Tyler Hoechlin has had a good year. I say this mainly because he appeared in one of the best American films of the year thus far, Everybody Wants Some!!, directed with reverberating personal nuance by the incomparable Richard Linklater, and played one of the more quietly melancholic characters in a film filled with unique personalities. Of course, the other big get for the former Teen Wolf star is snagging the role of Superman and Clark Kent in the upcoming second season of Supergirl, a coveted role that he looks and sounds perfect for, at least from what I've seen.
This afternoon brought some confirmation of that fact when the first image of Hoechlin in the red cape and full costume appeared, standing next to Supergirl, played by Melissa Benoist of Whiplash fame. Well, I guess it's of Supergirl fame now, but you get my meaning. You can check out the full image right below and though he certainly looks to have the general handsomeness and physique that Superman and Clark Kent require, we won't really know how well he fits the character until the first episode of Supergirl Season 2, which will also be the show's first episode on the CW after its move from CBS. It's one thing to get Superman's look correct, which both Hoechlin and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice's Henry Cavill do. It's an entirely different effort to be able to truly distinguish Kal-el from his alter ego, which is exactly what made Christopher Reeves' take on both characters so iconic.
I have high hopes for Hoechlin in the role, and from the few things he's said about the role thus far, I am confident enough that he knows how to distinguish Kent, both physically and in delivery, from Superman. Regardless of how well Hoechlin handles both sides of the character, he's already reinvigorated my interest in a show that I had given up on about nine episodes ago. Fingers crossed, everyone!
Supergirl Season 2 premieres on October 10th.
Here's the first image of Hoechlin as the Man of Steel, alongside Benoist's Supergirl:
