Tom Welling, Michael Rosenbaum Developing a Smallville Animated Series

[superduperman]

It worries me they weren't more specific. I assume they've actually sat down with someone from WB to hash this out. Right now I give this a 50/50 chance of happening. But if a year from now they're still in "discussion" I'm dropping those odds precipitously. This is a 20 year old show that's been off the air for 10 years. The window to cash in on it is closing. And it's not without controversy (thank you Allison Mack) so it's already coming in as damaged goods. That having been said, Smallville has a very loyal fanbase (raises hand) and will be more than happy to support something like this. I don't see why it has to follow any sort of previous model. How many variations of there of the Donner version? Returns, COIE, Superman 78. All based around the Donner version and none really connected to each other. Even Superman 2 the directors cut.

[witchboy]

If an animated continuation fails, I'd think a nice consolation would be for Welling and Rosenbaum to play Superman and Lex in non-Smallville Superman animated movies.

[Vordan]

I wonder how much of season 11 they might draw from. I think at the panel Welling mentioned what it would be like to meet Batman.

While I would love to see that run get used as source material I expect they’d pretty much ignore it and do their own thing.

[superduperman]

Welling doesn't seem terribly excited about this, TBH. Rosenbaum seems to want to reprise the role of "best Lex" and I think they should find something for him down the line. But if this fails, I think they will probably just move on.

[witchboy]

Welling doesn't seem terribly excited about this, TBH. Rosenbaum seems to want to reprise the role of "best Lex" and I think they should find something for him down the line. But if this fails, I think they will probably just move on.

If the animated series falls through, I'd love to see Rosenbaum play Lex somewhere else. Maybe they could find room for him on a live action show? Somehow work him into an Arrowverse show? Either as an alternate Lex or a different character.
There was talk a couple of years ago for a Lex and Lois show set in Metropolis before Superman comes. I thought that sounded like it had a lot of potential. I'd support Rosenbaum starring in something like that.

[Vordan]

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv...um-1235031628/

Cool retrospect on the entire series here!

[RobinGA]

We should probably wait to see if this ever sees the light of day before worrying about
its structure.

I think there are plenty of good stories to tell. But they shouldn't go back to the first season.

[Vordan]

We should probably wait to see if this ever sees the light of day before worrying about
its structure.

I think there are plenty of good stories to tell. But they shouldn't go back to the first season.

Not sure what you mean? This would be set after the show. It would basically be S11 (or S12 if they keep the comic run). Which makes me think if it does happen they should call it Metropoljs

[JBatmanFan05]

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv...um-1235031628/

Cool retrospect on the entire series here!

Very cool. Crazy to think John Glover's Lionel Luthor almost wasn't a series regular as he was one of the top best essential scene-stealing characters on the show. Glover was the best superhero show actor in WB/CW TV history.

[Vordan]

Very cool. Crazy to think John Glover's Lionel Luthor almost wasn't a series regular as he was one of the top best essential scene-stealing characters on the show. Glover was the best superhero actor in WB/CW TV history.

He and Rosenbaum definitely brought out the best in each other

[Vordan]

Screen Rant: Something that I know many of us at Screen Rant always wonder about is the potential of the show coming back. I know you and Tom spoke a year or two ago about this, but you guys were developing a Smallville animated series with the cast and creators. I know last year the strikes probably forced it to get put on pause. But is there any update you can provide us with?

Michael Rosenbaum: All I could share is that it's a great idea. We have Al and Miles, the creators of Smallville backing us up. When it's the right time, we'd like to go and do this; pitch to Warner Bros. It has to be the right time, and right now is not the right time. We had the strike, we had a change of executives at DC — one being one of my best friends in the world, James Gunn. When the time's right, I think it's something that's a no brainer, unless they have other ideas. We'd like to do it — the whole cast would like to do it. They would voice their own character from the show, and we have a concept of what the show is.

https://screenrant.com/michael-rosen...series-update/

Well he hasn’t given up on it yet. Guess Gunn hasn’t outright said “no”. If they don’t renew MAWS, or have a DCU Superman cartoon in the works, I think doing this would be a good idea. The X-Men ‘92 revival seems to be a success, an animated Smallville show that finally shows Welling in the suit as Superman might be able to tap into the same kind of nostalgia/excitement. And they have great source material to adapt in Bryan Q. Miller’s S11 comic.

[Silvermoth]

I would watch this. Wonder how much of the original cast they can get back? Probably not Schneider lol

[superduperman]

https://screenrant.com/michael-rosen...series-update/

Well he hasn’t given up on it yet. Guess Gunn hasn’t outright said “no”. If they don’t renew MAWS, or have a DCU Superman cartoon in the works, I think doing this would be a good idea. The X-Men ‘92 revival seems to be a success, an animated Smallville show that finally shows Welling in the suit as Superman might be able to tap into the same kind of nostalgia/excitement. And they have great source material to adapt in Bryan Q. Miller’s S11 comic.

Not to be Debby Downer here but I don't think this will happen. For a number of reasons. Not the least which being that they are still trying to get their new movie universe off the ground. I don't think they want a bunch of other versions of Superman flying around (pun intended) muddying the waters. The Batman will obviously be grandfathered in because it was already established before Gunn took over. Ditto the Joker movies. MAWS seems to have also been in production before Gunn so it also gets a pass. But I don't see them letting a whole bunch of new versions outside his universe take attention away from what they are trying to do. My fear is that too much time has passed.

[Vordan]

Not to be Debby Downer here but I don't think this will happen. For a number of reasons. Not the least which being that they are still trying to get their new movie universe off the ground. I don't think they want a bunch of other versions of Superman flying around (pun intended) muddying the waters. The Batman will obviously be grandfathered in because it was already established before Gunn took over. Ditto the Joker movies. MAWS seems to have also been in production before Gunn so it also gets a pass. But I don't see them letting a whole bunch of new versions outside his universe take attention away from what they are trying to do. My fear is that too much time has passed.

This *is* a long shot (why do an animated Smallville sequel show instead of a new Superman cartoon?) but it being animated allows it a chance to exist. I do not see us getting more live action takes beyond what we’ve already gotten, but even Gunn supposedly has Elseworld animation projects in the works like Jurassic League. The MCU brought back the old X-Men cartoon despite Feige previously being anal about everything having to either be set in the MCU or synergizing with it. If Gunn doesn’t have any plans for DCU Superman in animation then there’s a chance he might greenlight some Elseworld Superman animated projects.

[Frontier]

I do wonder in light of X-Men '97 if WB would be interested in reviving something in animated form (I doubt we see anything DCAU related ever again without Kevin Conroy).