New ‘Superman’ Series Next After Tyler Hoechlin’s Superman In The CW’s ‘Supergirl’ Season 2 Premiere?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mzcUrc529Po

Could there be a new Superman series in the offing at The CW after all the incredible hype – as made clear by CBS – for Tyler Hoechlin’s appearance on the season 2 premiere of Supergirl? While it’s hardly 100 percent, there is just the slightest chance it might happen. If it did, it would result in a comic book fangasm heard round the world.

Is a Superman TV series in the works? https://t.co/0kJJqtUASV via @DigitalSpy @RealDeanCain @TylerL_Hoechlin how awesome would this be!

— Janine L Doherty Bilotti (@J9DC) October 4, 2016

Until recently, the answer to the above question from the higher-ups would have been a definite no. With Warner Bros. busy planning for its vast DC Cinematic Universe, it seemed like top brass didn’t want to water down characters like Superman or Batman by having them appear on television again. Despite the fact that Welling on Smallville did nothing to dampen interest in another Superman film.

But times change. With the less-than-stellar performance of the DC Cinematic Universe, the huge success of the Berlanti DC Universe on The CW, and shakeups at Warner Bros., the studio has apparently decided to rethink its long-standing policy of no Superman or Batman appearances on TV. While Batman may still be off limits, it’s clear that Superman isn’t.

Although Tyler Hoechlin seems to have been cast as Superman in the Supergirl Season 2 premiere in the capacity of an occasional guest star, it could be that Warner Bros. is testing the waters before green-lighting a new Superman series. They’ve done similar things in the past, such as having Barry Allen appear on Arrow before he ever became The CW version of The Flash.

Not to mention, there have been subtle – and not-so-subtle – references in Arrow, The Flash, and DC’s Legends of Tomorrow to the Green Lantern, Superman, and even Batman. So it’s just possible that Greg Berlanti has been slowly and surreptitiously laying the groundwork for the introduction of the big names in the DC superhero lineup.

So glad I caught up on #Supergirl in time for Season 2! @kellybtownsend has your preview for a really fun premiere episode: https://t.co/KizlHGgJf4

— Bridget Liszewski (@BridgetOnTV) October 7, 2016

Of course, with Supergirl as the new kid on the block in The CW’s ever-expanding lineup of superhero shows, including the aforementioned Arrow, The Flash and DC’s Legends of Tomorrow, it might be that The CW itself wouldn’t want to have yet another superhero series – even if it is Superman.

But even so, it’s possible that a new Superman series – like Supergirl before it – could make its appearance on another network, rather than The CW. Still, the complexities involved in the inter-network crossovers, and the recognition by The CW that it made a mistake in not taking the Supergirl series to begin with, make it likely it a Superman TV series would land at The CW.

As an aside, there is apparently going to be at least a pilot for another – sort of – Super series, but it’s not about Superman or Supergirl. The new Syfy show Krypton will – as the name implies – focus on the planet Krypton before it went boom. Specifically, it will focus on Superman’s grandfather.

Instead of a superhero with superpowers, this show will feature characters who are essentially just ordinary human beings in funny clothes. While it could be interesting in theory, the DC series Gotham has demonstrated just how mediocre a superhero series can be when it lacks superheroes. All anyone thinks about when watching Gotham is “when is Batman going to get out of puberty and start beating up the Joker?”

No wonder Gotham needed a Batman, it had 30 Super Villains for like 14 years.

— BE??AU (@SamoaBeau) October 4, 2016

A new Superman series on network television could be a refreshing take on the character, bringing back the Christopher Reeve version of the Man of Steel. It might be that Berlanti and company can give us the Superman that many feel is missing in the grim – even depressing – version that Zack Snyder offered up on the big screen. If they can just get the original John Williams score for Superman, it will be perfect.

[Featured Image via The CW]