Summary
- Smallville’s Tom Welling returns as an older Superman in a fan art series alongside the show’s Justice League and Lex Luthor.
- Despite never fully suiting up as Superman in the live-action series, fan art allows Welling to don the superhero costume.
- While a live-action Smallville revival seems unlikely, Welling and Rosenbaum are developing an animated sequel series.
Smallville‘s Superman, Tom Welling, returns as an older version of the DC hero alongside the show’s Justice League, Lex Luthor, and more in a new DC fan art series. Although the Superman prequel series ran for ten seasons, with Smallville containing several superhero suits, the DC show had a strict “No tights, no flights” rule that led to Welling never fully suiting up as Superman. While the DC Universe and Tyler Hoechlin’s Superman and Lois series should be the only places for a live-action Superman in the coming years, exciting fan art brings Welling back as the Man of Steel.
On Instagram, @buffy2ville shared a fan art series that brings Smallville‘s all-star cast back as older versions of their heroes, with the villain Lex Luthor also showing up.
Welling’s Clark Kent returns in the fan art with two different versions of a Superman costume, with both looking great. Other Smallville Justice League heroes depicted in the fan art are Justin Hartley’s Green Arrow and Alan Ritchson’s Aquaman. Laura Vandervoort’s Supergirl, finally in a full-on suit, and Michael Rosenbaum’s Lex Luthor in the villain’s comic book-accurate armor round out the appearances.
Will A Smallville Revival Ever Happen?
Following the end of the series after ten seasons, Smallville fans were treated to more stories in the show’s world in two very different ways. While a live-action Smallville season 11 was never made with Welling and the rest of the DC series’ cast, Clark’s adventures as Superman continued in a series of “Smallville Season 11” comics. Batman, Wonder Woman, and other characters absent from the show met Welling’s Superman in the comics.
In live-action, Welling and Lois Lane actress Erica Durance returned as their characters for the Arrowverse’s Crisis on Infinite Earths crossover event. The crossover revealed that the duo is now married and the parents of two girls, with Clark giving up his powers after Smallville‘s ending. Based on that appearance, it seems unlikely that Welling and the rest of the cast will return for a Smallville sequel series in live-action; however, a revival of the series is in the works for another medium.
Welling and Rosenbaum are developing an animated Smallville sequel series. Last year, before James Gunn became one of DC Studios’ co-CEOs and announced the new DCU, Welling shared a positive update on the Smallville animated series. According to the Superman actor, the series would pick up right after the end of Smallville season 10, with new stories by Smallville creators Al Gough and Miles Millar. While the update was promising, with Welling even saying, “We’ve already gotten animation,” the news came before Gunn joined DC as the DCU’s creative chief, so it stands to be seen if he and co-CEO Peter Safran are onboard with the Smallville animated revival.
Source: @buffy2ville/Instagram