The Official Lois Lane Characterization thread

[Jordacar]

The way I see it, we could talk for days about the many talented young actresses who could play Lois without getting anywhere special. What really matters, IMO, is how the character is written before the actress is tasked with bringing her to life.

Sure, it's true that no matter how she's written, Kate Bosworth would still have been a horrible choice, but if the brunette babe-interest of Supes had been properly cast in Returns, it would've been that much easier to see that the character in the film is a two-dimensional, old-fashioned, flighty, clumsy, and largely unlikeable monster. Well, maybe 'monster' is a tad harsh...

So anyway, the next time we see Lois Lane on the big screen, what kind of character should she be? What are her qualities? How would you write the character to make her modern? And how would you make her into a 3-dimensional character that a guy like Superman would actually fall for? To borrow a technique used in that recent Star Wars review: Describe this character as if to someone who has never seen Superman.

 

[DawnWarrior]

I think another question we should ask ourselves here is: what iterations of Superman have portrayed Lois the best? The Bruce Timm cartoon? Smallville, maybe? The original Donner films? Or a particular take on her from the comics, perhaps?

 

[BH/HHH]

They got her spot on in Superman the Animated Series. Smallvilles version is probably my second favourite Lois Lane behind TAS version, I think she plays her very well.

 

[Jochimus]

They got her spot on in Superman the Animated Series.

This.

Lois should be a tough-as-nails investigative reporter who won't let go of a story, and who actually relies on her own Army-brat fighting skills every bit as much as some guy in a cape when she DOES end up in over her head. In other words, she should be the one mortal person who's able to keep up with Superman, which would lend itself better to the idea of him falling in love with her, IMO.

Now as for her falling for him, I'd do something a bit off the beaten track with the Superman/Lois romance: have her NOT immediately fall head over heels for him the second he rescues her from mortal peril for the first time.

To be more specific, I'm thinking back to a moment that, believe it or not, comes from the L&C pilot, after he eats the bomb planted on the space shuttle and simply belches with the explosion - Lois steps back a few feet and looks at him jaws agape wheezing "What the hell are you?!?!" My idea being that she meets this guy who's invulnerable to conventional weaponry and who flies and who sees through walls and hears every conversation in the city and who zips around the city at night while various single women are sleeping and high-ranking city officials are engaging in illicit doings and whatall...she should be doubting him from the moment they first meet, so that gradually, over the course of the picture, she sees him in action and the decisions he makes and ultimately begins to realize that, as powerful as this guy is, his whole Boy-Scout schpiel may actually be for real, and that, of course, would set into motion her inevitable attraction to him.

 

[Mr. Earle]

"S:TAS" and "Lois and Clark".
For Clark, Lois and the dynamic between them. I mean, why did they bring back the clumsy, idiotic Clark back in the comics? What's the appeal of that unrealistic character? Why would Lois ever fall for him? She wouldnt, not unless she found out that that's Superman in disguise.

And the best part of the dynamic between them in STAS and Lois and Clark was that it was a source for many scenes of comic relief that never got cheesy or out of hand. Here are two examples:
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This.

Lois should be a tough-as-nails investigative reporter who won't let go of a story, and who actually relies on her own Army-brat fighting skills every bit as much as some guy in a cape when she DOES end up in over her head. In other words, she should be the one mortal person who's able to keep up with Superman, which would lend itself better to the idea of him falling in love with her, IMO.

Now as for her falling for him, I'd do something a bit off the beaten track with the Superman/Lois romance: have her NOT immediately fall head over heels for him the second he rescues her from mortal peril for the first time.

To be more specific, I'm thinking back to a moment that, believe it or not, comes from the L&C pilot, after he eats the bomb planted on the space shuttle and simply belches with the explosion - Lois steps back a few feet and looks at him jaws agape wheezing "What the hell are you?!?!" My idea being that she meets this guy who's invulnerable to conventional weaponry and who flies and who sees through walls and hears every conversation in the city and who zips around the city at night while various single women are sleeping and high-ranking city officials are engaging in illicit doings and whatall...she should be doubting him from the moment they first meet, so that gradually, over the course of the picture, she sees him in action and the decisions he makes and ultimately begins to realize that, as powerful as this guy is, his whole Boy-Scout schpiel may actually be for real, and that, of course, would set into motion her inevitable attraction to him.

YES!

 

[wattabrownsound]

I've seen all the live action Superman movies, STAS, Superman: Doomsday and bits and pieces of Smallville. I only recently found out about STAS after watching one of Bruce Timm's animated features and checked up on his previous work and I got to say Lois was best portrayed in STAS.
I'd like to hear people's opinions of what her best portrayal was in the comics.

