Summary

• John Glover's portrayal of Lionel Luthor in Smallville was memorable and complex.
• Changes in cast and crew for Smallville season 8 likely led to Glover's exit.
• Glover returned for Smallville season 10 alongside other returning stars, solidifying his DC legacy.

John Glover starred in the Michael Rosenbaum's Lex develop throughout the series was dramatic and effective, but many of the roots that worked in Smallville’s Lex were planted by his dynamic with his manipulative father. Glover played a complex and detailed character who oscillated between sympathetic and monstrous throughout the series. Much of his character's effectiveness came from Glover's performance.

Smallville was not the first time John Glover appeared in a DC project. He voiced The Riddler in Batman: The Animated Series and played Doctor Jason Woodrue in Batman & Robin. Given the actor's history with the brand, it feels appropriate to speculate if he could be cast with other Smallville stars in the DCU. The actor has had a notable and successful career, starring in films like Scrooged and Payback and featuring in episodes of series like Fear the Walking Dead. His run on Smallville, however, is among some of his most memorable work.

John Glover's Contract Likely Ended After Smallville Season 7

Smallville Made Several Significant Cast And Crew Changes For Season 8

Michael Rosenbaum and Kristin Kreuk left Smallville after season 7 due to contract changes, and it is likely that John Glover's departure was due to similar reasons. The series went through several changes over the course of its run. However, the jump from season 7 to 8 held perhaps the most significant ones. With so many contracts ending, the show pivoted and changed much of its setting to the city of Metropolis. These changes helped the show to reinvent itself for a few final seasons.

With season 8, the series changed significantly behind the scenes as well. Showrunners Alfred Gough and Miles Millar left the series at this time. For performers like Glover, who had been involved with Smallville from the beginning, this signified an enormous change in all conditions. It is unclear if a contract extension was offered to Glover; however, with significant cast and crew changes, it is unlikely that there would have been much more story for Lionel in subsequent seasons.

Smallville Probably Didn't Bring Back John Glover Because Of Michael Rosenbaum's Exit

Rosenbaum's Lex Luthor Was Inherently Tied To Lionel's Character Journey

Smallville has a history of removing characters it was unsure what to do with. Sam Jones III's Pete Ross was one of the clearest casualties of this, with the character written off after season 3. Considering Lex Luthor had to be written off the series at the end of season 7 due to Rosenbaum's exit, there likely weren't many story reasons to keep Lionel in the show. This, combined with a changed setting and showrunners, likely meant there wasn't much of a push to keep Glover in the series.

On the other hand, Luthor matters persisted in Smallville with Tess Mercer's introduction. Tess took over LuthorCorp in season 8, and dramatic turns throughout the end of the series showed her to be Lionel's daughter. Considering this, there were undoubtedly stories throughout the following seasons that could have involved the relationship between Tess and Lionel. However, with so much of his past screentime linked with Rosenbaum, killing Lionel off likely made more sense.

John Glover Asked Smallville Writers To Have Lex Luthor Kill Him Off

Glover Knew That His Character Was Most Important For His Influence On Lex

On the podcast Inside of You with Michael Rosenbaum, Glover spoke about his dramatic death on the series. In season 7, following a connection between Clark and Lionel, Lex finds out that his father is hiding things from him and becomes enraged. In a memorable scene, Lex shoots out the window of his office building and pushes his father through it to fall to his death. This dramatic culmination of the relationship between the two men made an excellent end for the Lionel Luthor character and provided satisfying development for Lex.

Speaking with Rosenbaum, Glover ed talking to the writers earlier in the series about his eventual death. "I said when you do write me off, let Lex kill me. I figured that that would really be who [Lex] became," he said. He noted on the podcast how great their chemistry was together, and how important it would be for the character of Lex Luthor that he finally overcomes his father in the most violent and twisted way possible. A generous performer, Glover's final scene effectively developed his co-star's role.

Why John Glover Returned In Smallville Season 10

The Actor Appeared As Earth-2's Lionel Luthor

Like many other stars who had departed the series, including Michael Rosenbaum and Aaron Ashmore, John Glover returned to Smallville in season 10. Digging into multiverse stories, an iteration of Lionel Luthor from Earth-2 appeared on the series in a recurring role. The final season gave Glover a great deal to do, from cultivating a relationship with Ultraman in Earth-2 to giving his body up to Darkseid to save his son. These storytelling opportunities may have been enough to entice Glover back.

John Schneider, Annette O'Toole, and Laura Vandervoort were also brought back for roles in the final season. With such a long legacy of the series, it was important for Tom Welling and the rest of the crew involved to ensure that they could include as much of the show's history in its conclusion as possible. With compelling story arcs, good working relationships between the actors, and the chance to say goodbye to the iconic series, it appears that Glover was enticed back for a few final episodes to cement his Smallville legacy.

No show can go on forever, and characters must be excised every now and then as they go along to retain stakes and tension. John Glover's Lionel Luthor was an excellent addition to the Smallville series and his ending on the show was dramatic and effective. Created for the series, with Glover elevated from a featured performer to the main cast in season 2, Lionel Luthor was a lasting and memorable character who was given a memorable end. That is perhaps the best that can be asked for with a character with such diabolical links in Smallville.