When Tom Welling spent a decade playing Clark Kent, but only had one scene as Superman. Smallville, at its core, was always meant to end before Superman's journey began. As a result, it makes sense the finale gave the feeling that the best was yet to come. Naturally, this led DC to expand on the world of the series in comic form, while Smallville's network chose to reset its DC live-action shows to a new continuity.
For a long time after that, a sequel for Smallville seemed unlikely, despite its intentionally open-ended closer. However, back in 2021, Welling expressed interest in reviving the series in animated form, sharing that he and co-star Michael Rosenbaum were working on the project together. There have been a few updates since then, with Welling sharing in August 2024 that he and the show's creatives are just waiting for the green light from DC. If DC approves a Smallville sequel, there is a wealth of possibilities for the writers to explore.
10 A Smallville Sequel Can Confirm The Season 11 Comic Is Official Canon
The Smallville Continuation Saw Both The Introduction Of Major DC Heroes And The Return Of Fan Favorites
The comic Smallville Season Eleven picks up where the CW series left off by expanding its world and story. Clark Kent, now fully embracing his double identity, faces his biggest challenge yet: The Monitors. This multiversal threat leads Superman to gather allies old and new to save his universe. Season Eleven takes full advantage of the comic format, offering bold new takes on characters previously prohibited from appearing in the television series. Most notably, the comic sees Superman teaming up with Batman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, and the Teen Titans.
Where Are The Smallville Cast Now, 23 Years Later
Smallville boasted an impressive ensemble cast, filled with actors who are still very prominent in the contemporary entertainment industry.
Aside from bringing in new elements, Season Eleven follows up on several threads from the finale. In particular, the comic elaborates on the fates of Lex Luthor and Tess Mercer after the siblings' tragic clash in the finale, revealing the latter lived on in her brother's subconscious mind. Though an animated Smallville sequel could de-canonize the events of Season Eleven, adapting the comics would provide a framework for the show and satisfy fans at the same time. The continuation will have to resolve Lex and Tess's story either way, so it makes sense to use the comic as a starting point.
9 Smallville's Sequel Can Return Superman's Powers To Him
The Arrowverse Showed A Different Future For Clark Kent
When Welling reprised the role of Clark Kent for "Crisis on Infinite Earths," his return came with a shocking reveal: Clark had hung up his cape for good. Now married to Lois Lane, the former Superman gave up his powers for a normal life. No further details are given on how he ditched his abilities. In season 10 of Smallville, gold kryptonite is introduced, with the ability to permanently disable Clark's powers. If he truly wanted to settle down, Clark could have used the gold kryptonite to become human. However, an alternative exists: blue kryptonite.
Similarly to its gold variant, blue kryptonite takes away Clark's abilities but only for as long as it touches his skin. It's plausible that his "Crisis on Infinite Earths" appearance could be explained away by saying he had blue kryptonite on his person. Either way, a Smallville sequel has the potential to use Clark regaining his powers as a storyline. Perhaps a new threat emerges that inspires Clark to resume his heroics and journey to the Fortress of Solitude to convene with Jor-El, or his cousin Supergirl helps him reconnect with his Kryptonian side. The possibilities are intriguing.
8 Smallville Can Show Directly What Happened After The Original Show's Ending
An Animated Sequel Would Allow Smallville To Avoid A Time Skip
Continuing the story of Smallville could take several forms. As the proposed sequel is animated, the production does not have to for the 13 years since the series ended. Consequently, a new Smallville series could pick up right after Darkseid was defeated, after the seven-year time jump in the finale, or after Lois and Clark's appearance on "Crisis on Infinite Earths." Smallville Season 11 opted for the first route, following a rookie Superman. If the sequel series follows suit, then it could tackle more early-career struggles for both Clark and Lex.
Starting the Smallville continuation closer to the events of the finale would allow viewers to witness more pivotal moments in the characters' lives, such as Clark's wedding and Lex running for President of the United States. Additionally, key moments like Clark meeting Bruce Wayne and Diana Prince would be on the table. An older, established Superman also has potential, but showing Clark's continued growth into Superman could fulfill the promise of Smallville's original ending.
