What’s the status of the Smallville animated sequel? Unfortunately, the project is simply floating in the air, like Superman scanning the entire planet from space. According to the original show’s co-creator, Alfred Gough, the show is “off the table for a bit.” Speaking on Tom Welling and Michael Rosenbaum‘s Talk Ville podcast, he revealed that regime change was the major issue. Previous Warner Bros. bosses were on board with the idea, but James Gunn isn’t prioritizing it because he intends to construct a solid world around David Corenswet’s Superman first.
News about the revival first emerged in 2021, with Welling and Rosenbaum (who played Clark Kent and Lex Luthor respectively) revealing that the idea had been with them for a while and that they were preparing a pitch for Warner Bros. Erica Durance, John Glover, Kristin Kreuk, Sam Jones III and several other cast members were all set to return, with original series showrunners, Gough and Millar, taking the wheels once again. Only Allison Mack looked likely to miss out, due to sex trafficking charges made against her, for which she was found guilty and imprisoned.
After all the enthusiasm, the future remains uncertain. However, putting a pause in the sequel’s development isn’t logical, considering that James Gunn had previously spoken about the importance of “Elseworlds” projects in the new DCU. Why not proceed with it?
What Happened at the End of ‘Smallville’?
Watching Smallville always felt like spending a day with a group of teenagers. Just about every character on the show was undergoing some sort of unsolvable identity crisis, yet rather than making the show dark and dull, these numerous head-cases bounced off each other like multicolored shuttlecocks. Heroes and antagonists… it didn’t matter. They all belonged to the same clan of fizzy, unhinged exhibitionists. This made us want to see more and more of them, even after 10 seasons, which is more than most shows ever get.
In the two-part finale of the live-action original CW series, news emerged that Planet Apokolips was moving towards Earth to destroy humanity. Only one person could solve the problem, and that was Clark Kent, the most likable of soul-torn weirdos — a glamourpuss who enjoyed saving everyone. Could he do it, considering that Oliver, under the possession of Darkseid, attempted to give Clark a gold kryptonite wedding ring to remove his powers permanently? Sure! Chloe discovered the treachery and prevented Clark from wearing the ring.
Later, Darkseid arrived and possessed Lionel Luthor before confronting Clark. Accessing his power of flight, the protagonist vanquished Darkseid from Lionel’s deceased body. Elsewhere, a newly revived Lex killed Tess Mercer, right after she used a neurotoxin to erase all the villain’s memories. Clark then went to the Fortress of Solitude and took the Superman suit Martha made for him before flying to stop Apokolips from hitting Earth. Events then jumped seven years forward to an era where Lex was now President-elect of the United States, Jimmy Olsen was working at the Daily Planet under Perry White, and Clark had fully accepted his destiny as Superman.
No plot details for the animated revival have been revealed, but the most sensible route would be to recreate the events of Smallville: Season 11. Split into 63 chapters, the sequel comic book series maintains the continuity of the original show and details Clark Kent’s superhero adventures as the costumed hero Superman after the events of Season 10.
Why a ‘Smallville’ Revival Isn’t Bad For the DCU
James Gunn’s refusal to allow two Supermen to exist at the same time feels selective and unfair. After all, Robert Pattinson’s Batman is meant to return soon, yet Gunn also plans to introduce his own version of the Caped Crusader. Such is the magic of Elseworlds stories. Several different narratives featuring the same character can always be told at the same time.
Second, DC tends to make multiple animated projects every year, so there should be no harm in continuing the Smallville tale away from live-action. The current imbalance needs to be addressed, as fans are being treated to a plethora of Batman content and so little Superman. Aztec Batman and Batman Ninja vs Yakuza League premiered in 2025 (both Elseworlds stories). Batman: Knightfall Part 1 is also slated for release in 2026.
Beyond that, Gunn’s comments on the Happy Sad Confused podcast late in 2024 make the dilly-dallying even more alarming. The DC Studios co-chair specifically mentioned Superman as one of the characters he’d like to see explored in different forms.
