Latest Superman and Lois season 4 release date update is not good news

We knew Superman and Lois season 4 would not be coming until 2024, but it seems the show’s return is going to come much later than expected.

Superman & Lois season 4 was never expected to arrive in 2023, but it seems the show’s return in 2024 is going to be coming later than many fans might have been hoping.

While past seasons have typically premiered in the early months of the year with season 1 releasing in February, season 2 in January, and season 3 in March, it appears the upcoming fourth season will not be arriving on The CW until May 2024 at the earliest. That’s right, May.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, while The CW is looking to roll out the new seasons of All American, All American: Homecoming, and Walker in April, Superman & Lois‘s return will not be coming until after April. The delayed return for the show is due to the extensive visual effects work that goes into creating the series and will keep it from returning as early as The CW’s other scripted originals.

At this time, The Hollywood Reporter did not specify when exactly season 4 might premiere but it seems likely May would be the absolute earlier the show could return but even that remains unclear at this time. With teh show unable to premiere in the spring, there is a chance The CW could look to hold season 4 for the fall should it choose not to shift the show to its summer line-up. If the network makes that decision, it could spell trouble for the show’s future.

Could Superman and Lois season 4 be the show’s last season?

While The CW has not yet confirmed the plans for Superman & Lois beyond the show’s upcoming fourth season, there is a strong chance the show’s upcoming fourth season could end up being its final season. We say this not because we want to see the show end, but due to several circumstances including comments from James Gunn which suggested the show’s time was nearing its end.

During a  press event for the DC Universe’s slate unveiling this January, Gunn informed reporters that the show would likely continue for “one or two more seasons.” The comment gave fans hope that the show could make it to five seasons before the broader DC Universe reboot took place in 2025 with the release of Superman: Legacy. However, a lot has changed since January.

The WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes delayed the returns of shows including Superman & Lois which we now know will not arrive until sometime after April 2024. The show’s delayed return could be what causes its downfall as it seems likely DC will want the show to end before Superman: Legacy arrives.

Gunn has hinted that once the new DC Universe launches with Superman: Legacy the goal is to create a more connected universe with the same actors playing characters in both shows and movies. This suggests Superman & Lois will need to end before July 2025.

All three seasons of Superman & Lois ran into the summer with season 1 going all the way through August while seasons 2 and 3 each ran through late June. With season 4 expected to arrive after April, there is a good chance it could run through July as well. It seems safe to reason that a potential fifth season would follow a similar release pattern which could lead to it wrapping just weeks before Superman: Legacy. 

With Superman: Legacy slated to release on July 11, 2025, we have to imagine DC wouldn’t want one Man of Steel’s time to come to an end just as another’s is about to begin as that could cause some confusion among audiences. As such, it’s looking more and more likely that season 4 could end up being the final season of The CW’s hit series — especially if season 4 ends up being held for the summer or fall of 2024.

The only thing we can hope for is that the creative team behind the show will map out a fourth season that could serve as a natural end to the show rather than ending with a big cliffhanger that never gets resolved.