SPOILER WARNING: This article contains major spoilers for "A Brief Reminiscence In-Between Cataclysmic Events," the latest episode of Superman & Lois.


Tal-Rho has almost everything he's ever wanted. After all, in the latest episode of Superman & Lois, he finally managed to convince Clark Kent to join his mission to build a new Krypton on Earth. However, it didn't go down exactly as he'd imagined it. Instead of finding a grateful brother thrilled at the chance to be reunited with his "real" family, Tal-Rho discovered Kal-El was more than content with his human life, having settled down with a wife and their two children. So Tal-Rho was forced to go with Plan B: coercing Superman to join him by threatening Lois, Jonathan and Jordan.

Speaking to CBR, Superman & Lois star Adam Rayner discussed how he went from business mogul Morgan Edge to Kryptonian supervillain Tal-Rho. He broke down the freedom he found in playing a character original to the show, as well as how his Tal-Rho costume helped him bring a different physicality to his Kryptonian alter ego. He pointed out Tal-Rho's "fundamental weakness" and some of the character's "real human vulnerabilities." He also addressed whether or not Tal-Rho could be redeemed, teased Morgan Edge's final form and more.

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CBR: Some superhero roles are secretive to the point that actors don't find out who they're really playing until they show up on set. At what point did you find out Morgan Edge would also double as Superman's brother?

Adam Rayner: I was already out here, certainly! I mean, it was relatively early on. I was quarantining, as we all had to do at the hotel. It was the first time I'd actually spoken to [showrunner] Todd [Helbing] and yeah, that's when he dropped the bombshell. I'd signed on as the troublesome billionaire. Maybe he's bad; maybe he's just the owner of the Daily Planet and being a pain in the neck for Lois Lane. Who knows! I was quite happy with the idea of that; that sounds quite fun.

So yeah, I was thrilled and surprised when he said, "Yeah, it is that, but he's also Superman's half-brother from Krypton." [laughs] I was like, "Oh my goodness! Okay! Wow! Sounds great!" So obviously, I was thrilled. As an actor, there's always things you don't know, because they haven't decided on the course of a character or series, and sometimes your character gets less interesting, in fact. So it's always a nice surprise when the reverse happens.

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Unlike Morgan Edge, Tal-Rho is not a character in the comics. How did that impact the way you and the writers set out to develop his character?

It gives you tremendous freedom in the sense that it's a new branch of the mythology. You're making it up, and you've been licensed to do so, because obviously conversations have to take place to do new stuff with the material. But there's no precedent for it, so you can more or less do you want without any sense of, "Ah, well, this was done in this show or this film, so we have to either follow this or contrast with this." It's a sort of blank canvas in that sense.

I understand that Morgan Edge and Tal-Rho are one and the same, but how do you alter your approach to the character when he switches between those two identities?

Well, something happens when you put on one of these suits, I tell you! So your physicality shifts somewhat when you suddenly find yourself muscle-bound and wearing a black neoprene superhero suit, so that kind of takes care of that aspect for it. But obviously, as Morgan Edge, although he's a very high status, particular type of human being, I'm still being a human, whereas Tal-Rho -- Kryptonians, they have a kind of presence and a superiority complex, almost, that changes how they move, how they talk, how they behave.

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What was the costuming process like for you? What was your reaction when you got to put on the suit for the first time?

Well, it's great! I mean, there's always a slight sort of, "Oh my goodness, I wish they'd told me this two years ago so I could dedicate my life to physical training." But bless them, they do give us a little bit of help underneath the suit. So once you put it on, you very much feel the part. You're the shape you always dreamed you would be! [laughs] It's tremendously empowering and fun at the same time.

The show makes a real argument about nature vs. nurture, with Tal being Clark's dark shadow. Do you think he would have turned out any differently if had, say, been raised by the Kents?