“I want the freedom to tell Elseworlds stories. We want to be able to tell a story in which Superman is very different, We want to play with these characters in different ways. One of the things I love about DC over Marvel comic books is that those things are much more plentiful — there’s many more Elseworlds stories.”
Why then is Gunn being protective of Superman? It appears the filmmaker is afraid of a scenario where David Corenswet’s Man of Steel gets overshadowed by any other version of the character. This is a part of the reasons why Superman & Lois ended after only four seasons despite being one of the most critically acclaimed DC shows of all time. Gunn wants all eyes to be on the new guy, especially because he is personally in charge of that particular new guy. Any failure leads directly to him.
However, there is no reason to be afraid. Take a look at the Marvel landscape where the Miles Morales-centered Spider-Verse and Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man have emerged as stronger Spidey tales, yet fans haven’t lost interest in Tom Holland’s Spider-Man. On top of that, a Spider-Noir show is on the way. DC fans have a lot of love to share, too, hence why they shouldn’t be forced to support one Superman at a time.
James Gunn Will Struggle to Shake Off the Snyderverse Chaos if He Sticks to One Superman
Zack Snyder might have left DC years ago, but a large section of fans has refused to let him go. These fans have also held on to Henry Cavill’s Superman. As soon as Gunn’s Superman hit the theaters, the community was back, claiming how the new Man of Steel looked weak and couldn’t hold a candle to Mr. CGI Mustache.
That’s not necessarily true, but we gotta admit that Cavill was a cool Superman. He never got to demonstrate a lot of personality — it always felt like he was speaking in comic-strip balloons — but he was confident and ripped enough to make you believe in Superman as a stoic, unbeatable force. Someone needs to direct floodlights onto the man’s shadow and erase it… or else the “Snyder Bro” problem will continue to haunt Gunn throughout his DC Studios tenure.
Some fans will simply never accept Corenswet’s Superman, no matter how good he gets. Some will never be receptive to anything Gunn does, either, dismissing him as a director who leans too much into camp villainy and a bats-in-the-belfry approach. These fans are likely to cool down (maybe even freeze) if they are given alternatives. Don’t just bring back Tom Welling’s Superman… create two or three more Clarks from different universes. It doesn’t matter whether it’s movies or TV shows. What matters is a large enough menu for everyone to pick what suits them best, not a table d’hote.
A shift towards variety also gives Gunn and his DC Studios room to breathe and create. The MCU’s recent failings have proven that fans no longer crave large superhero franchises that have too many moving parts. It’s hard to keep up with and even harder for new fans to get into.
The DCU is meant to cover a lot of territory; it will be long, but it should be light too, and evidently lithe, cruising with a narrative confidence that matches Gunn’s own advanced creativity. Gastronomes agree that the best way to prevent someone from feeling overfed is by offering them different tiny servings. So, a Smallville revival should happen, and so should The Batman 2, 3, 4, and 5, as well as everything else that can fit into the Elseworlds banner. We’re ready for it.
- Release Date
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2001 – 2011
- Network
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The WB, The CW
- Directors
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Mike Rohl, Jeannot Szwarc, Glen Winter, Terrence O’Hara, Whitney Ransick, Mairzee Almas, Paul Shapiro, Rick Rosenthal, David Carson, James L. Conway, Chris Long, Michael Katleman, Morgan Beggs, Allison Mack, David Barrett, Marita Grabiak, Michael W. Watkins, Philip Sgriccia, Rick Wallace, Thomas J. Wright, Todd Slavkin, Brad Turner, Charles Beeson, Craig Zisk
- Writers
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Steven S. DeKnight, Holly Henderson, Don Whitehead, Caroline Dries, Mark Verheiden, Alfred Gough, Miles Millar, Philip Levens, Jordan Hawley, Kenneth Biller, Michael Green, Drew Z. Greenberg, Geoff Johns, John Chisholm, Drew Landis, Julia Swift, Doris Egan, Tracy Bellomo, Garrett Lerner, Greg Walker, Russel Friend, Shintaro Shimosawa, Tim Schlattmann, todd helbing