Metropolis
With DC notoriously picky about sharing their big names with the small screen, their TV shows have often favored prequels, that way they can tell stories set in a particular iconic hero’s universe without necessarily featuring them. This works well for folks like Superman, as we’ve had two Man of Steel prequels already. The CW’s long-running Smallville and Syfy’s currently running Krypton. But wait, it seems there are still more stories to tell before Clark Kent dons his red trunks, as Metropolis, a third Superman prequel, is also on the way.
Metropolis appears to be an X-Files type sci-fi/procedural show which sees Supes’ future girlfriend Lois Lane investigating weird occurrences with her partner… Lex Luthor, Superman’s nemesis! No doubt it will focus on how Lois becomes the famed Daily Planet journalist and how Lex descends into darkness.
Here’s how the official synopsis describes it:
Set in the so-called City of Tomorrow before the arrival of Superman, Metropolis follows Lois Lane and Lex Luthor as they investigate the world of fringe science and expose the city’s dark and bizarre secrets.
When we first heard about the project, it seemed DC were extremely pleased with it and had ordered it straight to a first season of 13 episodes. However, it’s now come out that Metropolis has been delayed until 2019, as it’s being “redeveloped.” There’s no telling exactly what that means at present, but it appears that DC brass aren’t as happy with the show as they once were.
We could speculate that it’s got something to do with Krypton reaching the airwaves since Metropolis was first announced. After all, the show has been quite well received, so maybe this project will hue closer to that? Presumably, Gotham‘s John Stephens and Danny Cannon, who are clearly the go-to guys for superhero prequels, are still in charge, but we’ll just have to wait and see how this situation develops and what other TV shows will be announced for DC Universe.