Personally, I feel he always would have been a little shiftier than Clark Kent. I think that's just in him. But certainly, he's been enormously damaged by both his unpleasant father and his treatment at the hands of the people who found him. I think that's quite an interesting aspect, how so much is dependent on who they first -- who these baby aliens, effectively, first encountered when they landed. Clark Kent obviously had an enormously positive experience and Tal-Rho/Morgan Edge had a different experience. I think he always would have been an edgier -- excuse the pun -- character than Clark, under any circumstances, but obviously his experiences growing up have not helped.

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Where would you say Zeta-Rho's influence ends and Tal's real ambitions begin?

That's a good question. I think he is almost completely overwhelmed by his father's mission for him. In a way, you see the fundamental weakness in his character and that he can't break away from his father's influence over him. He desperately wants to; in a way, he wants to have a meaningful existence on Earth, just as Clark Kent has, but he can't find a way to do that. He's completely dominated by his father.

As we find out, he does his best to try and fulfill his destiny and maintain his identity on Earth, but eventually he realizes that that's not possible and effectively gives in to his father. So ultimately, he is not able to break free from his father's influence.

There's this wonderful moment in next week's episode, where Tal is basically begging Clark to see his side of things, and that read to me as so vulnerable. How would you explain his headspace in this particular scene?

I think his idea of a Kryptonian destiny is inseparable from a very human emotion to have a family and to have a group of people to whom he belongs. That's the heart of it. I guess, if you had a personal destiny for Tal-Rho, it would be to resurrect Krypton and have a family, be on the same team with his brother and possibly a resurrected version of their mother, and to have both sides of his character fulfilled: his Kryptonian destiny side and his personal needs.

Unfortunately, that's just never going to be possible, because Superman/Kal-El will never join him in that quest. Ultimately, he finds that his Kryptonian destiny and his personal desire for a family are incompatible. So yeah, he has real human vulnerabilities in the sense that he wants a family.

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This is followed by quite an elaborate fight sequence. What the filming of the scene look like on your end?

Well, the truth is, we don't necessarily do a great deal of that, because of the wonders and the sophistication of digital technology. So, it's not really us when we're flying around the world, smashing through mountains and things! [laughs] But I certainly gave Tyler [Hoechlin] a few near misses when I had to punch him. Yeah, we do the close-up stuff, but not necessarily all of the huge set pieces.

What has your experience working with Tyler Hoechlin been like?

Well, it's a joy. He's just a prince. He really is. We get on so well. We have so much fun, but are serious about work. He's a great leader of the show and the cast. So I have high regard for him and we had a great time.

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In your personal opinion, do you believe Tal could be redeemed at any point on this series?

Oh, yeah, obviously I would like that, because you want to see a future for these characters that you've helped create. He has very human aspects; he needs relationships. He was quite obviously partial to his earthly identity and existence; he didn't want to give that up. So that shows you that he isn't this completely isolated space being who has no feelings whatsoever. He has very human aspects too, which could be explored in the future as long as he's not constantly trying to destroy the Earth, which is obviously is a problem. [laughs]

Tal-Rho has quite a different approach to Superman, his brother, than he did with that nameless Kryptonian army he was building. How do you think he foresaw a post-Earth planet, once he had replaced everyone?

I think you're right: he saw himself as the general of an army, in terms of creating these fairly anonymous Kryptonian entities out of the residents of Smallville. That's sort of separate from being on the same team as his brother. You know, I think he felt they would be unstoppable together, but he would both have that companionship, that brotherly love, and also be more able to fulfill the resurrection of Krypton through their, unstoppable power as a team. So yeah, there's the anonymous Kryptonian he creates, and then there's his idea of his family, including Superman, and they're kind of separate things for him. So you're right: he's both the general of the army and the brother at the same time.

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What is one moment or scene from the remaining episodes that you cannot wait for fans to see?

Let's just say that Morgan Edge goes on -- there are a number of transitions for this character, a number of major transitions, and I can't wait for the audience to see the final shapeshifting of Morgan Edge.


Superman & Lois stars Tyler Hoechlin, Elizabeth Tulloch, Dylan Walsh, Alex Garfin, Jordan Elsass, Emmanuelle Chriqui, Inde Navarrette and Wolé Parks. The series airs Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET/PT on The CW.

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