For those that didn’t enjoy the SnyderVerse, James Gunn‘s upcoming Superman: Legacy has a long list of things to do to make up for Zack Snyder‘s own take on the Last Son of Krypton, which has been splitting the DC fandom down the middle for the past decade. Although, to be fair, one item right at the top of this list of things Gunn needs to correct actually predates Man of Steel and is something 2006’s Superman Returns was likewise guilty of.
As Twitter user @CQuill97 went viral for posting, “The last two movie versions of the Superman and Lois romance did not work at all. The leads had zero chemistry in both cases imo. Hopefully Superman: Legacy changes that.” To prove their point, the OP attached shots of Brandon Routh’s Kal-El with Kate Bosworth’s Lois and, of course, Henry Cavill and Amy Adams as the Kents of the DCEU.
Obviously, whether actors have chemistry together is something of a subjective issue. Certainly, there are passionate fans of the Cavill/Adams pairing out there among SnyderVerse circles. Still, it’s probably fair to say that their on-screen love story didn’t capture the hearts of audiences in the same way as, say, Christopher Reeve and Margot Kidder’s romance.
If Gunn wants some pointers on how to recapture Clark and Lois’ spark, however, the replies to this tweet were full of those suggesting he take a look at Supes’ small-screen adventures instead.
In particular, The CW’s Superman & Lois, which is currently airing its third season, features a truly beloved take on the characters, as played by Tyler Hoechlin and Elizabeth Tulloch.
The big difference, of course, is that S&L depicts the Kents as a long-married couple while Legacy will see Clark just starting out. Nevertheless, Gunn has given us one of the quirkiest and most impactful romances in the MCU with Star-Lord and Gamora, so hopefully he can bring the magic back to Clark and Lois’ story in Superman: Legacy, coming July 2025.