’s likely not connected at all to the one Arrowverse fans know and love. Sure, there are ways for the Eobard Thawne of the Arrowverse to make it to this Earth’s Smallville, but setting up something like that for the finale of a show that has largely ignored that part of the universe for so long feels, well, odd.
Superman & Lois has been a remarkable show thus far, so ultimately I have faith that whatever Tom Cavanagh will do in the finale will make sense. At the same time, the Star Trek fan in me can’t help but think back to the Enterprise finale and how it was soiled by creatives wishing to pay homage to the totality of what they believed to be the end of the franchise. I do have some slight worry this finale could be more of a goodbye to the Arrowverse than Superman & Lois, and casting someone like Cavanagh doesn’t help that fear. We’ll just have to wait and see how it all goes and hope that Season 4 is as good as the other seasons.
Expect to see Superman & Lois Season 4 premiere in the fall of 2024. Be sure to check out the 2024 TV schedule in the meantime for a look at what else is airing before that, as we still have a solid wait before we see the Man of Steel series return just to say goodbye.