The CW has renewed Superman & Lois for a fourth season, ending speculation as to whether the network would be bringing the popular, but expensive, superhero show back another run. It was also announced that the network was not going to bring back freshman superhero series Gotham Knights back for a sophomore year.
The network gave the series a ten-episode order for its fourth season, though it is now the second reduction in episodes ordered that the show has seen. Currently, the third season is close to the end of its thirteen episode run, while the first two seasons of the show ran fifteen episodes each.
Superman & Lois‘s renewal, alongside All American: Homecoming, comes at a time when the CW is paring back its commitment to scripted fare to put it in a more profitable position for new owner Nexstar. Previously, the network was run at a loss by its former co-owners CBS and Warner Brothers, who used the income that foreign sales of the network’s shows brought in to put things into the black.
Both Gotham Knights and Superman & Lois were on the cancellation bubble, with the low-rated Gotham Knights being a far less expensive show than Superman & Lois being seen as potentially in its favor for renewal. Others saw the higher cost of the show possibly being mitigated by it being the second-highest rated show on the network.
