The Smallville animated series from Tom Welling and Michael Rosenbaum hasn’t been officially greenlit yet, but the project is still very much alive.
In fact, in a Smallville panel at Fan Expo Vancouver 2022 earlier this month, Welling shared an update on the project, suggesting that the animation style of the series is already starting to take shape, and the only thing holding up scripts is the availability of Smallville creators Alfred Gough and Miles Millar, who appear to be still working on Monster High: The Movie.
“We’ve already gotten animation, we just don’t have the stories yet because Al and Miles are busy doing Tim Burton-like movies,” Welling said during the panel. “As soon as they are done with that, we’re going to do this.”
What will the Smallville animated series be about?
First revealed by Welling on Cameo in June 2021, the Smallville animated series is not an animated adaptation of the live-action The WB/The CW series Smallville, but a sequel to it.
“We’re working on [an] animated series that picks up right after our Smallville [finale] and … telling our own story,” Welling said during the panel. “I think there’s a story that Al and Miles are going to tell that’s individual and new and call it a multiverse thing. But let’s see where it goes, and it’ll be fun.”
In December 2021, it was revealed that Welling and Rosenbaum would be pitching the series to Warner Bros. Television the following month. But it’s unclear what exactly happened after that or if it actually pushed through.
Who will be part of the voice cast of the Smallville animated series?
When Welling announced the project on Cameo last June, the actor mentioned that the plan is to bring back as many of the original Smallville cast members as possible for the animated series – something that he reiterated during last week’s panel.
“I want to be Clark’s voice. I want Erica [Durance] to be Lois’ [Lane] voice. That’s going to be the fun of it,” said Welling, before adding that Sam Jones III (Pete Jones) and John Glover (Lionel Luthor) also want to be part of the sequel.
“It might be tough to get Allison [Mack]. But even Sam Jones III and Lionel Luthor is going to be a big part of that,” Welling said. “John Glover wants to do it; we’ve already been into this.”
Where will the Smallville animated series air?
Since the Smallville animated series hasn’t been officially greenlit yet, it’s not clear where it will be available to watch. While it can end up airing on the CW – Smallville’s original network, ComicBook.com reported that it will most likely stream on HBO Max, where a number of adult-oriented animation projects are in the works, including a Batman cartoon from The Batman filmmaker Matt Reeves.
When will the Smallville animated series air?
The Smallville animated series is still in the development phase, so it doesn’t have a release date yet. But if you’re missing Welling’s Superman, you can rewatch all 10 seasons of Smallville on Hulu.