7 A Smallville Sequel Could Introduce Lois And Clark’s Daughters
Crisis On Infinite Earths Revealed Clark Kent Has At Least Two Children
If the Smallville sequel writers decide to jump ahead in time, "Crisis on Infinite Earths" provides an interesting idea to follow up on: Superman's daughters. While Superman & Lois already did the whole "Super-family" schtick, Smallville could put a different spin on a similar idea. Lois establishes that the Smallville leads have at least two daughters in "Crisis on Infinite Earths," though they are never seen. Whether they are teenagers or children, the girls would provide a new, unique opportunity for the writers.
In the comics, Superman has a few daughters, the most noteworthy being Carol, Jayne, Kara, and Lara. The former two were twins who took over for Superman after his powers faded with age. Kara, not to be confused with Supergirl, was also a twin, though her brother was born powerless and ultimately killed her out of resentment. The odd woman out, Lara, is the daughter of Superman and Wonder Woman, making her the least likely to show up on Smallville. Whether the writers pull from the comics or create all-new daughters for Superman, their inclusion could bring something fresh to Smallville.
6 Smallville Can Expand The Justice League
The Original Series Established One Of The First Live-Action Versions Of The Justice League
Though superhero team-ups are par for the course now, Smallville was among the first live-action properties to do so. After introducing over a few seasons, the series brought all of them together in the season 6 episode, "Justice." The original lineup consisted of Arthur Curry/Aquaman, Victor Stone/Cyborg, Bart Allen/Impulse, and Oliver Queen/Green Arrow. Their introduction and subsequent allyship had a profound impact on the rest of the series, signifying Clark's first major step in becoming Superman. Throughout the rest of the series, the League continued to appear and expand, with Green Arrow even becoming a series regular.
Justice League Member |
Portrayed By |
|---|---|
Superman |
Tom Welling |
Green Arrow |
Justin Hartley |
Aquaman |
Alan Ritchson |
Impulse |
Kyle Gallner |
Cyborg |
Lee Thompson Young |
Black Canary |
Alaina Huffman |
Martian Manhunter |
Phil Morris |
Zatanna |
Serinda Swan |
Supergirl |
Laura Vandervoort |
Hawkman |
Michael Shanks |
Stargirl |
Britt Irvin |
After the years spent building the team in the original series, a continuation of Smallville would be anticlimactic without a reunion of the Justice League. Moreover, a lot of DC heroes never appeared on the show, so there's no shortage of ways to make the League's lineup interesting. Smallville Season Eleven filled out the roster with the likes of Batman and Wonder Woman, paving the way for a Smallville sequel to follow suit. Additionally, the series being animated broadens the characters and power sets that could be included due to a reduced cost in demonstrating heroes' abilities.
5 Smallville Could Show How Lex Luthor Becomes President
Smallville Teased Lex Being Elected President Of The United States All The Way Back In Season 1
Smallville never buried the lede when it came to Lex Luthor's future. All the way back in the season 1 episode "Hourglass" viewers saw his future through the powers of a clairvoyant blind woman. Lex would become the President of the United States, and he would get his hands dirty to do so. Throughout the series, hints towards this future were sprinkled throughout Lex's storylines. Moreover, the finale outright states he is elected in 2018, and "Crisis on Infinite Earths" further confirms a Lex Luthor presidency.
Lex has been President in various DC media, including succeeding Bill Clinton as the 43rd President of the United States in the comics. As Rosenbaum's Lex is considered by many to be the best portrayal of the character, a Smallville sequel is all but guaranteed to show him taking on the role and donning his iconic white suit. Putting Lex in such a position of power would make him a more legitimate threat to Clark, his family, and the Justice League.
4 A Smallville Sequel Can Bring New Superman Characters To The Small Screen
Though Smallville Adapted Many Of Superman's Friends And Foes, Not All Of Them Made The Jump From Page To Screen
Superman has one of the most expansive ing casts in comic history. Even with ten seasons, Smallville missed some of the Man of Tomorrow's enemies and allies. Some of these heroes seem made for Smallville, such as Power Girl. An alternate-reality Supergirl, Power Girl, alias Karen Starr, has already been confirmed to exist in Smallville, due to numerous references to her company, Starr-Ware. Bringing Power Girl into the fold would take those dangling references and potentially create an interesting story that could tie in with the larger theme of family found throughout Smallville.
