Grant Gustin’sThe Flashended up doing theSmallvilleepisode Tom Welling said he would not show up on set if filmed, and the Arrowverse handled it better than the Superman prequel series could have.Smallville’s ten seasonsfollowed Clark Kent’s journey to becoming Superman. It is my favoritelive-action Supermanproject, and Welling’s earnestness in the role made the show pop at a time when superhero TV series were not yet what they would become.Smallvillewas the show that paved the way for the Arrowverse,DC’s shared universe on TV.
That franchise had Grant Gustin’sThe Flashas its longest-running show.The Flash’s 9 seasons, just likeSmallvillebefore it, featured a mix of heavy story episodes and fun one-offs. With over 20 episodes per season, the DC shows had to get creative with their stories, and at times, that veered outside the shows' usual grounds. A recent reveal has shown thatSmallvilleonce decided on a concept that was a bit too much for the series' leading man, butThe Flashwould make good on that story years later in a way the other live-action DC series never could.
Tom Welling Revealed The Smallville Episode He Refused To Film
The Superman Actor Was Not A Fan Of A Genre Idea
While other actors would leave the show before its final season, Tom Welling stuck withSmallvilleuntil Clark Kent fully became Superman. By the end of season 10, theSmallvillestar had many exciting superhero battles, romances, and adventures under his belt over a total of 217 episodes. However, the concept of a bottle episode proved itself too bizarre for the actor. Recently,Tom Welling revealed theSmallvilleepisode we refused to film. According to the star,the season 6 episode, “Noir,” originally was meant to be a musical, which Welling opposed.
After being knocked out while an old crime film played in the background, Jimmy Olsen dreamed about a 1940s-set Smallville.
When the idea was brought to him,Welling told theSmallvilleteam, “‘I will not show up to work.'“Welling’s stance was taken into account, and “Noir” was not a musical. However, the episode was still a major departure from whatSmallvillefans had grown used to. After being knocked out while an old crime film played in the background, Jimmy Olsen dreamed about a 1940s-set Smallville. The bottle episode had all the makings of a classic noir project, with a mystery at its center, gangsters at every corner, use of black-and-white, and more. Still, it was not a musical.
The Flash Brought In Supergirl For The Musical Smallville Never Had
The Arrowverse Series Was Open To Experimenting More
After hearing Welling’s comments, I realized that DC must have kept that idea in a drawer somewhere, because it just so turns out thatThe Flashwould come up with its own noir musical years later. Grant Gustin’sThe Flashseries and the rest of the Arrowverse shows became known for how they had a fair number of bottle episodes, which many fans ended up calling fillers more often than not. However, I always thought there were some genuine jewels found through that concept, and"Duet,” the season 3 noir musical, is one ofThe Flash’s most creative hours.
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The episode ended up being a crossover thatput Gustin’s the Flash and Melissa Benoist’s Supergirl into a comawhere the characters woke up inside a noir musical and had to sing and dance their way back to reality. The cause of the noir reality this time around was not a hit to the head like with Jimmy Olsen inSmallville, but rather the Music Meister. The villain from DC Comics is known for using music as his weapon, and so he was uniquely equipped for a superhero musical in a way that was more cohesive to the story.
The Arrowverse Series Was Better Suited For The Concept
I agree with Tom Welling — a noir musical would have been out of place. I am not a fan of the DC show’s episodes that veered too far away fromSmallville’s regular story, withone-offs like the Superman prequel’s vampire, witch, and noir episodes feeling quite odd. Grant Gustin’sThe Flashwas sillier in that regard, with its status within the Arrowverse giving it more of a comic book feel that translated well to more out-there situations. By bringing in Supergirl, who has a fun friendship with the Flash, the episode was light and sweet.
There are also a few other reasons whyThe Flashhaving the noir musical made more sense thanSmallville. Between Grant Gustin, Melissa Benoist, Darren Criss, Jeremy Jordan, Jesse L. Martin, and more,The Flashhad quite a few talented singers and dancerswho had already performed on Broadway or would do so in the following years.The Flash’s musical episode also changed the show in a huge way. In the end, Barry Allen sang one of my favorite musical songs, “Runnin’ Home To You,” proposing to Iris and showing howThe Flashthrived with the episodeSmallvillenever made.
The Flash
Cast
The Flash follows CSI investigator Barry Allen, who wakes from a coma with super speed after a lightning strike. Collaborating with S.T.A.R. Labs, he adopts the identity of The Flash to safeguard his city, marking his journey as the Fastest Man Alive in this superhero tale.
Smallville
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.
