Warning! This post contains SPOILERS for My Adventures With Superman season 3, episode 4Although James Gunn’s DC Universe is still in its earliest chapters, we’re already seeing some pretty cool options for Superman’s future thanks to some really fun non-DCU-canon projects.
In terms of movies, the DCU currently just has Superman and Supergirl under its belt, there are plenty of new shows and movies on the way to continue expanding this new cinematic universe. This notably includes 2027’s Man of Tomorrow, which is set to feature Superman and Lex Luthor joining forces to take on Brainiac. That said, the DCU isn’t the only place where DC Studios has been releasing new Superman content. There’s also the animated series My Adventures With Superman starring Jack Quaid as Clark Kent and Alice Lee as Lois Lane, currently in the middle of its third season.
Although My Adventures with Superman exists outside the main DCU continuity, the animated series has consistently delivered fresh designs and exciting ideas inspired by the comics while also offering brand-new takes on the lore. This includes the debut of a brand-new member added to My Adventures with Superman season 3’s cast, whom I’m really hoping will one day be featured in the DCU’s future with David Corenswet’s Superman.
My Adventures With Superman Season 3 Officially Introduces Superboy
Having been teased in this new season’s reworked opening credits sequence, Jon Kent’s Superboy finally makes his full debut in My Adventures With Superman season 3, episode 4. Hilariously, Clark and Lois were shown at the very beginning of the episode discussing their future together, and Lois’ hesitation about settling down and starting a family too quickly…only for the young couple to be suddenly interrupted by their superpowered son from the future.
Before he was Clark Kent, Superman was born Kal-El on a distant planet doomed to destruction. His parents Jor-El and Lara placed him in a rocket ship as an infant, sending him across the cosmos to Earth. What is the name of Superman’s home planet?
✓ Correct! Krypton was a scientifically advanced planet that exploded due to its unstable core. Jor-El, Superman’s father, was the only scientist who foresaw the catastrophe and managed to save his son by launching him toward Earth in a small spacecraft.
✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is Krypton. Thanagar is Hawkman’s homeworld, Apokolips is Darkseid’s domain, and Oa is the headquarters of the Green Lantern Corps. Krypton’s destruction is the defining event of Superman’s origin story.
02
Superman’s greatest love is a fearless, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist who works alongside Clark Kent at the Daily Planet. She’s known for her relentless pursuit of the truth and for being one of the few people who sees both the hero and the man. Who is she?
✓ Correct! Lois Lane has been Superman’s primary love interest since her debut in Action Comics #1 in 1938. A brilliant investigative reporter, she’s as iconic as Superman himself — tough, smart, and unafraid to chase the biggest stories in Metropolis.
✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is Lois Lane. Diana Prince is Wonder Woman, Lana Lang is Clark’s high school sweetheart from Smallville, and Cat Grant is a gossip columnist at the Daily Planet. Lois Lane is Superman’s iconic partner.
03
Despite being nearly invulnerable under Earth’s yellow sun, Superman has one famous weakness — a radioactive mineral from the remnants of his destroyed homeworld. Exposure to it drains his powers and can even kill him. What is this substance called?
✓ Correct! Kryptonite is the irradiated remnants of planet Krypton. Green Kryptonite is the most common and deadly variety, but there are many other types — Red Kryptonite causes unpredictable behavior, Gold Kryptonite can permanently strip his powers, and Blue Kryptonite affects Bizarro.
✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is Kryptonite. Vibranium is from Marvel’s Black Panther universe, Nth Metal is tied to Hawkman, and Red Sun Ore isn’t a real DC substance. Kryptonite is the iconic green-glowing mineral that is Superman’s ultimate weakness.
04
In 1978, a then-unknown actor donned the cape and made the world believe a man could fly. His portrayal of Superman became the gold standard for superhero films and he starred in four Superman movies. Who is this legendary actor?
✓ Correct! Christopher Reeve’s portrayal in Superman: The Movie (1978) is widely regarded as the definitive live-action Superman. His performance perfectly balanced the heroic confidence of Superman with the endearing clumsiness of Clark Kent, setting the template every Superman actor has followed since.
✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is Christopher Reeve. Henry Cavill played Superman in the DCEU starting with Man of Steel (2013), Brandon Routh starred in Superman Returns (2006), and Tom Welling played young Clark in TV’s Smallville. Reeve was the original big-screen Superman.
05
Superman’s greatest enemy isn’t a superpowered alien — he’s a brilliant, ruthless human billionaire who believes Superman is a threat to humanity’s potential. This bald-headed genius has been Superman’s archenemy for over 80 years. Who is he?
