'Superman' gets two TV prequels titled 'Krypton' and 'Metropolis'

Promotional photo for the movie "Man of Steel."DC Comics

The "Superman" universe is getting a lot of attention this year with two television titles in the works, "Krypton" and "Metropolis."

On Tuesday, Jan. 30, DC Comics revealed another live action TV series set in the "Superman" storyline, "Metropolis." The show will focus on a young Lois Lane and a young Lex Luthor as they explore supernatural secrets and science. The events depicted in the series are before the arrival of Clark Kent, so there will likely be no Superman in the series.

DC has noted that fans may see a similarity between the coming "Metropolis" and the recent "Gotham" TV series set in the "Batman" storyline before Batman, though DC assures fans it will be very different from "Gotham" and the city of Metropolis alone is a whole different environment from the city of Gotham. Metropolis is set in a more peaceful bustling metro, while Gotham is a dark city littered with criminals.

"Metropolis" will not be available on regular TV channels or streaming services like Netflix, however. DC announced "Metropolis" will be DC exclusive, and only aired on DC's upcoming digital service. Other titles from DC such as "Young Justice: Outsiders" and "Harley Quinn" have also been announced to be exclusive to the said service.

This is the second prequel to the "Superman" story currently coming to TV screens, as "Krypton" was announced in December to air on TV network Syfy. "Krypton," however, is set in the previous generations of Kent and his acquaintances, before they were even born. The story of the show will revolve around the Kryptonian war before the decimation of Planet Krypton. The protagonist of the series is none other than Superman's grandfather.

The WB's "Smallville" TV series, which aired from 2002 to 2011, was also a "Superman" prequel. The show documented the teenage life of a maturing Kent and his encounters with Luthor, during which they were close friends.

"Metropolis" is set for release in 2019, while "Krypton" will be premiering on Syfy on March 21 this year.