After appearing in the Arrowverse as Clark Kent fromSmallville, Tom Welling addresses what prevented him from showing up on the otherDCTV shows before his actual appearance. While most fans thought they had seen the last of Welling as the Man of Steel aftertheSmallvilleendingin 2011, the Arrowverse gave the world a treat when he and Erica Durance reprised their roles forCrisis on Infinite Earths. However, that wasn’t the first time the Arrowverse producers had tried to get Welling back as hisSmallvillecharacter.
At this year’sFan Expo New Orleans (via Kelsey Krogman,)theSmallvillecast was present, including Welling, where he brought up his visit to the Arrowverse. However,theSmallvillelead also explained why he didn’t do any guest spots as his character in the Arrowverse before 2019, as he gave the following response:
I [had] gotten some calls but they weren’t [about] me acting on these shows, it was me playing Clark on those shows, andI really felt protective of the fact that Clark wouldn’t exist on those shows.
What Tom Welling’s Smallville Comments Meant For The Arrowverse
Even thoughSmallville’ssuccess is a major reason why the Arrowverse even became a possibility on The CW,it makes sense for a number of reasons why Welling would pass on appearances prior toCrisis on Infinite Earths.Smallvillehad already established a universe where many of the Justice League characters existed, and many of them would go on to get re-imagined in the Arrowverse, with other actors playing them. While retroactively fittingSmallvilleintothe Arrowverse timelinewould, in theory, have been possible, it would have led to many creative complications.
Had Welling been used as Superman for the Arrowverse when Clark was introduced inSupergirlseason 2,it would have likely meant a limited run with his version of the DC icon. Not only would it have prevented Tyler Hoechlin’s Arrowverse casting, butSuperman & Loiswould have likely never happened in the first place. It is also clear that Welling was very observant of how bringing his Superman into the Arrowverse would take away so much of whatSmallvilleaccomplished, which is why theCrisis on Infinite Earthscameo was a far better decision for him as an actor.
Our Take On Tom Welling’s Smallville Arrowverse Comments
Welling being protective of hisSmallvillecharacter arguably benefited his version of Clark in the long run, especially as it avoided a big headache for the Arrowverse in terms of revising the franchise. It’s also worth taking into account that by declining appearances on the other Arrowverse shows, there is more creative freedom left for Welling’s Superman to be used in the future, especially iftheSmallvilleanimated sequel TV showgoes forward. WhileSmallvilleand the Arrowverse may be over, fans can always relive all of the shows through streaming and home media releases.
Smallville
Cast
Smallville chronicles the journey of Clark Kent, portraying his origins from Krypton to his teenage years on Earth. The series explores his challenges and development leading towards his destiny as the iconic hero, Superman, set against the backdrop of Smallville, Kansas.