 

[Daybreak_st]

Lois should be an attractive women but not in a drop-dead-gorgeous way. As I believe has been the case in these previous incarnations, Lois’ most stunning attribute is her personality not her looks. So while her attractiveness is obvious and most men would be interested, Clark/Superman is more so fascinated by who she is as a person, not just her looks.

She has a strong dynamic personality, is stubborn, and is constantly willing to put herself in harm’s way for the sake of a good story (not just a good story but exposing the truth, that’s her top priority). She is a top-notched investigative journalist.

The one problem I foresee is that if she’s so good at uncovering the truth then why doesn’t she know that Clark is superman (once he appears). Perhaps she figures it out right away, or at least notices how much they look alike – maybe that could be a running gag in the film, something about a celebrity look-a-like contest and how jimmy thinks Clark should post his pic since he looks so much like superman (maybe). But Clark using some Kryptonian technology or maybe from star labs is able to create a hologram of superman so they both can be in the same place at once. Example: if he and Lois are walking around metropolis, they see superman fly overhead, something like that. Lois doesn’t know what to think, her gut is telling her one thing but her eyes are telling her something else.

On the other hand perhaps she knows his secret early on and has to decide whether to publish it or not. It complicates their relationship but could add another dimension to it. If not in the first movie then in the 2nd or 3rd. It allows Lois to get to know the real Clark Kent, and although he may not tell her everything he does confirm that he is superman. Not sure, just some ideas. A lot depends on the metropolis version of Clark. Is he the geeky Clark many recognize and is the disguise or is he more like the animated series and Dean Cain’s version, and now also the Smallville (season 8 & 9) version an all around great guy who just seems normal. I believe Lois would react very differently depending on which version is ultimately used.

 

[Mr. Earle]

Lois is gorgeous, but not WW gorgeous. There is a very funny page where Lois is alone in the bathroom, looking at the mirror and whining at how beautiful WW is, how her amazonian DNA gives her a bigger bust and no wrinkles, and how stupid she is for letting her husband run around with an amazonian beauty goddess. Lois is hilarious sometimes!

 

[Jochimus]

I think Lois should be a bit smarter than past incarnations - the scene at the end of S:TM where Lois realizes that Clark and Superman are never seen together, having entered her life at about the same time? Instead of her just doing the cliche shrug-off ("Lois Lane, that's the silliest idea you've ever had!" to herself), I'd have it stick with her even as the first film ends. Then, over the course, of the next two films, her relationship with Superman becomes such that when she does finally get the proof she's been seeking that Clark Kent is Superman - in spite of his best efforts to hide it - she's too attracted to him (and too aware first-hand of how important Superman is to the people of Metropolis, and the world in general) to see it put to print...sort of a more developed variation of what happened between Lois and Bruce in the DCAU.

 

[Webhead2006]

jochimus i like what you said about lois.

 

[Frodo]

I think Lois's characterization depends on what her position is.

If I were doing a reboot I'd have Lois lower down on the pole and not "The World Famous"Lois Lane. I'd have her being about 27 to 30. I think she will have been working for the Planet a few years by this time.

She'd be a hungry young journalist who has alot to prove not only to her co-workers but to herself. The rest of the Planet staff think of her as a lightweight who got by on her looks and her father's name , hence she has a bit of a chip on her shoulder in the office.

In sense she lives in her father's shadow. She's known as Sam Lane's daughter and it doesn't help that her relationship with him has been strained .

Personality wise , she can be very charming and witty, but has a very sharp tounge when verbally fighting . As a reporter ,she's pretty brash and confrontational which often get's her in trouble or costs her good gets. She hasn't quite learned to use honey as opposed to vinguar yet.

At this point in her life she's cynical since she's seen the worst in people from her various stories. She has a very vunerable side that she hides with quips and a snarkyness. She doesn't let her guard down or shows vunerability except to those who are extremely close to her. And if you're her friend ,she's stand with you through thick and thin. Often to a fault as with some of her less savory sources .

She doesn't do relationships all that well. She's had her romantic scars so, she tries to keep things simple. At this point she's not gonna let a relationship get in the way of her career goals.

That's what I would do if it were as version of Lois starting out though if she's already a Pulitzer winner, her characterization would have to be different.

I'd start her out this way though because I think i'd be an interesting to start the story with Lois sort of becoming the character we all know and love . That way you her growth as a character parallels Clark's. But again that depends on how the story is told.

 

[Jordacar]

There’s a real-life figure that could provide some inspiration for the character of Lois: Lara Logan, and not just because she has the same initials (still…weird, right?)
If you don’t know who Lara Logan is, she’s currently the Chief Foreign Affairs Correspondent for CBS News, plus a correspondent for 60 Minutes. She got that job by being the most ass-kickingest war correspondent on the block, hanging with soldiers on the front lines and getting first-hand accounts on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Whatever your opinion of her, consider the following:
She’s been kicking butt and taking names in the news world since her mid-20’s, she’s an outspoken activist, she’s been described as courageous to the point of recklessness, and on top of all that, she’s a beautiful woman. She’s like a South African-born Edward R. Murrow with boobs.

