The Man of Steel's suit is just as much of a symbol as he is, and so Superman & Lois star Tyler Hoechlin's updated costume will reflect the character's new status quo in the upcoming CW series. During a TCA panel for the show, Hoechlin broke down the reasons why the suit was changed and how it helped him bring more nuance to the role.
"Originally, I was supposed to do this for two episodes. That's really what the first meeting was: we're gonna do this as a cool fun thing for the fans, and so that suit was meant for that," Hoechlin recalled. "Then it turned into more and more, and obviously, now it is a new -- like I said, we're telling a new story, it's a different time in his life, so it would only make sense the suit would change to reflect that."
"It's just something meant to withstand a longer run. For me and how I play the character, it's really informed by what [showrunner] Todd [Helbing] and the writing team have been doing and Greg Berlanti and the producing team back down in LA, and then also everybody here," he explained.
"For me, I find a lot of times, with a character, it's much more helpful to figure out what the people around you are making you do, as opposed to just what you are kind of creating on your own," he continued. "So reacting to the kids and to Lois, and then having a little bit more time to breathe with these characters, as opposed to showing up for two or three lines in a scene where you're there to assist. Now it is about this, and we get to see a little bit more of the nuances that exists within the family."
On The CW's Superman & Lois, Hoechlin reprises his Supergirl role as the Man of Steel alongside Elizabeth Tulloch, who plays the intrepid Lois Lane. When a family emergency brings them back to Smallville, Lois and Clark decide to raise their twin sons Jonathan (Jordan Elsass) and Jordan (Alex Garfin) there, only to find new adversaries in Wolé Parks' The Stranger and Morgan Edge (Adam Rayner). Then, as the boys begin to display some spectacular abilities, life gets even more complicated for the Kents and their new hometown.
Superman & Lois stars Tyler Hoechlin, Elizabeth Tulloch, Dylan Walsh, Alex Garfin, Jordan Elsass, Emmanuelle Chriqui, Inde Navarrette and Wolé Parks. The series premieres Tuesday, Feb. 23 at 8 p.m. ET on The CW.