DC Comics is making yet another prequel TV series, following in the footsteps of Gotham and Krypton, a new show about Superman’s grandfather. This one is called Metropolis, and it follows the exploits of Lois Lane and Lex Luthor before Clark Kent arrived in town.
While you’d naturally assume that Lex will be the villain, DC’s plot summary indicates the two characters will be partners. Apparently, they will “investigate the world of fringe science and expose the city’s dark and bizarre secrets,” suggesting that Lex is either a source or a sponsor for Lois’s work as a journalist.
The show will air on DC’s new (and still unnamed) streaming service, home of the upcoming live-action Titans reboot. With Gotham executive producers John Stephens and Danny Cannon onboard, we can probably expect a darker vibe than DC’s CW-based shows like Supergirl. That being said, wouldn’t it be great if Metropolis took inspiration from a different kind of comic book show, Riverdale? A young Lex Luthor would make an excellent Cheryl Blossom: stylish, manipulative, and extremely rich. Hey, it worked for Smallville!
DC also points out that Metropolis won’t be too much like Gotham, however. It will be more of a sci-fi story than a crime drama (thank goodness!), tying in with the “powerful, cosmic” nature of classic Superman villains.
The first season will be 13 episodes long, and while no casting announcements have been made, we can expect the show to arrive in 2019.