'Metropolis' is a new TV series set before Superman becomes Superman

DC is giving fans the one thing that nobody has been asking for: more Superman, without Superman.

DC Comics and Warner Bros. announced a new live action TV show called Metropolis Tuesday, laying out plans for a series that takes place before Superman as we know him emerges, similar to how the show Gotham takes place before Bruce Wayne becomes Batman. Metropolis is expected to premiere in 2019 and will release exclusively on DC's upcoming digital service.

Instead of focusing on a young Clark Kent like Smallville did in the 2000s, Metropolis will tell the story of some of Superman's closest friends (and enemies), according to the announcement.

"Metropolis will follow Lois Lane and Lex Luthor as they investigate the world of fringe science and expose the city’s dark and bizarre secrets," the announcement reads. "It promises to show us a wondrous and awe-inspiring City of Tomorrow, before the emergence of Superman, and establish much of the Man of Steel’s world leading up to his arrival."

In the more recent DC cinematic era, Superman hasn't exactly been a fan favorite. The 2013 movie Man of Steel was a bit of an over-the-top albeit exciting mess of action, and the followup Batman v Superman was even more over-the-top and a whole lot messier.

Making a pivot into a prequel series could restore a bit of faith in the red and blue superhero — Gotham is in its fourth season and is still receiving pretty positive reviews, and two of Gotham's executive producers will be overseeing and working on Metropolis.

DC wanted to make it clear that the tones of the two shows will be pretty different, though.

"While the basic setup may be similar, fans know that there’s a world of difference between the cities of Metropolis and Gotham, suggesting that Metropolis will likely have a considerably different tone than Gotham," DC said in the announcement. "Superman’s villains are also more powerful, cosmic, and rooted in science fiction than Batman’s, so one can only imagine there will be much less emphasis on street level gangsters and crime families in this forward-thinking city."

Metropolis begins production later in 2018.