Recently, Tom Welling and Michael Rosenbaum have been working on bringing back their hit series,Smallville. The show would reunite Welling’s Clark Kent with Rosenbaum’s Lex Luthor for more superhero hijinks. At this time,DC Studios has not greenlit the project, but Welling and Rosenbaum have revealed a few key details about the potentialSmallvillecontinuation.
Firstly, it will be animated, likely because of the gap in time sinceSmallvilleended in 2011.The original series creators Alfred Gough and Miles Millar are on board to write the sequel.Additionally, an artist is attached to the project, per Welling. While the actors' pitch has taken form, it is just that: a pitch. Despite not having the official okay from DC and Warner Bros, theSmallvillereboot has fans as well as former cast and crew excited.
Since talks of aSmallvillesequel have swelled, the biggest question has been who out of the cast will return. So far, only a few stars have confirmed their interest in appearing in aSmallvillesequel, but Welling seems confident that much of the cast will return.
7Tom Welling
Portrayed Clark Kent From 2001 To 2011
Tom Welling catapulted to fame afterSmallvillepremiered in 2001.Starring as Clark Kent, he became a fan-favorite and starred in films such asCheaper By the Dozen.Welling went on to play Clark for 10 seasons, andSmallvilleremains the longest-running superhero series of all time. A large part of that success is attributed to Welling’s performance, which anchored the show.
For his part, Welling seems proud of his legacy.The actor co-hostsTalkville, aSmallvillerewatch podcast, with Rosenbaum, and this project is what inspired their more recent discussions of a sequel.Welling is more than willing to reprise his iconic role, stating:“We’ve already got an artist and we have a poster and we haven’t been able to share it yet but [it is] like Lionel Luthor looming over everybody and it’s really cool. But we can’t do anything without DC saying we can do it.”
Tom Welling Should Have Been 2006’s Movie Superman According To Christopher Reeve
Smallville star Tom Welling reveals that former Superman actor Christopher Reeve wanted the Clark Kent lead to play the Man of Steel in the 2006 film.
As for the sequel itself, the actor explains:“They just haven’t given us the green light, but we’re ready.“For anySmallvilleshow to succeed, Welling as Clark is essential.His interest in reprising the role is a fantastic sign that the sequel series could be a hit for DC.
6Michael Rosenbaum
Portrayed Lex Luthor From 2001 To 2008 And Returned In 2011
Michael Rosenbaum is the other essential half of theSmallvilleduo.A huge part of why the series worked was the juxtaposition of the heroic Clark and the villainous Lex. Their friendship descending into enmity over 7 seasons was equally tragic and compelling. When Rosenbaum left after the seventh season,Smallvillestruggled to find a similarly interesting villainous presence, largely due to the chemistry between Welling and Rosenbaum. The latter made an additional appearance inSmallville’sfinal season to set up Lex’s future beef with Superman.
Since then, Rosenbaum has carved out a niche for himself withTalkvilleand his personal podcast,Inside of You.The actor has been very open about his interest in reprising the role of Lex.When discussing plans for aSmallvillesequel,Rosenbaum told Screen Rant: “When it’s the right time, we’d like to go and do this; pitch to Warner Bros. It has to be the right time, and right now is not the right time.“The actor elaborated that “it’s something that’s a no-brainer unless they have other ideas.”
I’m Even More Excited For Tom Welling & Michael Rosenbaum’s Smallville Sequel Show After Recent Comments
Recently, multiple former cast members expressed interest in an animated Smallville sequel, generating buzz around the idea. I need DC to take notes.
As for any plot details, Rosenbaum keeps his cards close to his chest. He purports that the pitch is a “great idea.” In fact,he’s optimistic that more members of the original cast will return if the series is picked up.Rosenbaum explained:“We’d like to do it — the whole cast would like to do it. They would voice their own character from the show, and we have a concept of what the show is.”
5Erica Durance
Portrayed Lois Lane From 2004 To 2011
Though Erica Durance didn’t joinSmallvilleuntil season 4, it’s hard to imagine the series without her.Obviously, Lois Lane is one of the most pivotal characters in the Superman mythos, but the CW series brought a new dimension to the character through Durance. Her iteration of the character is just as spunky and free-spirited as classic Lois, but she is also younger. TheSmallvilleLois is at the start of her journalism career, which creates a unique dynamic between her and Welling’s Clark as they are peers. Durance herself is the reason her Lois is so memorable; her fierce performance is unforgettable and provides the perfect counterpart to Welling’s Clark.
Needless to say,her willingness to reprise her role is a boon for theSmallvillesequel.Per Durance, she’s interested in following Lois as a career woman and a mother. The actress explained: “I’d love to have explored where she would have gone further in her career. Whether it was for her to be a mother, how she balanced all of that. I’d like to delve a little more into her past, her experiences with her dad, and how her upbringing shaped her a little bit more and just seeing her grow into another person, a grown-up version of herself.”
Is Smallville’s Erica Durance the best live-action Lois Lane?
Erica Durance wants to return for the possible Smallville animated sequel series, and I would love to see her explore what Lois Lane would have been like further in her career like the actress wants to. To me, Durance plays the best live-action version of Lois Lane. Superman & Lois' Elizabeth Tulloch comes in second place, with the kind of portrayal that I picture Smallville’s Lois could have more or less been similar to if we got to see more of the series. That said, I’m excited to see what Rachel Brosnahan brings to Lois Lane in 2025’s Superman movie.
Durance also revealed thatshe’d like to keep Lois the nuanced character she always was: “I’d love to keep her complicated and full of conflict and not always doing the right thing and not always saying the right thing, because there’s more people like that out there, I think, in the world, than the ones that seem to be super slick.”
