‘Superman & Lois’ Delivers a Superior Take on Iconic DC & ‘Batman v. Superman’ Villain

Superman & Lois is the last DC show left standing on The CW network and is currently airing the episodes of its final season, receiving praise from fans for the direction it takes the titular characters – and now the design of one of DC’s most iconic villains. The final season has been filled with all sorts of intriguing developments of Clark Kent, humanizing the Man of Steel more than any other iteration has in recent memory. Rather than focusing on his persona of Superman, the series prefers to focus on Clark Kent and his relationship with his family.

In telling this more unconventional story, Superman & Lois has also subverted expectations in developing some of the most iconic Superman villains. Case in point: Doomsday, the infamous villain at the heart of the “Death of Superman” story in various comics and media, is given an entirely new origin story and design. However, despite critical changes to how Doomsday is created in this series (starting off as Superman Clone Bizarro), the character’s design remains faithful to the comics. Look no further than the character’s green radiation suit debut, in which the character looks exactly as he did in his first comic appearance.

This aesthetically faithful Doomsday has transformed further in the final season, with the second-to-last episode debuting the most comically accurate version of the character yet. With these developments for the character, viewers can’t help but make comparisons with the previous live-action iteration of the character in Zack Snyder’s Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice.

‘Superman & Lois’ Improves on ‘Batman v Superman’s’ Version of Doomsday

Surprisingly, Doomsday’s origins in both the show and film overlap. Both versions of the character were dead versions of previous Superman villains (Zod in the film and Bizarro in the show) and eventually evolved into the design fans recognize. However, fans have taken to social media to proclaim that the Doomsday featured in Superman & Lois surpasses Zack Snyder’s in comic accuracy and execution in the larger story.

With only the runtime of a feature film, Doomsday’s inclusion in Batman v. Superman feels rushed. In contrast, Superman & Lois has plenty of time to build up to the character and make his appearance have real consequences for the cast of characters. Moreover, this final season of the series features a weaker Superman who is slowly becoming mortal, making his battle with the monstrous creature have weight to it. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case for Batman v. Superman, as viewers went to the film knowing and expecting a return in the upcoming Justice League film.

“The CW has less of a budget and they have a better looking and more comic accurate version of Doomsday…Zack Snyder could never do this,” says X/Twitter user @marvelousmarc96, with @thegeneralsordi adding, “Dawn of Justice gave us the least accurate versions of a lot of things. That movie starts with so much promise then absolutely takes a dump on itself in the second half. Not to mention the big reveal of Doomsday was spoiled in a damn trailer.”

While some fans believe that the Doomsday featured in Superman & Lois surpasses that of Zack Snyder’s vision, the comparison ultimately feels unfair when considering the time given to develop each version. Still, it’s incredibly impressive that The CW series has managed to attain a balance of delivering a heartfelt and humanistic Superman story while also delivering on comic-accurate depictions of iconic villains from the Man of Steel’s rogues gallery. After the sacrifice it took Superman to beat Doomsday in the previous season, fans of the series are anxious to see how the hero defeats him again, especially since Superman isn’t as strong as he used to be.

Release Date

February 23, 2021