Superman & Lois come to the rescue in series 2

How do you prepare to play a character as iconic as Lois Lane?

Well, Superman & Lois star Elizabeth Tulloch jokes that she’s been getting ready for this role for a long time – not least because she bears a passing resemblance to the actress who found fame playing the Daily Planet’s most intrepid reporter in 1978’s Superman: The Movie.

Speaking to Warner Brothers TV, Elizabeth revealed: “It’s funny, my whole life I’ve been told I look like Margot Kidder. Even though I didn’t see the Superman movies until I was much older, people would always tell me ‘You look like Margot Kidder’ and I would say ‘Great, she’s cute, love it! But I haven’t seen the film.’”

While she believes that may have been a factor in her casting, the actress, whose previous credits include Grimm, the movie Lakeview Terrace and, most intriguingly, playing R2-D2’s girlfriend in a Star Wars mockumentary, points out that she also feels a connection to the character.

She explains: “Also Lois Lane and I have quite a bit in common – I was raised overseas and she was raised overseas, my dad had been in the army, her dad was a general. She speaks more than one language, I speak more than one language, and [like her] I am really driven.”

She adds: “She’s extremely stubborn and incredibly uncompromising and she has a very hard time admitting that she’s wrong. I can relate!”

However, as fans of Superman & Lois (which returns for a second run tonight) will know, this series offers a slightly different take on the iconic characters. In this version, the couple have left Metropolis behind to start a new life with their sons in Clark’s childhood home of Smallville, although trouble does have a tendency to follow them wherever they go.

So, it’s understandable that Elizabeth has tried to put her own spin on Lois, which was another factor in getting the role. When she first auditioned to play the character, the producers told her that she was the only actress to put a comic spin on what seemed to very a serious scene, which led them to believe she could capture the teasing dynamic between Lois and Clark (Tyler Hoechlin, who has brought his own comedy timing to the role).

Hopefully, that playful side will be on display in this opening double bill, which picks up the action three months after Tal-Rho’s defeat, even though the couple have a lot on their plates.

The growing bond between Jordan and Sarah is under threat, while Jonathan has problems on the football field, and Chrissy is adjusting to running the Smallville Gazette with Lois.

If that sounds more like a domestic drama than a superhero saga, then don’t fear as Superman comes to the rescue of a stricken submarine – and experiences a painful vision.

In the second episode, Clark opens up to Lois about the visions and admits there may be only one person who can help.