The Big Picture
- A potential Smallville movie could explore Clark Kent's decision to give up his powers and live a normal life, as well as the dynamics between Clark, Lois Lane, and Lex Luthor.
- Placing Smallville under the Elseworlds label of DC Films would diversify the franchise and add a science fiction element to the gritty crime epics of The Batman and Joker.
- Bringing back other heroes and familiar faces from Smallville could make a movie a generational event, capturing the nostalgia and impact the show had on fans and the comic book industry.
Superman's had many incarnations in film and television over the course of his 86-year history, and among the more popular of those incarnations is Smallville. Creators Alfred Gough and Miles Millar revamped Clark Kent's origin story for the early 2000s, resulting in a series that has had lasting effects. Smallville served as the precursor to other superhero shows, most notably with Arrow and its various spin-offs — ironically, Arrow would begin a year after the Smallville series finale. Gough and Millar parlayed Smallville's success into a wealth of other projects, most notably the screenplay for Spider-Man 2 and Wednesday, which takes a similar approach to The Addams Family that Smallville did for Superman.
Recently, Tom Welling and Michael Rosenbaum, who portrayed Clark and his best friend/future nemesis Lex Luthor respectively, expressed the desire to do a potential Smallville movie on Rosenbaum's Inside of You podcast. "I mean, I'd be, 'Yes, let's hear it.' I don't know how it would happen," Welling said, further discussing how he hadn't received any calls from anyone involved with the show. Even though James Gunn is slated to kick off a new cinematic vision of the DC Universe with Superman: Legacy, a Smallville film could honor the legacy the series has had on Superman and provide even more variety for DC's film projects.
Smallville
TV-PGDramaSuperheroA young Clark Kent struggles to find his place in the world as he learns to harness his alien powers for good and deals with the typical troubles of teenage life in Smallville, Kansas.
- Release Date
- October 16, 2001
- Creator
- Alfred Gough, Miles Millar
- Cast
- Tom Welling , Cassidy Freeman , Erica Durance , Justin Hartley
- Seasons
- 10
- Studio
- The CW
A ‘Smallville’ Movie Could Answer One of the Lingering Questions From ‘Crisis on Infinite Earths’
Even if Welling hadn't been contacted to appear in a Smallville movie, he's still managed to reprise his role as Clark Kent — particularly in the Crisis on Infinite Earths crossover. True to the original comic book event, the television event saw various worlds within DC's multiverse being wiped out by the malevolent Anti-Monitor. In order to halt the Anti-Monitor's destructive wave, seven "Paragons" are needed from across the Multiverse. One of those Paragons is hinted to be a different version of Superman, which leads to an encounter with an older version of Welling. But when he's confronted by a different Lex Luthor (Jon Cryer), Clark reveals that he gave up his powers in order to live a normal life.
This was a shock when it first aired, as viewers had expected Welling to finally don the Superman costume after Smallville enforced a "no tights, no flights" rule throughout its run. Furthermore, there was an official Smallville: Season 11 comic that fully explored Clark's life post-Superman while also continuing to bring in Smallville versions of popular DC characters. A Smallville movie could build on the promise of Season 11 and the finale. What threat would cause Clark to hang up the cape and move back to Smallville with Lois Lane (Erica Durance) and his daughters? Better yet, how does this world survive without a Superman?
A Smallville movie could further explore the most important dynamics in Clark Kent's life, particularly with Lois and Lex Luthor. In the back half of Smallville, Clark meets Lois and the two slowly establish their relationship. In fact, Season 10 is dedicated to their marriage (which is put on hold thanks to the New God Darkseid invading Earth.) A movie could explore how their relationship has managed to survive. It was also hinted in Crisis that Lex Luthor is president. A Smallville movie could reunite Welling and Rosenbaum while also adding new layers to their rivalry, which was arguably one of the best parts of Smallville.
A Superman Project Would Diversify the DCU's Elseworlds Banner
If Smallville makes it to the big screen, it could also bolster the Elseworlds label of DC Films. Unlike the projects that Gunn and Peter Safran are developing under DC Studios, the Elseworlds labels are standalone titles that feature more grounded versions of DC characters. So far, Matt Reeves' The Batman and Todd Phillips' Joker films are the only projects under the Elseworlds label. Putting Smallville under the Elseworlds label would diversify these films, both in terms of content and genre. While Batman is a great character, there are plenty of other characters who could fit under the Elseworlds label — why not Superman? Smallville also leaned into science fiction elements due to its protagonist being the last survivor of an alien race, which is a great contrast to the gritty crime epics that The Batman and Joker presented.
1:27Why Are There Two Drastically Different Cuts of ‘Superman II’?
"General, would you care to step outside?"A ‘Smallville’ Movie Can Capitalize on the Nostalgia of Its Cast
The biggest advantage of getting Smallville on the big screen would be the fact that it would be a truly generational event. This is a series that has resonated with fans over the decades, to the point where they watched it with their families, significant others, and even made friends because of the show. ""One of the things that people will start with is, 'Hey, this is something me and my family did together," Durance said in a recent interview with Popverse. "It was something that brought us together. Family. Parents. Kids. Whatever. And it was something that they looked forward to." It wasn't just fans; comic book professionals even started to incorporate elements of Smallville into Superman lore — particularly Jeph Loeb and Geoff Johns, who had written for the show as well.
One way that a Smallville movie could become a generational event is to bring back other heroes who appeared on the series, so that Clark could be the face of a proper Justice League. Alan Ritchson may be champing at the bit to play Batman, but many people remember him as Aquaman. Justin Hartley was a fan favorite for his take on Green Arrow, and his dynamic with Welling was a large part of that. Beyond other superheroes, there are other Smallville alums that could bring the house down; particularly Annette O'Toole, who played Clark's mother Martha, and Kristin Kreuk,who was his first love Lana Lang.
Smallville arrived at a time before DC and Marvel dominated screens both large and small, and is one of the major catalysts in launching the superhero boom. With the genre's future up in the air, a Smallville film could lead the way to a resurgence. As Clark's father Jonathan (John Schneider) once told him, "Always hold onto Smallville."
Smallville is available to stream on Hulu in the U.S.
