Smallville is arguably one of the most popular superhero series of all time. However, Tom Welling, who played Clark Kent throughout the show’s 10 season run, was hesitant to reprise the role in other DC Arrowverse properties.
Welling explained his aversion to Clark Kent cameos, before his 2019 Crisis on Infinite Earths appearance, at Fan Expo New Orleans 2025 (via Kelsey Krogman). “I got some calls but they weren’t [about] me acting on these shows,” the actor said. “It was me playing Clark on those shows, and I really felt protective of the fact that Clark wouldn’t exist on those shows.”
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Welling also talked about the moment he agreed to Crisis on Infinite Earths. “Finally, I got a [call] from someone connected to it who said, ‘Listen, please just read it. It’s one scene. Just please read it,’” the actor recalled. “And I read it and I was like, ‘This is good.’ It was just the one scene, and I was like, ‘Man, this is actually a good idea. This is the way to do it.’ And you know, Clark didn’t have his powers and one of my ways into that scene was, I wanted to play Clark as if he grew into Jonathan Kent.
“When I showed up they didn’t have gloves for Clark, and I was like, ‘Can we get some gloves.’ And I ended up borrowing some gloves from one of the grips. It’s just like weird things that get you attached to characters,” Welling added. “I tried to walk a little more like [actor] John Schneider in a way.” The actor also shared how he felt about sharing the screen with a different Lex Luthor. “I think one of the easiest lines I’ve ever said was when I looked at Jon Cryer and said you’re not Lex Luthor,” he said.
Welling Changed The Smallville Finale
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Welling previously revealed that the Smallville series finale included an entire sequence with Clark donning the iconic Superman suit. “[In] one of the final [scenes] Clark opens his shirt and finally leaps off the building. That was written [in] a completely different way,” he explained. “They had written where Clark sees the suit, then cut to him, pulling it on and putting the boots on.” After reading the script, the actor requested a change and the series creators were happy to oblige.
The actor went on to explain how 24 inspired his vision for the finale. “I remember the takeaway from that to me was here’s a guy who’s gonna go out there, is gonna fight the good fight. We can’t go with him, but it allows our imagination to believe he’s still out there,” Welling continued. “I took that and when we were trying to figure it out in the series, I referenced that the idea that this character is gonna go out there, he’s gonna be out there. We can’t go with. And that’s how that all came about.”
All 10 seasons of Smallville are available to stream on Hulu.
Source: Fan Expo New Orleans 2025 (via Kelsey Krogman)
Growing up in the small town of Smallville, Kansas, Clark Kent harbors a secret. Sent to Earth from the planet Krypton as a baby, he possesses superhuman abilities that he must keep hidden. Under the guidance of his adoptive parents, Jonathan and Martha Kent, Clark learns to control his powers and use them for good. As he navigates the challenges of high school, friendships, and first love, he also faces threats from meteor-infected individuals and otherworldly villains. Along the way, Clark encounters familiar characters from the Superman mythos, like Lex Luthor and Lana Lang, while grappling with his true identity and destiny to become the iconic superhero, Superman.
- Release Date
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October 16, 2001
- Seasons
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10
- Creator
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Alfred Gough, Miles Millar
- Main Characters
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Chloe Sullivan, Clark Kent / Superman, Martha Kent, Oliver Queen, Lionel Luthor, Lois Lane, Jonathan Kent, Lex Luthor, Lana Lang
- Number of Episodes
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217
