Intrepid reporter Lois Lane not knowing Superman’s secret identity as Clark Kent is a story trope going back to 1938’s Action Comics #1, the Man of Steel’s first appearance. That conceit stuck around for decades after. But it looks like James Gunn’s new Superman is skipping that part of the mythos entirely. Or at least cutting it way down. When Lois (Rachel Brosnahan) interviews Clark (David Corenswet) in his street clothes in the new trailer, she says “Let me interview you as Superman.” It’s clear to the audience, she is in on the secret.
The question remains, however, how long she’s known. Will she figure it out in the early parts of the movie, or will the movie begin with Lois already knowing? That’s still unclear. But all indications from the trailer suggest that by at least the midway point of Superman, Lois Lane will learn Clark’s secret. The two may already be a couple in this film, although that’s less certain. Honestly, this is a welcome change. The pair have been married for the better part of 30 years in the comics, and maybe her not knowing is a story beat that’s time has past.
In the original DC Comics, Lois didn’t know for sure that her mild-mannered co-worker Clark was really Superman for over 50 years. She’d try and prove it, and then he’d find some way to make her look foolish. That stuck in almost all media interpretations, like the TV series The Adventures of Superman, cartoons, and Superman: The Movie. Sure, in Superman II, Lois (Margot Kidder) discovered the secret. But by the film’s end, Superman (somehow) used his magic kissing powers to make her forget. It wasn’t until 1991 that DC finally decided to pull the trigger allowing Lois to know Clark’s identity for real.
The reveal happened in 1991’s Action Comics #662. By 1996, the pair of Daily Planet reporters were married. Now, they even have a kid. Or kids plural, if you’re talking about the CW series Superman and Lois. Yes, in many ways James Gunn’s Superman is a reaction against the gritty world of Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel, but inarguably one thing that movie did right was that Amy Adams always knew Clark was Superman, from the get-go. So, credit where credit is due. We are glad that is something Gunn is sticking with. Lois Lane is a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist. Keeping her in the dark on Clark’s secret only makes her look dumb, and makes Clark look like a jerk.
Obviously, the secret identity thing will still be in play with everyone else in Clark’s orbit. It’s doubtful Jimmy Olsen, Perry White, and the rest of the Daily Planet staff will know the truth. But it’s just a different vibe when Superman keeps the secret from someone he is intimate with on the level Lois is. As the comics and shows like Superman and Lois have shown, this romantic pairing works best when they are a power couple who share everything, open and honest with each other. And we’re glad James Gunn is keeping things more modern and less retro in that regard.
Content shared from nerdist.com.