Editor's Note: The following contains spoilers for 'Superman & Lois'.Superman & Lois is using some of the Man of Steel's most famous villains for its fourth and final season to go out on the most dramatic possible terms. At the end of Season 3, Lex Luthor (Michael Cudlitz) created and unleashed a version of Doomsday by mutating the Bizarro Superman (Tyler Hoechlin) of another universe. In the two-episode premiere of Season 4, this alliance leads the series to begin adapting the famed DC Comics story arc "The Death of Superman." But the premiere also contains a noticeable reference to another major member of Superman's comic book rogues gallery, suggesting that the Kent family and their allies will have to confront even more enemies than they initially thought.
'Superman & Lois' References Brainiac Close
Following a brutal battle, Doomsday rips Clark's heart from his chest. After leaving Clark's lifeless body in the streets of Smallville -- to the horror of his wife, Lois Lane (Elizabeth Tulloch), and sons Jonathan (Michael Bishop) and Jordan (Alex Garfin) -- the monster flies away to deliver the heart to Lex as it was ordered to. Before it arrives, Lex's associate Amanda McCoy (Yvonne Chapman) gives him a high-tech container for the heart designed by another subordinate, named Milton. When Lex remarks that Milton did good work, Amanda replies, "How about we keep that between us? The last thing that brainiac needs is this going to his head," obviously implying that Milton serves as the series' version of famed Superman villain Brainiac, and possibly setting the character up for an actual onscreen role.
Created by Otto Binder and Al Plastino, Brainiac first appeared in Action Comics #242 in 1958 and has since become one of Superman's most frequently recurring and dangerous foes. The character is often motivated by a desire to collect all the knowledge in the universe. He's particularly famous for shrinking and capturing the Kryptonian city of Kandor, which survived the destruction of Clark's home planet. Although most comics set in DC's main universe depict the character as an android or cyborg member of the alien Coluan race, alternate universe iterations and multimedia adaptations, such as Superman: The Animated Series, have simplified his origin by tying him more directly to Krypton.
Related 'Superman & Lois' Flies Onto a New Night for Final Season on The CW
Season 5 of the superhero series premieres this October.
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The live-action Superman prequel series Smallville, which, like Superman & Lois, aired on The CW network, followed suit. James Marsters played that series' version of Brainiac, fully known as the BRAIN InterActive Construct, a Kryptonian artificial intelligence that served the villainous military leader Zod (Callum Blue). Although mostly serving as one of the series' major antagonists, this Brainiac eventually reforms, being dubbed "Brainiac 5" and joining the far-future crime-fighting team, the Legion of Super-Heroes. Upon first arriving on Earth in Smallville Season 5, this Brainiac uses the alias "Milton Fine" and disguises himself as a college history professor, with Clark (Tom Welling) being one of his students, before discovering Fine's true nature.
Could Brainiac Be Tom Cavanagh's New DC Role?
Using both the same human first name and making the brainiac reference upon first mentioning him suggests that Superman & Lois' Milton might be a version of the villain, although likely a heavily modified one. Given how Lex and Amanda talk about him, it seems like this Milton is probably just a scientifically gifted human, or perhaps a minor superhuman. With only eight episodes left in the series after the premiere, it doesn't seem like there would be time to introduce a world-conquering alien cyborg or AI. But while his role is likely to be rather small, adding Brainiac to the series is still a major development, especially as it could lead to a high-profile casting.
Over the summer it was announced that Tom Cavanagh, who portrayed various versions of Harrison Wells and Eobard Thawne/the Reverse-Flash in The Flash and the other DC TV shows that made up the Arrowverse, and has also directed episodes of Superman & Lois, would be playing a different character in the latter series' final season, with showrunner Todd Helbing describing the new role as a character whose appearances in DC Comics remind him of Cavanagh. Given that Thawne and most versions of Wells are scientific geniuses, the similarly intellectual Brainiac could easily be the actor's latest DC role.
Superman and Lois Cast Tyler Hoechlin , Bitsie Tulloch , Wolé Parks , Dylan Walsh , Emmanuelle Chriqui Main Genre Sci-Fi
New episodes of Superman & Lois premiere Mondays at 8 p.m. ET on The CW in the U.S.
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