After Smallville’s Tom Welling Answered Whether He'll Wear The Superman Suit In The Future, I Know The MCU Movie DC Can Copy To Make It Happen

Published May 22, 2025

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Tom Welling has talked about his chances of finally wearing the Superman suit after 's ten seasons. The show was never meant to focus on the character's days as the Man of Steel, with Smallville always being planned as a Superman prequel series that showed how Clark grew to become the world's best superhero.

That said, I couldn't help but feel like there was a missed opportunity by not having at least a full episode with Welling in the Superman suit. While the show used CGI to get him as Superman in the finale, it was not the same thing as having the actor put on the suit, which only partially happened in Smallville's final shot.

Tom Welling's Clark Kent ripped open his shirt in Smallville's final scene to reveal the upper part of the Superman suit, which was the only time he physically put on the costume.

Now, 14 years after Smallville ended, Tom Welling opened up about wearing the Superman suit in future DC movies or shows during an appearance at Comic Con Revolution (via Superman Homepage). Talking about his chances, Welling said, "I don't want to say yes and cheat you again, so the answer is, I don't know...," but there is a perfect way to do so, and with movement on a Smallville return, the timing seems right.

Smallville’s Sequel Plans Are Animated, Not Live-Action

The Popular DC Series Could Make A Comeback In The Future

While Smallville ended 14 years ago, the show continues to be discovered by new fans with every ing year. I believe it is the perfect project for those who are getting started on the Superman mythos and DC as a whole. Based on the show's continued popularity, a return would make sense, especially given how Hollywood is going through the era of reboots and revivals. To that end, Smallville's Clark Kent and Lex Luthor stars are working on a sequel.

The main change would be the medium, as Welling and Michael Rosenbaum plan on bringing back Smallville in animated form. The actors have shared updates on the status of the project — the Smallville sequel series has yet to receive the green light from DC/Warner Bros. Discovery — over the past few years. Their plan is to get back as many cast as possible to reprise their roles, with Smallville co-creators Al Gough and Miles Millar returning to write the adventures of Welling's Superman.

I Don’t Think That A Live-Action Smallville Sequel Makes Sense For DC Right Now

David Corenswet's Superman Is DC's Main Focus At The Moment

While I love the idea of getting more Smallville and think that animation allows the show to tap into the full well of DC characters and use their powers to the fullest, part of me would instead hope to see the actors in live-action as their characters again. However, I understand that a live-action Smallville sequel series would not make much sense for DC Studios at the moment, given how James Gunn's DC Universe is only starting.

Ma and Pa Kent caress an injured Clark Kent in James Gunn's Superman movie

James Gunn's Superman Being Weak Is The Best Way To Move Past Zack Snyder's Man Of Steel

David Corenswet's Superman might look weak in the trailers for the DCU movie, but I believe it is the best way to move past Henry Cavill's Superman.

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David Corenswet's Superman is the main hero of the new DCU. The birth of the franchise was one of the elements that led to Tyler Hoechlin's Superman & Lois ending with season 4 instead of the DC show's original plan to run for at least 7 seasons. Based on that, I feel like another ongoing live-action version of Superman would generate unneeded competition for the DCU. However, if the Smallville sequel happens in animated form, it could generate enough momentum for Tom Welling to finally wear the Superman suit in live-action in another way.

The DCU Needs To Go The Multiverse Route For Tom Welling To Wear The Superman Suit

Marvel Studios Has The Perfect Example Of How The Superman Event Could Happen

Before his recent comments about donning the Superman suit, Tom Welling talked about changing his mind about playing live-action Superman. In October 2024, Welling revealed that he was "open to the idea now" and that he thought "it would be great" because of his two sons and how they see him as Superman. With the actor game to finally don the Superman suit, I think the DCU could take a multiverse page out of the MCU's playbook for it.

2021's Spider-Man: No Way Home is one of the biggest events in movie history. The film nearly grossed $2 billion worldwide by uniting three generations of Spider-Men, with Tom Holland, Andrew Garfield, and Tobey Maguire sharing the screen. I'm convinced that the ideal way for Welling to wear the Superman suit is through a DCU crossover that uses the multiverse to put him together with David Corenswet's Superman and other Clark Kents. This way, it would not be seen as competition for the DCU's Superman, and Smallville fans could see their dream come true. I hope DC makes it happen.