Stephen Amell's Dream DCU Role (Besides Green Arrow) Is Perfect For A Villain James Gunn Already Teased Summary Smallville's absence in Crisis on Infinite Earths' final montage was due to oversight and SAG pay rules. Future possibilities for Smallville's fate lie in a planned animated sequel series. Updates on the Smallville animated series development and potential pitch to DC have come out in 2024.
The Arrowverse's Crisis on Infinite Earths showrunner explains the crossover's confusing Smallville choice. One year before Arrow debuted in 2012 and the Arrowverse was born, Tom Welling ended his run as Clark Kent after ten seasons of Smallville. With the final season of the Superman prequel series, it seemed like the actor would never play Clark again. Thankfully, the Arrowverse changed that, with Welling and Lois Lane actress Erica Durance returning for the Crisis on Infinite Earths crossover, though there was an issue.
On The Showrunner Whisperer podcast, Crisis On Infinite Earths showrunner Marc Guggenheim talked about why Smallville's universe was not included in the event's post-Crisis montage. At the end of the crossover, several shots of heroes from all over the multiverse appeared; however, Welling's Clark and Durance's Lois were nowhere to be seen, which had some fans thinking Smallville's universe was destroyed. Guggenheim reveals the reason for them not appearing was that he did not think that would be a question, as well as Welling's pay, which had to be contained to one episode. Check out the full quote below:
"Why didn't we have Smallville? I'll be honest with you. I think it was two reasons - Number 1: it never occurred to me until I got the question on Twitter that people think we did blow up the Smallville universe. So part of it was that, and part of it was, we had obviously seen Clark and Lois in episode 2 [of Crisis on Infinite Earths.] For the most part, the 'going around the horn' [closing sequence montage at the end of episode 5] was to see all the universes and all the characters that we didn't get to see.
If I could have done it all over again, it would be awesome to just have a shot of Lois and Clark on the farm, kissing, for the go-around-the-horn-sequence. But yeah, sorry, I dropped the ball on that! We only had Tom for a few hours, but also, here's the thing: under SAG rules, an actor don't get paid by the amount of time they spend on set. They get paid by the number of episodes they are in. So if Tom was contracted for episode 2, and if Tom appeared in episode 5, that would trigger a completely different payment. We certainly didn't have the money for that, but that really wasn't a factor. It, quite frankly, just didn't occur to me."
Related 10 Best Superman & Lois Lane Moments In All Of Smallville
Tom Welling's Clark Kent and Erica Durance's Lois Lane are one of the best DC couples, and Smallville's Superman & Lois had many epic moments.
Smallville's Fate Could Be Revealed In The Future The DC Series Has A Sequel In The Works Close
While Crisis on Infinite Earths' final episode did not pick back up with the Smallville universe, the fate of Welling's Clark Kent and Durance's Lois Lane could be revealed in the future. While a live-action revival of Smallville is unlikely to happen, an animated sequel series for the show is in the works. For now, proper development on the show has not yet started, but Welling and Lex Luthor actor Michael Rosenbaum are hoping the Smallville animated series will move forward.
There have been a few updates on the status of the potential project over the past couple of years. In March, Rosenbaum spoke to Screen Rant about the Smallville animated series. According to the Lex Luthor actor, Smallville's co-creators Al Gough and Miles Millar are supporting the project, but the series has not yet been pitched to DC. Rosenbaum, who is close friends with DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn, says now -- the transition period for the new DC and the start of Gunn's DCU post-Hollywood's 2023 strikes -- is not the right time to pitch to DC.
In June, Rosenbaum shared another status update on the Smallville animated series. The actor reconfirmed that Smallville's creators are attached and revealed that they have "some loose animation" that looks great, though the series still has not been pitched. If the Smallville sequel series moves forward, perhaps the final season of the show could explain how Welling's Clark Kent gave his powers away and what happened to Smallville's universe at the end of Crisis on Infinite Earths, answering the crossover's Smallville burning questions.
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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.
Cast Sam Jones III , Annette O'Toole , Jensen Ackles , Eric Johnson , Erica Durance , Cassidy Freeman , Michael Rosenbaum , Laura Vandervoort , John Schneider , Kristin Kreuk , Sam Witwer , Aaron Ashmore , Allison Mack , John Glover , Justin Hartley , Tom Welling , Callum Blue Release Date October 16, 2001 Seasons 10 Number of Episodes 217 Expand
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Source: The Showrunner Whisperer
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