Why Superman & Lois Didn’t Recast Lucy Lane (But Did Others)

Warning: Spoilers for Superman & Lois season 2, episode 4.

Rather than reinvent Lucy Lane with a new actress, Superman & Lois brought back the actress who previously portrayed the character. Played by Jenna Dewan, Lois Lane’s sister was a recurring character in Supergirl season 1. She made her return to the Arrowverse in Superman & Lois season 2, episode 4, titled “The Inverse Method”.

Since “Crisis on Infinite Earths” paved the way for shows like Superman & Lois to create their own takes on DC Comics characters that have already made Arrowverse appearances, there were some who may have expected Superman & Lois to do the same with Lucy. After all, that is the approach it took with other Supergirl characters, such as Morgan Edge and General Sam Lane. The actors for both characters were recast for Superman & Lois. And even though the show made big changes to Lucy’s backstory (presumably because of the Crisis), it kept Dewan in the role. Considering how close Lucy is to Ally Allston (Rya Kihlstedt), Dewan’s character is in a position to have a big presence in Superman & Lois season 2.

Due to the Crisis, the Arrowverse could have recast Dewan with a new actress without any explanation. However, Superman & Lois choosing to keep Dewan in favor of bringing in a new actress is a decision that makes sense. As noted above, Superman & Lois altered Lucy’s past in the Arrowverse, but didn’t change her personality so significantly that recasting her was a necessity. Also, it’s understandable for the show to limit its changes to the main characters’ families. Replacing Glenn Morshower with Dylan Walsh in the role of General Lane was not a major adjustment, especially since the former only appeared in four episodes of Supergirl, which were all in season 1.

Additionally, having Dewan play Lucy again will help Superman & Lois maintain a greater sense of continuity in the Arrowverse going forward. The Crisis does make recasting and character changes fairly simple, but there have also been arguments that Superman & Lois has been making use of this plot device a bit too much. Superman & Lois is a spinoff of Supergirl, but some feel that the connection between them is barely noticeable at this point. There’s a considerable lack of crossover characters and references to Supergirl’s corner of the Arrowverse. And it is true that Superman & Lois has borrowed very little from the series, opting instead to create its own characters and stories.

Keeping Supergirl’s Lucy Lane actress shows that the link between the two shows is still intact and raises the possibility of more Supergirl characters joining her in the future. As for Lucy in particular, Superman & Lois clearly isn’t continuing her Supergirl story, but her bitter feelings toward her sister and relationship with Lois’ season 2 villain promise a new and important arc for Jenna Dewan’s Arrowverse character.

Superman & Lois returns with new episodes on February 22 on The CW.

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