Lois Lane has never been just a romantic interest when it comes to the story of Superman. She’s also never been his sidekick, a distraction, or a side character in his big and epic tale of heroism. Lois Lane is Superman’s partner, confidant, and a hero in her own right who consistently saves the day and Superman himself. That’s why we love her. And that’s why Bitsie Tulloch loves her as well.
Tulloch, also known as Elizabeth Tulloch, played the DC hero Lois Lane in the 2021-2024 CW series Superman & Lois. Starring alongside Tyler Hoechlin, who played Superman, she played a married Lois facing the “pressures and complexities that come with balancing work, justice, and parenthood in today’s society.” And even though the show only lasted 4 seasons, this fearless, determined, strong, and independent woman became our Lois Lane.
“She was introduced in the very same Action Comics #1 that Superman was introduced in. And part of the reason I find her to be iconic in her own right, even though she doesn’t have powers per se is that that she’s remained this sort of feminist figure,” Tulloch explained in our exclusive interview. Lois Lane has always been a feminist figure. And that stands true for every iteration, including Rachel Brosnahan’s as she steps into Lois’ shoes in the 2025 Superman film.
Tulloch went on to add that “[Lois] was introduced at a time in history when women were more often portrayed as more the cleavers or stay at home moms. You know, passive figures in comparison to the men. And Lois was never that.” Lois always stood up for what she believed in, saved the little guy just as much as Superman did, and broke the big stories that changed the tide of the world. Her being a partner and a character in her own right became a strength of her character and why she remains til this day.
This message of who Lois Lane is, and how she’s changed how women are viewed, is something that Tulloch continues to carry in her life even though Superman & Lois is done filming. “I tell my daughter it’s not how strong you are. It’s how you use your brain and how kind you are. Those are the things that matter.” And Lois has that. “She’s inherently determined, take no prisoners, the pursuit of truth no matter what. And that hasn’t wavered in all the iterations of Lois that we’ve seen throughout history.”
Another part of Lois being a feminist figure is that she breaks away from stereotypes. Too often women like Lois are painted in a two dimensional light where they’re either a housewife or the tomboy. Lois isn’t either of those. And as someone who grew up watching Lois Lane, it was refreshing to see another type of woman. “She’s not giving up her femininity by being. I think what we’ve realized now is that there were strange ideas that a strong women isn’t allowed to be feminine. Like, of course you can just be whover you want to be.”
When Fangirlish sat down to do this interview with Tulloch, she hadn’t watched the new Superman movie yet. But we had. And everything she’s said to describe Lois, is what Brosnahan was bringing to life on screen. Because Lois will always be that girl. But we did want to ask Tulloch if she’d talked to Brosnahan when the casting was announced or during filming. “No,” Tulloch answered. She added, “I’ve been very publicly supportive of this movie and the casting.”
“I know James Gunn and Peter Safran. I think really highly of both of them,” Tulloch also said, “But when we finished filming [Superman & Lois] I put something on my Instagram about sort of handing the baton on and [Rachel] commented and that’s been the extent of it.”
Another important detail about this interview is that Tulloch had a dog with her. The entire time.
And it truly elevated the interview to the point where this interviewer now believes all interviews are made better by having animals who fall asleep on you. “This is our rescue pug Marvin,” Tulloch said. “During the wildfires his mom had been dumped heavily pregnant and I had offered to foster her.” She went onto explain that it had been 5 years since their disabled French Bulldog Henry had passed. And when they asked her if she wanted one of the mom’s puppies, she said yes.
Tulloch having Marvin on the call was due to her partnership with Milkbone. They hosted a Superman screening where owners would be able to watch the film with their dogs. And yes, the photos are as cute as you’d expect. (Images below.) “We’re big fans of Milkbone in this house. It’s our favorite training treat.” Tulloch also added, “[Marvin’s] coming with me. He’s a puppy so he’s getting glam. he’s going to the groomer for the first time. So he’ll smell and look cute for the premiere.”
He did, as evidenced by the main image of this post interview. And so did the other dogs in attendance.
At the end of the day, no matter who steps into Lois Lane’s shoes, whether it’s Bitsie Tulloch or Rachel Brosnahan, Lois will always be that girl. The reporter, the partner, the hero.
Superman is now in theaters.
