Tom Wellingwas the actor who tackled the most comprehensive Clark Kent origin story inSmallville, but 13 years after the sho finished, the actor is finally ready to don the cape, and theDCUcould have the perfect way to cast Welling as Superman.Smallvilleis inarguably the most in-depth Superman origin story, exploring the life of a young Clark Kent as he progressed through school, on to a career, and everything that came with it. The show explored his evolving relationship with the Luthors, and the tragic loss of his dear father, Johnathan Kent.
It also saw Clark fall in love for the first time, with the enchantingly beautiful andkind-hearted Lana Lang. And when that relationship broke down, it followed Clark’s heartbreak until he finally connected with the equally gorgeous and determined Lois Lane. Theshow saw Clark slowly develop his powers, and learn to control them. And for many years, it saw the hero dream of flying, before they were ever able to leave the ground. But in all that time, the one thing it never did, was get Welling in the iconic red and blue suit.
Tom Welling Has Said He Wants To Return As A Live-Action Superman
Clark Kent Never Got The Chance To Transform In Smallville
Now, 13 years after the show wrapped in 2011,Welling has revealed that he is finally in a place where he feels ready to wear the Superman suit. WhenSmallvillewas created, the brilliant Alfred Gough and Miles Millar, who created the show, set out a couple of clear and precise ground rules for making this origin story. This was intended as aClark Kent story, not a Superman story, and so Welling was never meant to wear the suit, and he was never meant to fly. Those were two defining characteristics that were reserved for the show’s finale, but even then, the use of a CGI model was employed to visualize Clark’s transformation.
You know, I think now because of the two boys that I have with my lovely wife…we have a bunch of costumes at home. It started out at the first Halloween and now we have, I don’t know, 40 or 50 costumes. The one costume we don’t have is the Superman costume. I asked my son why and he said, ‘Because he’s taken’ and I said, ‘By who?’ ‘By [you].’ That was like, ‘Alright, I think I’m open to the idea now.’ So, if you know anybody, I think it would be great. I think it would be fun to be part of.
But now, with Welling much older and more refined, the actor feels ready to make the transition due to the path his own life has taken him in. While he was initially hesitant to ever break the mold fromSmallville’svision of himself as Clark, he feels like he is now in a place where hecould finally don the cape. However, Welling was a lot younger back when he appeared on the show, and there is already two other canonical Supermen currently in the role on TV and on the big screen. However, that doesn’t mean the actor is completely out of luck.
Tom Welling’s Superman Legacy Means Even DC’s Multiversal Movie Mishaps Shouldn’t Stop Him Coming Back
The DC Movies And Shows Have Mishandled Welling’s Superman
Prior to the birth of the DCU, led by James Gunn, the DCEU and adjacent properties had a volatile history. This led to some huge hits, and some incredible flops, but on a more personal level, it led to a lot of mistreatment for fan-favorite characters. For me, two of themost disappointing moments where Welling could have appeared in the DC Multiversecame in the Arrowverse’s Crisis on Infinite Earths, and inThe Flash. While Welling appeared in Crisis, the actor was seen back on the farm, having given up his powers for good.
The 10 Biggest Changes Smallville Made To Superman & His World
In its 10 years on the air, Smallville adapted many characters, settings, and storylines from the wider Superman mythos to varying results.
This felt like a weird betrayal for such an iconic iteration of the hero, and just a really weird way to bring him back. While inThe Flash, Welling was nowhere to be seen, along with dozens of other characters who madeno appearance in the DCEU’s biggest multiversal movie of all time. Instead, we got a weird sizzle reel of CGI heroes spinning aroundEzra Miller’s Flashthat just felt like a huge missed opportunity. But, despite this fatal flaws, the DCU has a chance to fix things and give Welling’s version of the hero their moment to shine.
The DC Universe Is Set Up To Allow Tom Welling Way To Return As Live-Action Superman
DC Elseworlds Is The Perfect Place To Bring Welling Back
With the DCU establishing a central Universe, or Earth Prime storyline, it makes sense for them to have their own Superman, David Corenswet, who will lead the heroes in that world of storytelling. Over time, he will be joined by many more DC heroes, butGunn was sensible enough to build in a way for other stories to continue existing alongside the main DCU. By adopting the comic book title, DC Elseworlds, and labeling films on the fringe of the DCU in this way, movies like Matt Reeves’The Batman, and Todd Phillips’Jokercan still coexist with Gunn’s DCU.
However, Elseworlds opens the door for vastly more opportunities outside the primary DCU, with the potential tobring back big DCEU and other starsto get unique stories. Within this setting, it could be the perfect place and time tobring Welling back for aSmallvillespecial, or a holiday special similar to Gunn’sGuardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special. There is no denying that Welling delivered one of the absolute most popular versions of the character in live-action, so it could be a great idea for huge fans like me and I am sure countless others, to get Welling back, suit him up, and shoot a special feature.
Tom Welling’s Smallville Sequel Hopes Could Still Bring His Hero Back In A Different Way Whatever Else Happens
There Is Still A Future For Smallville
However, with the way that Gunn has his focus, like Superman’s heat ray vision, focused purely on his connected DCU, it feels unlikely that he will be tackling many DC Elseworlds projects in the near future. The reason thatJokerandThe Batmanhave had expansions is down to their earlier success, and both appear to be being developed with almost no involvement from Gunn whatsoever. If that is the case, it may not be realistic to hope for aSmallvillereboot, or a special project where Welling wears the cape, butthere are other alternatives.
Would you be excited about an animated Smallville sequel series?
It’s recently been revealed by both Tom Welling and Michael Rosenbaum that an animated Smallville series has been pitched to Warner Bros. While there’s yet to be any kind of traction or an official green light for the proposed series, it follows that several fans of the CW’s original DC show would love this series. Having read the Smallville sequel comics that were released after the show’s tenth season, I would personally love it if an animated series was greenlit, allowing the Smallville universe to continue growing and expanding with Clark Kent officially serving Metropolis as Superman.
For years now, Welling and his close friend, Michael Rosenbaum, who played Lex Luthor inSmallville, have been working hard behind the scenes to get aSmallvilleanimated show made. The show is expected to bring back most of the original cast to voice their characters, and the original Smallville creators are also supporting the project. However, according to the latestSmallvilleupdate from Rosenbaum in 2024, it may be a while before even that show is made. Whatever comes next, withTom Wellingfinally on board to don the cape, it feels like something needs to happen for his Superman to finally debut.
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.