Jon Kent would be neat as well. Whether he appears as Clark's modern-day son or a time-traveler, Superboy would bring levity and heart to the series. On the opposite end of the spectrum, a few classic villains could appear. Though Tess Mercer's name pays tribute to Eve Tessmacher and Mercy Graves, she is an adaptation of Lena Luthor, so either of Lex's henchwomen are fair game for future stories. However, the most anticipated potential antagonist for Smallville is Lobo, the interstellar bounty hunter. Though not a Superman-exclusive villain, seeing the crass mercenary up against the morally uptight Clark would undoubtedly be fun.
3 Smallville Could Bring Back Superman’s Big Bad
Darkseid's Debut On Smallville Was Underwhelming
In the DC universe, one character stacks up as a Thanos-level threat, and he appeared on The CW 13 years ago. For its final season, Smallville went big, bringing in Superman's most fearsome adversary: Darkseid. As opposed to appearing in the flesh, Darkseid possesses human bodies to corrupt society. As a result, he is rarely as intimidating as in the comics. For instance, the finale sees him inhabiting the body of Lionel Luthor, Lex's father, with a vocal filter and red eyes. Though Smallville did the best it could within its budgetary restraints, Darkseid hardly felt like Superman's ultimate enemy.
However, Smallville itself acknowledged this, not in the series but in Smallville Season 11. After an accidental trip to Earth-Omega, Lois and Clark meet Darkseid again, who helps them escape. During this encounter, the villain makes it clear that he was not at full strength during the events of Smallville season 10. As a result, the stage is perfectly set for Darkseid to come back as a more substantial threat in a Smallville sequel.
2 A Smallville Sequel Could Tie Up Loose Threads
Some Smallville Characters Were Left With An Unsatisfactory Ending
With a show as long-running as Smallville, there are bound to be messy storylines. A sequel series could rectify these resolutions or lack thereof. For example, Smallville shocked audiences by providing Tess redemption in the finale, only for Lex to kill her. The younger Luthor one-upped her brother in her dying moments by using a chemical to wipe his memories. Smallville Season Eleven resurrects Tess by revealing the chemical created a bond between the siblings, essentially absorbing her consciousness into his. Tess's anticlimactic death could be undone if the sequel series follows the comic's lead.
Tess isn't the only character the series failed. Lana Lang was the female lead for seven seasons, yet instead of receiving a happy ending, she reluctantly leaves Clark due to having her body infused with kryptonite. She is never seen again, though the comic reveals that she became a hero and then lost her kryptonite-based powers. Both her original and Smallville Season Eleven endings leave something to be desired, an easy fix if the sequel brings Lana back. Beyond Lana and Tess, the Smallville sequel could give any character a second chance for a fitting end.
1 Clark Could Finally Suit Up In A Smallville Sequel
This Time The Suit Would Be Real
Despite playing Clark Kent for ten years, Welling never put on the Superman suit. Smallville famously operated on a "no tights, no flights" philosophy, meaning that Clark would never fly or wear the blue tights for the entire series. The iconic "S" appeared throughout the show, including on Clark's clothing, but the suit itself was not used until the series finale. Even then, Welling did not wear the suit—it was animated onto him. While this approach worked for a prequel series, a Smallville sequel would necessitate that Clark dons the suit.
Instead of relying solely on brand recognition, the series was imbued with Clark's morals, which is why it felt so true to the character regardless of flying or wearing a costume. It's impressive that Smallville told a story that was quintessentially a Superman story without the iconography, but Clark wearing the suit is a natural part of becoming Superman. Whether the continuation is animated or live-action, Welling's Superman has to wear tights and take flight.
Smallville
- Release Date
- 2001 - 2017-00-00
Cast
Sam Jones III
Annette O'Toole
WHERE TO WATCH
Smallville is a Superhero television series based on the Superman Comic Book series created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. This television release was developed by Alfred Gough and Miles Millar. The premise revolves around a young Clark Kent as he arrives on Earth and attempts to live his life while simultaneously keeping his friends, family, and those around him safe thanks to his superpowers.
- Seasons
- 10
- Filming Locations
- Vancouver British Columbia Canada
- Production Company
- Tollin/Robbins Productions, Warner Bros. Television, Millar Gough Ink, DC Comics
- Number of Episodes
- 217
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