Tom Welling reveals new information about how Smallville would have ended and adds more information about its animated adaptation
Given the enduring appeal of the Man of Steel stories, “Smallville” stands out as a series like no other. Starring Tom Welling as Superman and Michael Rosenbaum as his friend and later archenemy Lex Luthor, this series is revered as one of the most iconic Superman narratives. The finale showed Welling’s Clark Kent assuming his destiny as Superman, even if the iconic suit was only briefly hinted at under his shirt. However, Welling shared that the original result was quite different.
The actor’s statements
During a chat with ScreenRant, the actor explained that the ending was conceived differently, underlining one scene in particular: “In one of the last [escenas]Clark opens his shirt and finally jumps off the building. It was originally written differently,” Welling recalled. “They planned for Clark to see the suit, then they cut to him putting it on and adjusting his boots.” The “Professionals” actor also shared the inspiration behind the his request to change the ending.
“Remember the end of Kiefer Sutherland’s ’24’? He had just finished and one of the things they did was a satellite image from space, and he’s talking to it [la] satellite image, knowing that Chloe, her partner, is looking at her and waving at her,” he told the Stockholm Comic Con audience. “She said, ‘I can’t stay, but I have to go.'”
Welling added of the final scene: “What left a mark on me was this guy who will continue to fight the good fight. We can’t accompany him, but he allows our imaginations to believe he’s still out there. I took that, and in trying to resolve it in the series, I brought up the idea that this character is going to be out there, we can’t follow him.
And that’s how it all happened. There were some debates and limitations on what shots we were going to use, it was me and Greg Beeman who directed the episode. But the idea was that I would force them to use a crane for that shot. After that the series ended and because it was a crane shot, and no, I didn’t let them film from other angles, because that’s what I wanted.
The Superman saga continues to expand
The legend of Superman remains deeply compelling. The revamped DC Universe will be explored further with James Gunn’s new version of Superman. In this new chapter, David Corenswet will wear the red cape and Rachel Brosnahan will play Lois Lane. Other cast members include Isabela Merced as Hawkgirl, Edi Gathegi as Mister Terrific, Nathan Fillion as Guy Gardner aka Green Lantern, and Nicholas Hoult as antagonist Lex Luthor. Notable additions include Wendell Pierce as Perry White, Pruitt Taylor Vince as Jonathan Kent, and Sara Sampaio as Eve Teschmacher.
In addition to Gunn’s work, Welling and Rosenbaum are developing an animated series that revives the original Smallville. While it’s a project that might appeal to many, the proposed sequel series still has to overcome the obstacles thrown its way. “I’ll tell you where it is: we need Warner Brothers and DC to let us do it. We have Al [Gough] Yes Miles [Millar]who are very busy making a television series called “Wednesday”. But they created ‘Smallville,’ they want to write it. We just need the green light from DC and Warner Brothers,” Welling previously revealed.
Superman will star in the beginning of the DCU exclusively in theaters on July 11, 2025. You can watch all episodes of the original Smallville on Hulu. Stay tuned to Collider for future updates on the Smallville animated series.