Smallville remains one of the most beloved comic book TV shows ever made, and for many DC fans, Tom Welling is their Man of Steel and Michael Rosenbaum remains the best live-action Lex Luthor.
The series had a lengthy run, kicking off in 2001 before wrapping up in 2011 following a memorable 10 seasons (which somehow didn't see Clark Kent take flight and suit up until the final episode). Still, many viewers were left eager for more and eventually got a comic book sequel detailing the hero's early adventures as Superman.
Welling and Rosenbaum have spent years teasing plans for an animated revival, though we've heard a few times that it's looking increasingly unlikely now that DC Studios has its own slate of DC films and TV shows on the way.
Rosenbaum has been a driving force behind the project, but admitted in an interview with ScreenRant that he and DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn still haven't discussed telling another Smallville story.
"I haven't really had the conversation, but Al [Gough] and Miles [Millar] wrote something for me that is spectacular, and when it's the right time, it's the right time," he said. "Right now - I won't say anything, but - I feel like James and that world, they have all their ideas of what they're doing, and I'm not sure Smallville is part of that equation."
"I'm not sure that while doing and creating this new world of Superman and Supergirl and all these things, they want to complicate things. Maybe in their minds, if we do something Smallville, now you're conflicting with the new thing and the past. I'm not sure."
"It's just one of those things where, when it's the right time, I'll definitely pitch it," Rosenbaum added. "Tom's there with me; the whole cast wants to do it. Al and Miles want to do it, so I just feel like when the time's right - it could be five years from now - it will happen. I think it's just such a solid idea, and there's such a built-in audience, and I've got these great drawings and illustrations of what it would look like."
It's a nice idea, but one that does rather feel like wishful thinking at this stage. While Smallville is currently celebrating its 25th anniversary, as the years go by, the demand for more is surely going to decrease.
In a separate conversation with the site, Welling also chimed in, admitting that it was "an uphill battle before the whole merger thing," before adding, "The idea would be that it would be animated, but all the original cast members would voice their characters, and every cast member we've talked to has been like, 'That would be awesome. Let's do it.'"
Noting that they have "early renderings from an artist" and a poster, the actor reiterated that it's down to Warner Bros. to give them the green light.
"We're still fighting. Yeah, we're optimistic about it," Welling shared. "In my mind, it would pick up relatively quickly after Smallville ended, and we would do our own spin on what happens after that. That's my idea. Whether that's [still] the case, I don't know."
My Adventures with Superman has been well-received, so there may well be room for another animated series that connects to a show which may or may not still do some pretty solid streaming numbers on HBO Max. We'll have to wait and see.
Check out our 2024 interview with Welling in the player below.