Superman & Loisjust provided two majorMan of Steelmoments with huge parallels, 11 years after the latter was first released. Interestingly,Superman & Loisseason 4’s story runs parallel with that of Henry Cavill’s Superman from theDCEU movie timelinein many ways. From the inclusion of Doomsday to the adaptation of DC Comics' Death of Superman arc, the two are somewhat interlinked. By the time ofSuperman & Loisseason 4’s ending, however, the show had done more than enough to solidify itself as its own compelling, emotional journey.
The finale focused on Superman, Lois, and their family as they faced off one final time against Lex Luthor and Doomsday. This arc gaveSuperman & Lois' ensemble casta great send-off, allowing for both a fantastic story in its own right and several DC Easter eggs. Rather than having some of these Easter eggs be tied toJames Gunn’s upcomingSupermanfilm, the creators ofSuperman & Loisinstead emulated Henry Cavill’s first movie from 2013. In doing so, two massive moments fromMan of Steelwere paralleled beforeSuperman & Loiscame to an end.
Superman & Lois’ Ending Emulates Two Controversial Man Of Steel Scenes
Doomsday’s Fate In Superman & Lois Referenced Two DCEU Scenes
The scene that referenced twoMan of Steelmoments was Doomsday’s sacrifice inSuperman & Lois’ending. After a season of clashes and conflicts, Superman and Doomsday duked it out once more inSuperman & Loisseason 4’s finale. Eventually, Superman incapacitated Doomsday and flew him towards the sun in order to kill the villain for good. However, Doomsday’s original form -Superman & Lois’version of Bizarro Superman- awakened and remembered his life before being turned into Lex Luthor’s weapon. Doomsday/Bizarro calmed Superman down after this, before allowing himself to be pushed into the sun in self-sacrifice.
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As an overall concept, Superman pushing Doomsday into the sun is reminiscent of Superman killing General Zod inMan of Steel. Both scenes involve the hero willingly killing one of his DC Comics villains. When looking at the scene closer, one smallSuperman & Loismoment brings to mind Jonathan Kent’s sacrifice inMan of Steel.As Superman is ready to punch Doomsday into the sun inSuperman & Lois, the latter raises his hand to stop the violence, prompting Clark to push Bizarro into the sun lightly. InMan of Steel, Jonathan does the same to prevent Clark from saving him.
Doomsday’s Sacrifice Is Better Than Superman Killing Zod In Man Of Steel
Superman & Lois Improved On The DCEU Movie
Despite the similarities between Superman killing Doomsday inSuperman & Loisand Superman killing Zod inMan of Steel,the former is certainly a more effective scene. The reason for this is the emotional impact of Doomsday partly sacrificing himself. While Superman still pushes Doomsday into the sun and thus deals the final blow, it is Doomsday’s decision that leads to this. Bizarro regaining his memories and choosing to sacrifice himself rather than live as the monster Lex Luthor turned him into is a very compelling character turn and increases the emotion of the moment.
This is a great depiction of Superman’s honor, with Clark respecting Bizarro’s choice and understanding the sacrifice to be best for both him and the people of Earth…
The scene fromMan of Steel, on the other hand, proved to be controversial. Superman killed Zod to save a family from the latter’s wrath, but many found it a brutal depiction of murder that is not all that common with Superman.InSuperman & Lois, though, the scene was entirely Doomsday/Bizarro’s choice, with Superman allowing the sacrifice to happen. This is a great depiction of Superman’s honor, with Clark respecting Bizarro’s choice and understanding the sacrifice to be best for both him and the people of Earth.
Doomsday’s Superman & Lois Scene Is The Perfect Contrast To Man Of Steel’s Jonathan Death
Furthermore, Doomsday’s sacrifice inSuperman & Loisis a great contrast to Jonathan Kent’s inMan of Steel.Interestingly, both scenes involved the characters sacrificing themselves for seemingly the greater good. Doomsday willingly lets himself go to save Earth but also dies on his own terms rather than as what Lex had turned him into, whereas Jonathan Kent allows himself to die to keep Clark’s power secret from the people of Earth.
Jonathan’s sacrifice has been criticized inMan of Steel,with many holding the opinion that the situation of the tornado was chaotic enough to allow Clark to save his father with little to no exposure. While the scene still undoubtedly works in the context ofMan of Steel’s story, the contrast for Doomsday’s scene is notable. If Doomsday does not sacrifice himself, it is all but guaranteed that he will go on to commit more crimes in Lex’s name. Overall, these parallels inSuperman & Loisare interesting, providing counterpoints to two massiveMan of Steelmoments over a decade later.
Superman & Lois
Cast
Superman & Lois follows the Man of Steel, Clark Kent, and journalist Lois Lane as they navigate the strains of contemporary parenthood while confronting threats from supervillains and alien invaders, blending personal challenges with heroic responsibilities in this 2021 television series.
