Adam Rayner Chooses The Supergirl Characters That Must Appear On Superman & Lois - Exclusive
Long before "Superman & Lois" was ever on the radar, "Supergirl" amassed a rich catalog of villains and heroes alike, even introducing Tyler Hoechlin's Superman back in season 2. With one season in the books and a second underway, "Superman & Lois" is gearing to have just as epic of a slate of villains.
One such villain happens to be a spin on a classic Superman baddie: Morgan Edge (Adam Reyner). In this universe, he's not just a pesky billionaire but Kal-El's brother Tal-Rho. Giving Superman a villainous brother is certainly something we haven't seen time and again, offering a fresh slate of plotlines that don't seem anywhere near finished. While it's fun to hash out original characters for the series, fans would love to see some "Supergirl" staples back in action in the new series.
During an exclusive interview with Looper, Adam Rayner revealed which "Supergirl" characters he wants to head to Smallville and how he made Morgan Edge his own character.
Bringing National City to Smallville
On which "Supergirl," Arrowverse, or classic "Superman" characters he'd like to see in the series, Rayner said, " I think it'd be fun to get Supergirl on the show, wouldn't it? Why not? Those guys have been in her show. She should be in our show." Most "Supergirl" fans would undoubtedly be hype for that if Melissa Benoist were up for it. Rayner wants to see some "Supergirl" villains head to Smallville, too. He added, "And, of course, the shadow of Lex Luther will always hang over any 'Superman' story. Given every time we change shows, we change into a slightly different dimension in the multiverse. Who knows who the true Lex Luther could be in the world of 'Superman & Lois?' Maybe Tal and Kal could team up and take him on." There's nothing like a common foe to melt even the brightest Kryptonian sibling rivalry.
Rayner explained how he made Tal-Rho his own with The CW's spin on the classic character: "Morgan Edge has been played before, but this is such a reimagining of the whole setup, [so] that wasn't really an issue and [it was] great that it was a brand new character [because] I could just look at the work on the page and think about what was true for me without worrying about, 'Yeah, but in the comics, he's like this.' I can't do that." Rayner noted that he has total freedom with Tal, explaining, "I had pretty much carte blanche to do what I liked with him. That was very exciting."
Reimagining a classic villain
So, what's in the future for Tal-Rho? Rayner has some ideas. "In the future, I'd love to continue to explore his human side. We've seen him as this Kryptonian trying to dominate the world and take over and reestablish Krypton. We know he has this human side and this human need: a desire for family, a desire for relationships, all those kinds of things," he mused. "I'd be interested if he was allowed to explore those desires more and those things that he's buried so far in his life because he's been buried under the weight of this Kryptonian mission he was on. He's free of all that now — all that's over. So who is he? Who is he when his life's work or mission his father set up for him, when that's all stripped away? Who is he really underneath?" Well, that's what fans are dying to know.
"Superman & Lois" airs Tuesday nights on The CW with new episodes streaming on the website and appthe next day.