Portrayed Brainiac And Brainiac 5 From 2005 To 2011
3
James Marsters was a truly intimidating and compelling presence inSmallville. Starting with season 5, the actor portrayed Brainiac and his benevolent alter Brainiac 5 in the series. The character debuted as Clark’s mentor before being unveiled as the creation of Jor-El. His twist villain reveal was a huge success due primarily to Marsters' performance. He played all versions of the character masterfully: the disguise, the villain, and the redeemed descendant.Getting Marsters back as Brainiac would be a win for theSmallvillesequel series.
The good news is that Marsters is absolutely open to rejoining the cast ofSmallville. TheBuffy the Vampire Slayerstar praised the series: “I think that Smallville was the most intelligent character version of Superman that I’ve ever seen.“He continued:
Superman is a very difficult character to write because he’s invulnerable. Heroism is when I help somebody, even when I have to sacrifice something to help them. That’s the definition, and when you have a hero movie, you have the very most exciting part [which] is when the hero has to risk his life to save someone or help someone. And that’s just impossible with Superman. He’s invulnerable. He’s going to be fine unless you pull out Kryptonite. Every Superman movie does that.
Marsters then continued: “With the television series, you may’t pull out Kryptonite every week. It gets redundant so fast. It gets cheesy. They sidestepped all that by not focusing on Clark’s physical vulnerability, which there is almost none of. It was all about the fact that he was a teenager, and he was vulnerable to everything.“The Brainiac actor stated that he’d “love to do more of that.“ASmallvillesequel would hopefully deliver on Marsters' hopes for a similarly “smart” Superman series.
2What Other Smallville Actors Have Said About Returning To DC
Actors Who Are Willing To Return To DC May Be More Willing To Rejoin Smallville
Though no further cast members have outright stated they’d return, many Smallville alumni have expressed continued interest in the DC Universe. Alan Ritchson, who played Aquaman/Arthur Curry, has a long history with DC. He started, of course, withSmallville, but the actor also played Hawk inTitans. Perhaps one of the most famousSmallvillestars,Ritchson is now primarily known forReacher.He is a popular fan cast for Batman, andthe actor even responded to the idea: “Here’s the thing about Batman - you know what his superpower is? Intelligence: The dude is the smartest superhero there is.”
Aside from Ritchson,Smallville’sSupergirl actress Laura Vandervoort, who also played the female Brainiac equivalent Indigo inSupergirl,responded to the idea of joining the DCUwith a resounding “YASSSSSSSSSS.“Notably, James Gunn, co-CEO of DC Studios, reshared her answer, adding “Gotta Love Laura!” The actress is not confirmed for any further DC products, but her comments indicate an interest inthe franchise moving forward. If Vandervoort is interested in other DC projects, then a Supergirl return isn’t out of the question.
Why Laura Vandervoort Left Smallville After Only One Season As Supergirl
Laura Vandervoort was a main cast member as Kara Kent AKA Supergirl in one season of Smallville before being written off of the series.
Notably,Durance has also discussed the possibility of expanding her DC horizons.Like Vandervoort, she previously returned to DC television as Supergirl’s mother. When asked if she would join the DCU,the actress stated: “Of course I would!” She then added:
It’s a fun, fun world to be in this superhero/fantasy/sci-fi-mishmash. I would want something that had aspects of all different kinds of things going on.
Likewise, Kyle Gallner, known toSmallvillefans as Bart Allen/Impulse, has droppedseveral hints that he is interested in taking over as Green Arrow.These actors continuing to express an interest in taking on DC roles could be a good barometer of whether they’d be receptive to returning toSmallville.
1Actors Unlikely To Appear On A Smallville Reboot
Some Actors May Not Want To Return, While Others Likely Can’t
Unfortunately, some actors are unlikely to return to aSmallvillesequel, whether due to tragedy, circumstance. Series lead Kristin Kreukstated in a podcast appearance: “Smallville itself was based on the puberty of Clark Kent, That’s what it was. It was about this kid in high school. This man is no longer a child. He is, you know, a grown man, and we would be looking at new, new ideas and all of these characters would be in different places. But again, is that the thing I want the most in the world, that I want to see the most?”
Kreuk, who played Lana Lang, also offered the perspective that she’d rather see “something fresh, something new, something reflective of the times.“These sentiments hardly rule out a return to the character, especially seeing as Kreuk has appeared onTalkville. Her positive relationship with Welling and Rosenbaum could be enough to convince her to appear in theSmallvillecontinuation, but she seems to think the series is best left as is.
Other stars are unlikely to appear for less creatively-driven reasons.Jonathan Kent actor John Schneider landed himself in hot water more than once over the last year due tothreats of violence towards President Bidenandracially insensitive comments regarding Beyoncé Knowles. More infamously,Allison Mack’s criminal historyprecludes her from being a part of theSmallvillereboot based on optics alone, much less the moral implications.
Allison Mack was convicted of racketeering and racketeering conspiracy for her role in the NXIVM cult, for which she served jail time of 21 months. She will likely not even be asked to reprise her role, despite being the only actor aside from Tom Welling to star in all 10 seasons.
Unfortunately, some actors fromSmallvilleare no longer with us. Most notably, Lee Thompson Young committed suicide at the age of 29 in 2013. It’s a tragic loss, and his role of Cyborg will be missed.
Moving forward, it remains to be seen what will come of Welling and Rosenbaum’s sequel efforts. A continuation ofSmallvilledoes, however, have a wealth of potential, especially if it has most of the original cast back.
Smallville
Cast
Smallville chronicles the journey of Clark Kent, portraying his origins from Krypton to his teenage years on Earth. The series explores his challenges and development leading towards his destiny as the iconic hero, Superman, set against the backdrop of Smallville, Kansas.
