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FEATURE: 5 Reasons to Get Excited for METROPOLIS

Just a short three months ago, I wrote a feature for our 14 Days of Justice League arguing why Lois Lane deserved a solo film. I stand by that piece, which is why I was positively JAZZED yesterday when DC announced a prequel television series titled Metropolis, centered on the characters of Lois Lane and Lex Luthor. It’s coming from the producers of Gotham, so you can count out Amy Adams or Jesse Eisenberg. But there’s still great reason to be excited for this venture. Here’s my top five reasons to get excited for Metropolis

#5 – The Premise

Here’s how DC pitches the series:

Set in the wondrous and awe-inspiring 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.

This is a series set before Superman buzzed the skies. Before Lex was a calculating villain. Before Lois was a Pulitzer Prize winner. That isn’t to say Clark Kent won’t be in the series, though. Through this wild world of fringe science and procedural, you can naturally build up to his presence. And with this new perspective, you’ll get to see the DC Universe from a ground view, the same way ABC’s Agent Carter did in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. 

#4 – IT’S A LOIS LANE SERIES, OKAY? GET EXCITED!

Lois Lane is one of comics great underappreciated characters. Outside her relationship with Superman, she’s a Pilitzer Prize winning reporter, an ace detective, a no-nonsense hard-hitter, and a caring soul. She has as much depth as Batman, and I imagine that potential is one reason the Gotham producers took interest in Metropolis. There’s a million ways you can explore her character, and the confines of a procedural is the perfect way to do it.

#3 – We’ll Get To Witness The Birth of a Great Supervillain: Lex Luthor

Lex Luthor is one of comics great underappreciated supervillains. Often overshadowed by The Joker, Lex is calculating and precise. He’s a genius-level intellect, a brilliant businessman, a no-nonsense hard-hitter in his own right, and a major threat to Superman. Lex Luthor is the perfect character to pair with a pre-Superman Lois; in fact, Smallville did a similar same thing when it was airing, pitting them in slightly different roles. As part of a procedural, we’ll have the opportunity to see these two characters bounce off one another and grow into the adversaries we know them to be in the comics.

#2 – Superheroes Need Heroes Too. Let’s Explore Them.

My big pitch for a Lois Lane movie centered around this idea of exploring what it’s like to be the superhero’s hero. That’s an angle that’s never really been done before in comic book adaptations, and I believe it’s got a ton of potential.

As investigators, Lois and Lex will have unique perspective on their world of heroes. It’s normal people like them who get to shine a light in the darkness, keeping the peace from day to day. Lex Luthor has often been a great villain because his means are not unlike Superman’s, even if his goals are usually self-serving. Reimagining the character of Lex before he became a villain allows the writers to explore how good people can change, and the nature of what it means to be good in the first place.

Likewise, should Clark Kent or Superman feature prominently in the future, through Lois we’ll get to see what it’s like to work a job, come home, and have the person who needs you most be the broken man who spent his day saving people. The deep relationship there, the Yin/Yang between these comic book giants, is why Clark and Lois have resonated with people for generations. And the films have barely explored that side of their characters. Metropolis can lead the way on this front.

#1 – It’s The Perfect Pitch for a Lois Lane Solo Movie

I haven’t changed my mind: I still want a Lois Lane solo movie. If Metropolis does well, DC might recognize the potential and greenlight a movie. Talk about awesome! Come on, DC: let’s make it happen!

So what do you think about Metropolis? Do you have high hopes? Do you want to see a Lois Lane solo film? What sort of cases would you like to see Lois and Lex investigate? Let us know on Twitter @WatchtowerBabel!

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