✓ Correct! Lex Luthor is the ultimate foil to Superman — where Superman represents hope and selflessness, Luthor represents ambition and ego. Despite having no superpowers, his genius-level intellect and vast resources make him Superman’s most persistent and dangerous adversary.
✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is Lex Luthor. Brainiac is an alien android who collects cities, Darkseid is the god-like ruler of Apokolips, and Doomsday is the monster who famously killed Superman. But Lex Luthor is the definitive archenemy — Superman’s dark mirror.
06
After crash-landing on Earth as a baby, Kal-El was found and adopted by Jonathan and Martha Kent, a kind farming couple. They raised him with strong moral values in a small rural town. Where did Clark Kent grow up?
✓ Correct! Smallville, Kansas is the quintessential American small town where Jonathan and Martha Kent raised Clark with heartland values of honesty, compassion, and humility. It’s the foundation of who Superman is — not the powers from Krypton, but the character instilled by his Kansas parents.
✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is Smallville, Kansas. Gotham is Batman’s city, Metropolis is where Clark moves as an adult to work at the Daily Planet, and Coast City is Green Lantern’s home. Smallville is where the Kents raised Clark on their farm.
07
As Clark Kent, Superman disguises himself as a mild-mannered reporter working at Metropolis’s most famous newspaper, alongside Lois Lane and photographer Jimmy Olsen. Their editor-in-chief Perry White runs the newsroom. What is the name of this newspaper?
✓ Correct! The Daily Planet, with its iconic globe on the rooftop, is one of the most recognizable fictional newspapers in pop culture. Working there gives Clark Kent both a cover identity and a way to stay informed about threats to the city and the world.
✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is the Daily Planet. The Daily Bugle is Spider-Man’s Marvel universe newspaper, the Metropolis Star and Gotham Gazette are lesser DC publications. The Daily Planet — with its spinning globe — is Superman’s journalistic home.
08
This Kryptonian military commander was banished to the Phantom Zone for treason before Krypton’s destruction. He escaped and came to Earth seeking vengeance, famously demanding that others “Kneel before” him. His iconic portrayal by Terence Stamp cemented him in pop culture. Who is this villain?
✓ Correct! General Zod is one of Superman’s most terrifying foes because he has all of Superman’s powers but none of his morality. Terence Stamp’s portrayal in Superman II (1980) made “Kneel before Zod” one of the most quoted villain lines in film history. Michael Shannon later reimagined the role in Man of Steel (2013).
✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is General Zod. Bizarro is a flawed clone of Superman, Parasite drains powers through touch, and Metallo is a cyborg with a Kryptonite heart. General Zod is the Kryptonian military leader whose cry of “Kneel before Zod!” echoes through decades of Superman stories.
Mission Complete Your Kryptonian Record
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Are you the Man of Steel — or still stuck in a phone booth?
Voiced by Darren Criss, Jon’s Superboy is full of energy, excited to meet his younger parents and eager to experience all the past has to offer. As such, watching Clark and Lois react and process the sudden appearance of their future son and its ramifications is both hilarious and heartwarming as the episode goes on, particularly for Lois, who eventually warms up to the idea of starting a family and embracing the future after getting to know Jon.
Additionally, the episode ends with Jon Kent revealing that he was sent back in time to prevent his dark dystopian future from happening, having been caused by the imminent danger that is Hank Henshaw’s Cyborg Superman (no longer following Lex Luthor’s orders).
This Is The Future I Want For James Gunn’s DCU & David Corenswet’s Superman
More than anything else, episode 4 showcases why Jon Kent is such a beloved addition to the Superman mythology on the page. Likewise, the dynamics between Quaid’s Superman and Criss’ Superboy are perfect, especially with Clark coaching Jon on how to protect citizens without scaring them, while also being proud of his future son for orchestrating peace with the prehistoric race known as the Subterranosauri. After all, “a better tomorrow” is exactly what Superman fights for.
It’s exactly the kind of relationship I’d love to see for David Corenswet’s Superman in the DCU.
While DCU fans frequently discuss the prospect of a full live-action Bat-Family in The Brave and the Bold and future Batman projects, it would be amazing if the DCU’s Superman also had his Super Family from the comics. We’ve already got Supergirl and Krypto, so the foundations are there. Whether it’s a biological son like Jon Kent or Superman and Lex Luthor’s Superboy clone from the comics named Conner (the DCU’s Luthor has already cloned Superman once), either or both versions in the DCU would be all kinds of fun.
While it doesn’t have to happen anytime soon, My Adventures With Superman has certainly demonstrated to me just how great that potential future for the DCU’s Superman could be in the long term.
New episodes of My Adventures With Superman season 3 release Saturday nights on Adult Swim and streaming next day on HBO Max.
