Superman and Lois has been making waves on The CW ever since its premiere earlier this year, with many praising it for depicting a distinctly "adult" viewpoint on the network's well-saturated superhero formula. But while its stars are largely accepted as pitch-perfect choices for their respective roles, it turns out Tyler Hoechlin foresaw a slightly different future as Batman before taking on his superpowered persona.
Hoechlin, the actor whose name is likely being misspelled somewhere at this very moment, instantly charmed audiences when he took on the role of Clark Kent/Superman on Supergirl way back in 2016. That quality remained consistent throughout each of his appearances on the show and continued into his leading performance on Superman and Lois alongside Elizabeth Tulloch as Lois Lane. However, according to Hoechlin, the Man of Steel wouldn't exactly have been his first choice growing up.
RELATED: Superman & Lois Gave A Nod To A ‘90s Show With This Easter Egg
"I grew up with the idea of playing Batman, and I think if I was playing Batman, I'd be very aware that I was playing Batman," Hoechlin said when speaking with Men's Health. "So it almost helps in the sense that, for whatever reason, this wasn't in the forefront of my mind, and it's made it easier to take on the role [of Superman]." Hoechlin seems to think that not getting the role he'd been envisioning for himself all those years has actually helped his performance as the Kryptonian superhero in Superman and Lois, suggesting that it allows for him to get out of his own head and just play the role rather than obsessing over some unrealistic expectations that he unconsciously set for himself.
Hoechlin instantly put himself on a number of people's radars when he debuted as Superman, and his charming, everyman take on the character has only deepened since then. Playing the superpowered cousin to Melissa Benoist's equally gifted Kara Danvers on Supergirl endeared himself to audiences right away, displaying a cheerful yet mature optimism that only intensified when the two shared a scene. That infectiously happy persona continued on throughout Hoechlin's multiple appearances in various other shows in The CW's Arrowverse to the point where a starring role was all but inevitable.
There really is something special about Hoechlin's performance that perfectly serves the occasionally way too real teenage panic simulator known as Superman and Lois. Through his first few appearances on other shows, he was seen as just a perfect Superman or at least a really charming dork. But when he started playing the father role in Superman and Lois, he took to it surprisingly well, almost feeling like he'd been doing it all along. It's nearly impossible to picture him as Batman, even if somebody somehow looked at him and decided he'd make a great genocidal maniac as Sephiroth in Final Fantasy VII Remake.
It's interesting learning about what could have been, but there's little denying that Hoechlin seems to be right where he should be in his current role on Superman and Lois. Here's hoping he sticks around for a good long while. It's kind of nice having 2 Supermen around at once.
Superman and Lois airs on Tuesday at 9:00 pm ET on The CW.
MORE: Star Wars Almost Didn't Feature The Iconic Music Of John Williams
Source: Men's Health
