When Superman And Lois Will Return To Debut Michael Cudlitz's Lex Luthor In Next Episode

Michael Cudlitz as Lex Luthor in Superman & Lois on The CW
(Image credit: The CW)

Superman & Lois is off this week, but there's plenty to be excited about on the horizon. To start, we can finally rest easy knowing that The CW renewed the Man of Steel's TV series for Season 4. And while it is a bummer to wait for the next episode, the next one should be a doozy. Michael Cudlitz's Lex Luthor will make his debut, and readers won't have to wait much longer to see him. 

If you're still salivating over that brief trailer that showed Michael Cudlitz as Lex Luthor, you'll only have to wait just a bit longer to see his actual episode. Despite a pause in the action in Season 3, Superman & Lois will return with Luthor's debut episode, "Injustice," on Tuesday, June 20th at 8:00 p.m. ET. 

Lex Luthor's entry in Superman & Lois comes after the reveal he's been in jail for 17 years for the murder of Boss Moxie. Luthor took the fall for Moxie's murder, but in reality, it was Bruno Mannheim and his wife Onomatopoeia who were behind it. 

Luthor's release comes shortly after Bruno Mannheim turned himself over to the D.O.D. and agreed to give them all the inside information he had in exchange for the criminal charges being dropped against his son, Matteo. Matteo was facing charges after he helped deliver a serum to his mother that restored her powers and allowed her to escape the D.O.D. compound. 

Lex Luthor's arrival in Season 3's penultimate episode doesn't give him a lot of time to wreck the lives of Lois Lane and Superman, but he's a resourceful man. I'm sure he'll be able to stir up some trouble in the remaining two episodes that he has this season, and will likely set the stage for something even bigger that's coming in Season 4. 

Fortunately, Superman & Lois fans no longer have to wonder if Season 4 will actually happen. One confirmed downside, however, is that Season 4 will have the show's episode count reduced even further, with 10 episodes planned for the new season. It's also been reported that there will be budget cuts across all shows on The CW this coming season, and that characters like Sam Lane won't be returning as a result. 

We don't know what Lex Luthor's big plans are once he gets out of prison, but there is a significant threat roaming Smallville at the moment. Bizarro was revived at the end of the episode, but like others subjected to Mannheim's early experiments, he seemingly had lost the sense of his rational self. We'll have to wait and see if his resurrection is something Season 4 will pick up with, or he'll become a problem much sooner than that. How would Luthor react to having someone like Bizarro at his disposal? 

We may find out soon, as Superman & Lois is back on The CW with a new episode on Tuesday, June 20th at 8:00 p.m. ET. Those looking for a distraction in the meantime would benefit from our 2023 TV premiere schedule, which is loaded with programming for those needing something new to watch. 

Mick Joest
Content Producer

Mick Joest is a Content Producer for CinemaBlend with his hand in an eclectic mix of television goodness. Star Trek is his main jam, but he also regularly reports on happenings in the world of Star Trek, WWE, Doctor Who, 90 Day Fiancé, Quantum Leap, and Big Brother. He graduated from the University of Southern Indiana with a degree in Journalism and a minor in Radio and Television. He's great at hosting panels and appearing on podcasts if given the chance as well.