6 Times Supergirl Improved DC Mythology (& 4 Times It Failed)

2. The Show’s Superman Is Super, Man

Superman Lois Lane Tyler Hoechlin Bitsie Tulloch CW
The CW

While Superman is the most iconic superhero of them all, the larger scale mythology of the Big Blue Boy Scout has taken a hit in recent years.

Since Henry Cavill’s Superman hit the silver screen in Zack Snyder’s 2013 Man of Steel, the general popularity of Superman has been on the wane. Cavill himself was a great fit to play the character, and the actor did the best with what he was given, yet both Man of Steel and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice portrayed Supes in a darker, dourer way that was more akin to a Bat-tale.

In Justice League, there was at least a glimpse at the attributes and characteristics that make Superman great, but the public had already soured on the hero by that point.

Thankfully, Supergirl managed to succeed where the DCEU failed – in that it has delivered a pitch-perfect Superman, as played by Teen Wolf’s Tyler Hoechlin.

In this Superman, we’ve been reminded just why the Man of Tomorrow is such a fantastic character. Hoechlin’s Kal-El is a symbol of hope, is dripping in humanity, and is an inspirational figure who manages to have a god-like aura without bringing the derision that can at times go with that status. Similarly, the Last Son of Krypton has only been used sparingly – meaning he doesn’t take away the spotlight from Melissa Benoist’s Kara, while also making his own appearances more impactful when they do happen.

Supergirl is doing Superman right. So much so, that this incarnation of the hero and Elizabeth Tulloch’s Lois Lane are to headline a Superman & Lois spin-off series later this year.

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Once described as the Swiss Army Knife of WhatCulture, Andrew can usually be found writing, editing, or presenting on a wide range of topics. As a lifelong wrestling fan, horror obsessive, and comic book nerd, he's been covering those topics professionally as far back as 2010. In addition to his current WhatCulture role of Senior Content Producer, Andrew previously spent nearly a decade as Online Editor and Lead Writer for the world's longest-running genre publication, Starburst Magazine, and his work has also been featured on BBC, TechRadar, Tom's Guide, WhatToWatch, Sportkskeeda, and various other outlets, in addition to being a Rotten Tomatoes-approved film critic. Between his main dayjob, his role as the lead panel host of Wales Comic Con, and his gig as a pre-match host for Wrexham AFC games, Andrew has also carried out a hugely varied amount of interviews, from the likes of Robert Englund, Kane Hodder, Adrienne Barbeau, Rob Zombie, Katharine Isabelle, Leigh Whannell, Bruce Campbell, and Tony Todd, to Kevin Smith, Ron Perlman, Elijah Wood, Giancarlo Esposito, Simon Pegg, Charlie Cox, the Russo Brothers, and Brian Blessed, to Kevin Conroy, Paul Dini, Tara Strong, Will Friedle, Burt Ward, Andrea Romano, Frank Miller, and Rob Liefeld, to Bret Hart, Sting, Mick Foley, Ricky Starks, Jamie Hayer, Britt Baker, Eric Bischoff, and William Regal, to Mickey Thomas, Joey Jones, Phil Parkinson, Brian Flynn, Denis Smith, Gary Bennett, Karl Connolly, and Bryan Robson - and that's just the tip of an ever-expanding iceberg.