The following contains spoilers for Superman & Lois Season 2, Episode 10, "Bizarros in a Bizarro World," which aired Tuesday, April 26 on The CW.
It's a Bizarro, Bizarro world in Superman & Lois. In last night's aptly titled episode, "Bizarros in a Bizarro World," Superman (Tyler Hoechlin), in hot pursuit of the cultish Ally (Rya Kihlstedt), traveled through a portal that transported him to an alternate Earth, Bizarro World. There, he encountered inverse versions of his friends and family. One such individual was his son Jonathan (Jordan Elsass), better known as Jon-El in this reality. Jon-El possesses superpowers, kicks ass, sports a colorful super-suit of his own, and embraces the celebrity lifestyle of being a superhero. He also seems more than happy to do Ally's bidding to cement her as the most powerful being in existence. By the end of the episode, Jon-El has journeyed to the normal Earth to fulfill her nefarious scheme.
Jordan Elsass recently spoke with CBR about walking on the dark side with Jon-El. He broke down the crazy stunt sequences, tight costumes, and his character's agenda.
CBR: Jonathan was front and center in almost every frame of this episode. What was your reaction to "Bizarros in a Bizarro World" being so Jonathan-centric?
Jordan Elsass: I knew I was going to be working a lot. I was like, "Oh, this is going to be a few 80-hour weeks." It's not true, but it feels like those couple of weeks were more work than I have done the rest of the season. They were grueling weeks but so much fun at the same time. It flew by because there were a lot of really fun scenes to shoot, with a lot of action.
It's funny because I went into the wardrobe before I read Episode 210. I went to the wardrobe fitting, and I got to see the outfits I was going to be in before I even read the script. I was like, "What? What is this? This doesn't make any sense for the character." They were like, "No, no, no. This is the Bizarro version of you." "Oh, OK, OK. Cool, cool, cool." I read the episode, and I'm like, "Ahhhh... This totally makes sense." It was so much fun to flip everything on its head and do the opposite, do the Bizarro version. That's what the Bizarro world is all about.
How did you go about capturing the essence of Bizarro Jonathan, aka Jon-El, because he has to feel familiar but, at the same time, different from the normal version?
Absolutely. It's interesting that you say that because he is very different, but there are also similarities. One of the big similarities is the childlike nature to both of them. They are both mature kids. Jon-El and Regular Jonathan have both lived a lot of life and in various ways. Jonathan has lived life in a very conventional, conservative manner, [and] had a very good upbringing with good morals. Then he's thrust into this world, where he has to be this really strong kid. He's grounded all the time and is constantly fighting for what is right and making good decisions, but sometimes there is an easier decision.
Jon-El, on the other hand, grew up in a completely different world. He is a totally different kid. The way he reacts to situations is very different. Going through that, I think they are both actually similar, but at the same time, Jon-El is going to naturally be much more closed off. He's going to be quick to anger and quick to make irrational decisions versus Jonathan. Jonathan has learned from his family, from watching his dad, brother, mom, and even his grandpa, to [learn to] slow down. There's no rush, and it's always important to process things and go, "What's the right decision here?"
Comic book geeks did backflips at the sight of the iconic Superboy threads. For you, as an actor, what were your thoughts on the costume the first time you slipped on the black leather jacket and red leather pants?
Very excited. It's funny, the first time I put them on was in the wardrobe fitting, and I didn't know. I hadn't done the episode. As soon as I read the episode, it all clicked. Wearing it, it was a slow progression of not really feeling the character or understanding the character to getting more used to it progressively. Then, all of a sudden, I'm just in love with the outfit, the hair, the earrings, and the make-up. It made me feel powerful. I felt badass. It was an instant click. It wasn't method or anything. It wasn't like I was having to put on an act or a show. The pants were so tight it made me stand up straight. It made my posture better. It felt totally different stepping into those versus the sweatshirts and joggers that Jonathan is always wearing.
Jon-El clashes with Bizarro Anderson (Ian Bohen) in midair. What went into pulling that sequence off? How much of a workout is it to actually fly and fight simultaneously?
Oh, my goodness. That is something that I have wanted to talk about, and I don't think I have yet. It was brutal... It was brutal. We did this one sequence where we are spinning in the air after we clash. We did that twice because that is all we could do. Me and Ian, the first time we come down, we were all out of breath. It's so much pain because it was this rig where we had to hold on to each other for dear life as to not break apart when they are spinning us at that speed. We then had to let go of one hand.
First, we would get spinning, and then we would be holding onto each other with both hands. Then we would have to take turns letting go to throw a punch while we are still spinning. The centrifugal force was just brutal. It was tearing us apart. Ian is a strong guy. He's definitely stronger than I am. I'm decently strong, and it was so hard to hold on. We would come down and be totally out of breath and beat. We went up a second time. They were like, "Can you guys do this? Is this going to work a second time?" Then the same thing with the flying at each other. That was a little easier but also quite a workout. Anything on wires is going to get the core and the hips and the lower back working.
When you are flying, what's the secret to making the landing look so dope and dynamic?
The landing is not in the green screen, typically. The landing is usually on location, and it's a combination of VFX. What they do sometimes is they have you on the wires, on a completely different day, and they go, "Three, two, one," and then you dive down. It takes some practice. You have to keep your legs and butt really tight, keep your body really rigid, and then quickly get into position. You push your face to the ground and then stop because you don't want to keep going. It takes a little practice to get to where you can control your body weight and your body mechanics enough to get into that position, sort of diving towards the ground.
As for the landing, it's pretty easy. Literally, they have you walk onto your mark, and then they go, "Three, two, one,' and you just jump. You land however you want and the VFX handles the rest.
In the end, Jon-El ultimately appears on our Earth. What does he want?
He wants to merge with regular Jonathan very desperately. It's what Ally wants him to do. It's what Ally told him to do. He's going to try to do that at all costs.
It's a safe assumption that Jonathan's brother, Jordan (Alex Garfin), isn't simply going to stand by and let that happen. What was it like to have the upper hand on Jordan for a change and filming those scenes with Alex?
It's trippy having to fight Alex. There's some interesting stuff going on there. It flips around on its head. Normally, it's the opposite. Being the antagonist and being against the regular Kent family as we know it and potentially having to fight some of them or even kill some of them, and having that motif of, "I'm not going to let anything get in my way. I want to merge..." Also, now, seeing Regular Jonathan and Regular Jonathan seeing Jon-El is also a really trippy moment. Jon-El expects it, but Jonathan Kent maybe not so much. There's definitely a big moment there. 211 is a big episode, as well.
Developed for television by Greg Berlanti and Todd Helbing, Superman & Lois airs Tuesdays at 8pm ET/PT on The CW.