Superman Beats Batman: Gotham Knights Falls, While Superman & Lois Flies High To Season 4 Renewal

Superman and Batman: two DC Comics staples who work well as a team but also aren't afraid to take swings at one another when necessary. This time around, the two heroes' respective corners of the DC Universe were vying for an enduring spot in the television landscape. The established favorite "Superman & Lois" was due for a Season 4 renewal, while the small screen newcomer "Gotham Knights" was up for a second season. When the dust finally settled, only one of these comic book-based programs made it out on its own two feet.

As reported by Deadline on June 12, "Superman & Lois" has been renewed for a fourth season on The CW alongside the sports drama "All American: Homecoming." The next season of the Tyler Hoechlin and Elizabeth Tulloch-led series will span a total of 10 episodes. That means that "Gotham Knights" — a program centered on Batman's supporting cast members who all band together to figure out the mystery of his death — will not return for a Season 2, completing its brief small screen run with only 13 episodes to its name.

With the premature end of "Gotham Knights," "Superman & Lois" stands alone as a relic of a seemingly bygone era of The CW. 

There was a time not too long ago when the DC brand was a fixture of The CW. From the widely-beloved "Smallville" to Arrowverse offerings such as "Arrow," "Legends of Tomorrow," and "Batwoman," the channel has been a constant source of DC adaptations for years. However, within the past few years, one by one, these programs have disappeared. They've either wrapped up in a satisfactory way like the long-running "Flash," which recently concluded its ninth and final season, or ended up suddenly canceled like "Gotham Knights."

DC's presence on The CW will soon shrink to a surprisingly minuscule amount in the wake of recent news. As of this writing, "Gotham Knights" is approaching the end of its first season and only season. Once it ends, that leaves "Superman & Lois" on its own as The CW's only DC-based offering. Perhaps another such show will be announced in the next few months, but until that happens, the program will carry the DC torch entirely on its own. Depending on how much longer it runs, it might not even have another series to pass it off to.

By the looks of it, the DC era of The CW is indeed on its way out. We'll just have to wait and see what the future holds beyond the end of "Gotham Knights" and the start of "Superman & Lois" Season 4.