My point is, one way to prevent Lois and other characters from becoming cartoon caricatures might be to look to people who actually exist. This of course would be much easier to do for, say, Lex Luthor, but that’s a whole other discussion.

 

[Webhead2006]

totally frodo and jordacar that would be a great way to have lois done in next film series.

 

[Frodo]

There’s a real-life figure that could provide some inspiration for the character of Lois: Lara Logan, and not just because she has the same initials (still…weird, right?)
If you don’t know who Lara Logan is, she’s currently the Chief Foreign Affairs Correspondent for CBS News, plus a correspondent for 60 Minutes. She got that job by being the most ass-kickingest war correspondent on the block, hanging with soldiers on the front lines and getting first-hand accounts on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Whatever your opinion of her, consider the following:
She’s been kicking butt and taking names in the news world since her mid-20’s, she’s an outspoken activist, she’s been described as courageous to the point of recklessness, and on top of all that, she’s a beautiful woman. She’s like a South African-born Edward R. Murrow with boobs.

My point is, one way to prevent Lois and other characters from becoming cartoon caricatures might be to look to people who actually exist. This of course would be much easier to do for, say, Lex Luthor, but that’s a whole other discussion.

That's what I was thinking too.Lara Logan is what Lois would be today.

 

[Jordacar]

Remember in TDK when Reese tries to blackmail Lucius, and Lucius delivers some quiet verbal pwnage on the little weasel? Of course you do.

It would be easy see Perry or Lex in a similar situation, but I would love for Lois to get a scene like that. Just a really badass, take-no-sh** scene where she makes a grown man cry, and we see why Superman loves this woman.

 

[Webhead2006]

ha yea it would be.
Also i do hope they have lois be from a military family with her dad as a general to be used somewhere in film series. Which then leads to her being grown up around the military so she knows how to fight a little bit. And that is where she got her brassy/sassy addititude from from not taking crap from folks.

 

[Jordacar]

Remember in TDK when Reese tries to blackmail Lucius, and Lucius delivers some quiet verbal pwnage on the little weasel? Of course you do.

It would be easy see Perry or Lex in a similar situation, but I would love for Lois to get a scene like that. Just a really badass, take-no-sh** scene where she makes a grown man cry, and we see why Superman loves this woman.

Finally read Birthright, and there actually is a scene kinda like that. When Clark first sees Lois, she's laying out the publisher for being abusive at Jimmy; Clark sees this and is all "I think I'm in love."

 

[Nightwing1983]

The way I see it, we could talk for days about the many talented young actresses who could play Lois without getting anywhere special. What really matters, IMO, is how the character is written before the actress is tasked with bringing her to life.

Sure, it's true that no matter how she's written, Kate Bosworth would still have been a horrible choice, but if the brunette babe-interest of Supes had been properly cast in Returns, it would've been that much easier to see that the character in the film is a two-dimensional, old-fashioned, flighty, clumsy, and largely unlikeable monster. Well, maybe 'monster' is a tad harsh...

So anyway, the next time we see Lois Lane on the big screen, what kind of character should she be? What are her qualities? How would you write the character to make her modern? And how would you make her into a 3-dimensional character that a guy like Superman would actually fall for? To borrow a technique used in that recent Star Wars review: Describe this character as if to someone who has never seen Superman.

This might be heresy, but if they go the conjoined trilogy route, I think they should downplay her as a love interest and just make her more of a supporting character, and a rather harsh one at that, so that Clark/Superman melts her as the films progress.

To describe her to someone who's never seen Superman? I'd say that she's the ultimate tomboy. Tough-as-nails, but not necessarily a feminazi. I mean, she values her independence, but is too devoted to being an objective journalist and career woman to be a political activist of any kind. She was raised in a military family, and it might even have been interesting if she'd served, but her goal in life--for whatever reason--was always journalism.

While it's unpopular to mention Smallville cast members, I actually think Erica Durance would be as good a choice as anyone. I don't think it would be too confusing if it were a new Superman and everyone else in the cast was different, and hopefully the script should make it clear that it doesn't have anything to do with Smallville (if that's the case and I doubt it wouldn't be).

Why would she have trouble realizing Superman and Clark are the same guy? Well, I think that Perry White should realize it, but keep it close to his chest, not wanting to blow the lid off of a story that could well be untrue; but in her case, something about Superman blows away her cynicism. Here's a man from another planet who has all these powers and wants to do good. On the other hand, Clark makes her MORE cynical for one reason or another (e.g. he scooped her, seems like a coward, or whatever) and just can't handle the truth. Oh, that may seem to contradict what I said before... but that's the irony of it.

