DC Just Found The Only Way I Wouldn’t Be Devastated To See Superman Killed Off For Good

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Warning: This article contains spoilers for Superman & Lois season 4, episode 10.
DC just managed to pull off arguably the only way to permanently kill off Superman without making it absolutely soul-destroying to both myself and no doubt many others via Superman & Lois. The Superman & Lois ending had no shortage of emotional moments, and despite many of these being teased for episodes if not seasons leading up to the finale, they still managed to hit with the force of roughly seven tons catapulted directly to the heart. Our hearts weren"t the only ones in peril, though, as the Man of Steel"s implanted human heart also forced him to confront his own mortality.
Superman & Lois made no secret about considering killing off Clark Kent for a second, permanent time, following his death in Superman & Lois season 4, episode 1, and his revival and return shortly after. However, given the scrapes the live-action Superman show had let its heroes escape intact, it wasn"t clear if the ending would actually make good on this threat, or if it was just to keep us on our toes. After the release of the final episode, it"s clear this wasn"t an empty threat, though its execution managed to make things far less grim than they sound.
Superman & Lois Killed Clark Kent Off Permanently In The Show's Final Episode Close Superman & Lois season 4, episode 10 sees Doomsday sacrifice himself and let Clark push him into the sun, and also allows the hero to defeat Lex Luthor and ensure his return to prison. After this, the timeline of the story starts to expand considerably, with it steadily covering events from this point to 32 years later, which is when Superman & Lois" Clark Kent passes away. This section of the show is narrated by Tyler Hoechlin"s Clark, allowing him to detail how he and Lois got many years side-by-side watching their sons get partners and have children.
That said, this flashforward sequence also isn"t afraid to show some serious moments as well, building up to Clark"s death by having Lois also pass beforehand. Though this is arguably the most painful moment of the timeskip, since it separates the titular pair, and has Lois deal with another recurrence of her cancer, knowing both Lois and eventually Clark die in their own beds surrounded by their family and thankful for the time they had with them is key, even if it"s not as easy a watch as seeing them play around as grandparents shortly before.
Clark adopts Krypto after Lois" death, and spends his final days in seeming contentment before his own demise comes about from his failing heart - which sees him pass peacefully with Jonathan and Jordan by his side. Following this passing, Clark is shown having a vision wherein he says goodbye to all the main figures who"ve been in his life, before opening the door to his house and reuniting with Lois in what appears to be the afterlife, allowing the duo to be together again once more.
Why Superman & Lois' Finale Death Works For The Show Close Since it seemed like Clark might not get five minutes more of his life after his finale fights - let alone several decades - the fact he was able to watch his children grow up and meet his grandchildren means we got far more than it seemed safe to hope for before the show"s ending debuted. Indeed, seeing that Clark"s story ends with many more long and happy years of him enjoying time with the people he loves takes some of the sting out of his eventual passing, since this possibility seemed such a flight of fancy at points in the story.
Similarly, it seems like after the main events of Superman & Lois season 4, Clark got arguably his dream life in many ways, able to spend time with his family and give back more than ever to the greater community and world. Not only do Jordan, Jonathan, Steel, Starlight, and Superman appear to form a hero team - letting Clark have that hero support he talked about being unable to have in his earlier life - he also begins his own charity, ensuring he can also help people in a different way, which he appears to gain a lot of fulfillment from.
Superman & Lois" ending does have its bleaker and sadder moments, but even these serve their purpose, ensuring the finale feels less like a cheesy obligatory happy ending and more a lived-in, real experience of three-dimensional characters, highlighting their losses but also celebrating their joys. With so much of Superman & Lois being about showing Clark Kent as a real and fallible person as well as a hero, closing with his death arguably underlines this focus in a way no other scene really could have.
Superman's Death Teases Mean His Show Ending Was For The Best

Given how extensively the final season of Superman & Lois teased that Clark"s revival could not last - and that his second, permanent death was impending - this more bittersweet ending was I think the best call for the series. After revealing that Clark was steadily losing his powers due to his implanted human heart, and that his days were seemingly numbered, countering this by having him be entirely fine or even fully recovered in the finale would have seemed like getting rid of the stakes of the story solely for the sake of a happy ending, lessening said ending"s impact.
Similarly, not showing Clark"s passing despite how much it"s hinted at would"ve left viewers to fill in their own blanks, which could easily have painted a more grim picture than the painfully real but ultimately gratifying and touching final scenes we get with the DC hero. Instead, showing there was a real weight to all these prior teases of Clark"s death - but that they came after Lois and Clark got decades more time together and with their growing family, and that in the end they allowed Clark to see Lois again after her own passing - balances things a little more.
Superman & Lois released its last episode on December 2, 2024, marking a 53-episode-long overall run.
After getting such a long time with this version of Superman, it"s definitely hard to say goodbye, especially when that goodbye is so final. That said, there"s something rewarding about knowing we got to see Superman"s story from its early days right to his final moments on Earth. Based on the final scene of Clark and Lois embracing each other in the afterlife, Superman & Lois ends the way it began - with death and change, but also with its two titular characters facing whatever comes next together.

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