Superman & Lois kills off long-running character as series nears its end

The show was impacted by the one-two punch of The CW's sale to Nexstar (resulting in a slashed budget for scripted programming) and the takeover of DC Studios by James Gunn and Peter Safran (who proceeded to cull many of its remaining TV shows).

As a result, Superman & Lois is wrapping up with its fourth season, which is currently airing in the US, with several of the main cast members downgraded to recurring or guest status for budget reasons.

Warning: Spoilers follow!

The first Superman & Lois star to make a swift exit from the show is Dylan Walsh, whose portrayal of Lois's father General Sam Lane came to a heartbreaking end in the third episode of season 4, titled Always My Hero.

The episode saw the General come under attack from the monstrous Doomsday, who was following the orders of Lex Luthor (Michael Cudlitz) to extract information from his rival.

Specifically, Lex was seeking to learn the whereabouts of his estranged daughter, Elizabeth (Elizabeth Henstridge), whose location has been kept top secret up to now.

Even when faced with the grave physical threat that Doomsday poses, General Lane refused to co-operate with Lex's demands and was murdered by the bloodthirsty foe.

While fans were devastated to see such a tragic farewell for Walsh's incarnation of the character – described as the "definitive" General Lane by one X user – they can take solace that his final act will have huge ramifications for the story.

Indeed, Superman himself was thought to be dead after the dramatic season 3 finale, with a serum containing the Kryptonian's blood thought to be the key to potentially bringing him back to life.

Moments before his death, General Lane administers it on himself and, with his final words, instructs his heart to be transplanted into Superman's body in the hope of resurrecting the Man of Steel – and it appears to work.

That said, complications could well emerge from the procedure, with seven episodes of sci-fi drama still to come. Superman & Lois season 4 is currently airing on US-only network The CW, with a UK debut expected at a later date.

Superman & Lois seasons 1-3 are available to stream on BBC iPlayer. Check out more of our Sci-Fi coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on.

For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.