 

[Panthro]

This.

Lois should be a tough-as-nails investigative reporter who won't let go of a story, and who actually relies on her own Army-brat fighting skills every bit as much as some guy in a cape when she DOES end up in over her head. In other words, she should be the one mortal person who's able to keep up with Superman, which would lend itself better to the idea of him falling in love with her, IMO.

Now as for her falling for him, I'd do something a bit off the beaten track with the Superman/Lois romance: have her NOT immediately fall head over heels for him the second he rescues her from mortal peril for the first time.

To be more specific, I'm thinking back to a moment that, believe it or not, comes from the L&C pilot, after he eats the bomb planted on the space shuttle and simply belches with the explosion - Lois steps back a few feet and looks at him jaws agape wheezing "What the hell are you?!?!" My idea being that she meets this guy who's invulnerable to conventional weaponry and who flies and who sees through walls and hears every conversation in the city and who zips around the city at night while various single women are sleeping and high-ranking city officials are engaging in illicit doings and whatall...she should be doubting him from the moment they first meet, so that gradually, over the course of the picture, she sees him in action and the decisions he makes and ultimately begins to realize that, as powerful as this guy is, his whole Boy-Scout schpiel may actually be for real, and that, of course, would set into motion her inevitable attraction to him.

Agreed.

"S:TAS" and "Lois and Clark".
For Clark, Lois and the dynamic between them. I mean, why did they bring back the clumsy, idiotic Clark back in the comics? What's the appeal of that unrealistic character? Why would Lois ever fall for him? She wouldnt, not unless she found out that that's Superman in disguise.

Because that's what Christopher Reeve embodied as Superman/Clark Kent, he embodied the now outdated & hopelessly stupid notion that Superman is the real person and Clark Kent is a disguise not worth spitting on, and some people simply cannot let go of the Reeve image of Superman/Clark. How many writers working right now grew up during the Chris Reeve era of Superman movies?

When I read All-Star Superman, I rolled my eyes in disgust at the various scenes of Clark being a clumsy idiot, something I despised ever since I was a kid, because even as I kid I knew someone who acted like that would never last in the high pressure world of journalism. Even now it causes me to have a love/hate relationship with those old movies - that and the horrid characterizations of Lois Lane & Lex Luthor.

Sorry, had a rant moment.

BTW Earle, who's that in your avatar? Looks DCAU but I can't pinpoint who.

 

[Mig-El]

I love Lois in Geoff Johns and Gary Frank's Superman Secret Origins. She's strong, but has a certain vulnerability to her. Also, she sees something more in Clark. I loved issue 3 where Lois sees through Clark's bumbling act and it's the moment where we see why Clark/Superman will loves this woman for the rest of his life.

 

[Webhead2006]

i do hope we get a lois with all these qualities.

 

[*Dark_Phoenix*]

A live-action version of Dana Delany's Lois Lane please. Best Lois ever.

 

[Panthro]

A live-action version of Dana Delany's Lois Lane please. Best Lois ever.

Damn right!

 

[Webhead2006]

i would be down for that.

 

[GL1]

I think we're pretty much all in agreement here. Someone who kicks butt professionally and has a very physical confidence building military brat background. The melting of the cynicism is part of what makes Superman interesting, imho, and Lois serves as a very good avatar for the real life cynicism about Superman that many have. He's can't really be what he says he is. There has to be some corruption, some agenda, something... and perhaps that's why Lois is put on the case, because she is the one who believes LEAST in Superman.

On the relationship angle, I think that's where we actually may have some discussion. I do agree that she should have something incredible about her to attract even a Superman. My questions to the group are:

Why and when does Lois fall for Clark Kent
and
When, if ever, does Lois fall, romantically, for Superman

Me personally, I'd do the infatuation with Superman that is put aside for the story while she slowly learns things about Clark that make him 3 dimensional to her (and the audience). When she chooses Clark over Superman, that's when they actually begin a relationship.

Lois as the audience avatar makes so much sense to me. Clark of course is the hero, but like Rogue in X-Men (2000) a character for girls and women to empathize with, as well as to ask the questions that the audience would ask is just a good idea all around.

As for the secret, I have this scene in my head where Clark proposes to Lois and she accepts and then he takes off his dress shirt revealing the S and she goes stomping around the room, waving her hands screaming "I knew it! I knew it! Oh my god, I knew it! You are a damn good liar, Clark Kent, you know that!?" But before that, I figure Clark makes some sort of petty proof that Clark is somewhere else while he speaks with her as Superman, and they have a bit of a cat and mouse thing about her suspicion, and when she really figures it out, Bizzaro, still looking like the real deal is involved. Free from the game, this gets her actually noticing Clark as a person in truth for the first time in a while.