Does This Easter Egg Reveal 'Supergirl' Is Set In The Christopher Reeve Universe?

Two episodes in, and Season 2 of Supergirl is proving to be just as much a hit as the first season! The beautiful and brilliant Melissa Benoist has been joined by Tyler Hoechlin's Superman, and the two already stood up against the threat of Cadmus. But there may have been some subtle nods that transform the show's continuity - is it possible that the world of Supergirl is one we've visited before?

Tyler Hoechlin has proved to be a tremendously effective Superman, and right now the internet is flooded with articles comparing and contrasting his portrayal with that of Henry Cavill. It's not really a fair comparison; Cavill's Superman is supposed to be new to the superhero business, and is actually struggling to decide whether or not he wants to be a hero at all. In contrast, Hoechlin's Superman is one who's been active for years, and is entirely comfortable with his identity - both as Superman and as Clark Kent.

But a more natural comparison is between Hoechlin's portrayal and that of Christopher Reeve. The two are incredibly similar: both are quite light-hearted, infused with a love of life and a commitment to do good no matter what the cost. Even their portrayals of Clark Kent strike similar notes.

Let me posit a fan theory: Is it possible that Supergirl happens in the same continuity as those classic Christopher Reeve movies? I'm aware that the timeline itself would have to be adjusted, moving those films closer to the present-day — but that's not exactly a revolutionary idea (2006's Superman Returns assumed an adjusted timeline in just the same way).

Confirming Evidence: Lex Luthor In Jail!

In actual fact, we've already had some surprising evidence for this. Season 2 has introduced us to Lena Luthor, brilliantly portrayed by Katie McGrath. We've learned that she's taken over LexCorp — or LCorp, as she's renamed it — after Lex was sent to jail. Apparently he had an insane plan involving an 'earthquake machine'.

Superman's actually got quite a long tradition of taking on artificial earthquakes. As far back as May 1942, Fleischer Studios released a short animated adventure featuring the Man of Steel striving to protect New York from a madman who wanted to devastate New York with 'electric earthquakes'. Take a look!

In 1978, Christopher Reeve starred as the iconic Man of Steel in Superman. In the movie, Lex Luthor launched an insane plan to trigger a devastating earthquake at the San Andreas fault; he intended to sink California beneath the waves. Naturally, he was stopped by Superman, and was imprisoned.

All that sounds eerily similar to the throwaway comments in Supergirl. It may have just been an amusing nod to the classic films — after all, the show has often paid homage to Christopher Reeve's Superman movies. But it could also be confirmation that these are happening in the same universe.

The reality is that, for now, this is just a fan-theory. We have no concrete evidence to link the Superman films of yesteryear and the Supergirl series of today. What we do have, though, are two fascinating inferences that make this an intriguing possibility!