‘Superman & Lois’: Dylan Walsh, Emmanuelle Chriqui & More Exit Show Amid Budget Cuts
The CW‘s Superman & Lois was renewed for a fourth season earlier this week, but it will return with a reduced episode order and a smaller cast.
According to Deadline, only five of the 12 main cast members will be returning for the 10-episode fourth season. Those returning are Tyler Hoechlin and Elizabeth Tulloch as the title characters, Michael Bishop and Alex Garfin as their children, and Michael Cudlitz (promoted to regular from guest star), who plays Lex Luthor.
The seven actors departing as series regulars are Dylan Walsh, Emmanuelle Chriqui, Erik Valdez, Inde Navarrette, Wolé Parks, Tayler Buck, and Sofia Hasmik. However, Deadline reports that the hope is for these actors to reprise their roles as guest stars/recurring in the forthcoming season.
Walsh, Chriqui, Valdez, Parks, and Navarrette have been a part of the show since it premiered on February 23, 2021. Buck was a guest star in the first season before her promotion to series regular, while Hasmik was recurring in the first season before becoming a main character in Season 2.
Superman & Lois was renewed earlier this week alongside fellow CW show All American: Homecoming, which also had its episode number reduced. This comes as the network’s new owners Nexstar look to cut costs and make The CW profitable.
In addition to trimming the cast, Deadline reports that the superhero drama will likely lean into its family drama premise more heavily in the fourth season to cut down on expensive special effects.
Developed by Greg Berlanti and Todd Helbing and based on DC Comics characters, Superman & Lois follows Clark Kent/Superman and Lois Lane as they return to Smallville with their sons Jonathan and Jordan. Despite their hopes for a peaceful family life, things are thrown into chaos by a number of villains and strange goings on.
Superman & Lois, Season 4, TBA, The CW
