After its renewal for a fourth season with ten shorter episodes, The CW’s “Superman & Lois” has set its returning cast members with just five series regulars next year.
Specifically, Tyler Hoechlin and Elizabeth Tulloch will return as the main characters, while fellow series regulars Michael Bishop and Alex Garfin will return as their children Jonathan and Jordan, respectively.
The only regular returnee is Michael Cudlitz who plays Lex Luthor. Cudlitz is the guest star of the final two episodes of the third season, which air June 20 and 27. In the fourth season, he is a regular in all ten episodes.
Dylan Walsh (General Lane), Emmanuelle Chriqui (Lana Lang), Erik Valdez (Kyle Cortez) and Wole Parks (John Henry Irons) who have been on the show since the pilot are no longer regulars. India Navarrette (Sarah Cortez), Tayler Buck (Natalie Irons) and Sofia Hasmik (Chrissy Bepo) are also absent.
The hope is that all seven guest stars will recur next season, reprising their roles – subject to interest and availability. Cast reductions have become the norm amid an industry-wide belt tightening and falling linear ratings.
Renewals of ‘Superman & Lois’ and ‘All American: Homecoming’ have come with major budget cuts – including reduced regulars and reduced episode counts as well as a potential cut in scenes action involving FX as it leans more into its family dramatic roots.
Source: Deadline