Summary

• Jonathan Kent acquires Kryptonian powers in Superman & Lois through X-Kryptonite, introducing a new thematic challenge for the show's characters.
• The development of powers for fraternal twins Jordan and Jonathan Kent differs greatly, with Jordan's coming naturally and Jonathan's through X-Kryptonite.
• Superman & Lois sets up Jonathan and Jordan to potentially become Superboy, with Jonathan's journey complicated by his drug-induced powers and lack of abilities.

With Superman's son Jonathan Kent finally gaining Kryptonian powers, Superman & Lois sets up a major thematic challenge in how he acquired them. Tyler Hoechlin's Man of Steel grapples with many challenges on Superman & Lois, and far more than just those involving villains and super-powered opponents. Happily married to Lois Lane (Elizabeth Tulloch), Clark Kent is the father of two teenage sons, Jordan (Alex Garfin) and Jonathan (Jordan Elsass). Raising teenagers is hard enough on its own, but Clark has the added complication of Jordan inheriting his powers from the Kryptonian side of his heritage, and it didn't take long for Jonathan to gain some as well.

Jonathan Kent having powers as Superman's son obviously has precedent in the comics, but Superman & Lois has taken a very scenic route towards getting him there. Additionally, Jonathan's powers arrived thanks to his drug use, specifically the X-Kryptonite in the drugs he's taking. While it's exciting for fans to see Jonathan develop the powers from comics, the way he's made them happen is nothing Superman would condone. This created a unique challenge for Superman & Lois to potentially evolve Jonathan into Superboy while teaching him an important lesson.

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Jordan & Jonathan Develop Their Powers Differently

With Jordan and Jonathan Kent being fraternal twins, the development of their powers comes about quite differently. For Jordan, he simply began manifesting Kryptonian abilities, possibly with X-Kryptonite as a catalyst, and at a lower level than those of his father. Putting a new spin on Arrowverse drug stories, Jonathan got his solely from X-Kryptonite. With the same not happening for Jonathan, the Kent family wasn't able to put their finger on exactly why Jordan's powers stuck and Jonathan's didn't, other than simply a fluke of birth. Whatever the reason may be, Jonathan tried to change things himself in season 2 after he realized other players on the Smallville High football team used performance-enhancing drugs.

With Jordan having Kryptonian powers, Jonathan persuaded his girlfriend Candice Pergande (Samantha Di sco) to sell him some of the X-Kryptonite drugs she's peddling. In "Girl... You'll Be A Woman, Soon," Jonathan revealed to Jordan that he was now exhibiting Kryptonian powers such as heat vision. With Jordan and Jonathan both being half-human, Jonathan might simply have been more of a late-bloomer in developing his. It's also possible that the X-Kryptonite might have given a jump start to his powers with the human half of his genes being jolted. It should go without saying that both sons of Superman having powers could have caused big changes for Superman & Lois.

How Jordan & Jonathan Are Both Hinted To Become Superboy

Jordan being the Kent brother to have powers for the longest, the show has progressively hinted towards him becoming its version of Superboy. Season 2 even doubled down on this with Jordan undergoing training with his grandfather Sam Lane (Dylan Walsh). The retired General even specifically mentions that Jordan might be called upon to use his powers at some point, potentially against Rya Kihlstedt's Ally Alston as Parasite. Jonathan's powers developing so late in the game has kept the show itself from actively hinting at him becoming Superboy until very recently. Still, there's another big clue about this outside of the show's story.

While Jordan's transition to becoming Superboy is largely natural, Jonathan's comes about through circumstances that the Man of Steel would surely frown upon. Jonathan's entire motivation is predicated on the envy of both his brother and his top football rival Timmy Ryan (Zane Clifford). Surely, Jonathan can hardly be faulted for experiencing such a very basic human emotion, especially as an adolescent. Season 2's theme of the meaning of Superman's S-shield also adds more complexity to Jonathan's drug story. Nonetheless, his path to becoming Superboy had, at least partially, been set in motion by his use of performance-enhancing drugs.

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Jonathan's Powers Were A Big Challenge For Superman & Lois

As Superman & Lois season 2 rolled on, Jonathan Kent's parents realized what he was doing. When they learned that Jonathan was taking the X-Kryotonite, and the drugs were dangerous for him as a half-Kryptonian, they stepped in as parents and put a stop to it. X-Kryptonite was used to give humans powers temporarily, but when it got into the hands of the teens in Smallville, it became a huge threat. When Lois and Clark learned one of their sons took X-Kryptonite to gain powers, they took it away from him. What was most distressing for Jonathan was that when he stopped taking the drugs, his powers went away completely.

There was hope that the drug would unlock his dormant powers, and he would become Superboy anyway, but that didn't happen. However, Superman & Lois had a big twist in store for Jonathan Kent. Natalie had built the Steel Suit, and while she wanted to use it for herself, she realized that Jonathan Kent deserved to use it and wear it to have his own powers. This was all without the use of the X-Kryptonite drugs. While this seems like a compromise to allow both twins to have powers, it might not be what anyone expected - meaning Jonathan might not get real powers after all. The good news is that Jonathan can still become a hero without having the same powers as his father and twin brother.

The Arrowverse Recast Jonathan Kent For Season 3

After Superman & Lois season 2 ended, the production revealed it was recasting Jonathan Kent. Jordan Elsass surprised his fans when he said that he was leaving the show as he wanted to prioritize his mental health. This was a sudden and surprising move. The CW quickly announced that it would recast the character, rather than writing him out of the show. This makes it seem like the show has big plans for Jonathan, and it will be down to Michael Bishop to fill in the role.

How Jonathan Kent's Powers Develop In Season 3

Superman & Lois season 3 continues showing Jonathan and Jordan's personal journeys as decidedly different ones, as while Jordan gets to grips more with his prospective superhero career, Jonathan takes on a role at Smallville's Fire Department under the watchful eye of Kyle Cushing. The storyline seemingly aims to show that both brothers are exploring heroic avenues, even if this comes in different forms, underlining the idea that Jonathan doesn't need his powers in order to protect others and save lives and be a hero of sorts in his own right.

However, it's notable that Superman & Lois season 3 episode 10 sees Kyle confront Clark about his son's superpowers, believing that Jonathan is the costumed vigilante who has been spotted around Smallville. This leads Superman to eventually be forced to reveal the current superpowered of the family, once again placing focus on Jonathan's own lack of powers.

Interestingly, Jonathan even rejects the preferential treatment he then gets from the Fire Chief after Kyle learns about the family secret, suggesting his arc may well see him stay without powers until the show's end next season, as Jonathan seems intent on doing things on his own without powers or the prestige that comes with being related to those who have them. This sets up an interesting layout for Superman & Lois season 4, as while it seems possible Jonathan may get non-enhanced powers in the final stretch of the show, it's also very possible he will strive best without them.