The Big Picture
- Superman’s iconic
Smallville
days are making a return with an animated sequel, as confirmed by Michael Rosenbaum himself. - Rosenbaum and Tom Welling are actively working on the
Smallville
animated series, with loose animations already in progress. - Rosenbaum admitted he wanted to appear in James Gunn’s
Superman
.
Over the course of nearly nine decades, Superman has been subject to various adaptations across movies and television shows. Various projects have brought the story of the Man of Steel to life, but none is quite as beloved as Smallville. The television series ran for a decade, garnering tremendous levels of love and dedication among audiences as it focused on the early days of the Son of Krypton, Clark Kent. While Tom Welling starred as the adored Kryptonian, Smallville also brought to the fore, simultaneously, his best friend/future arch nemesis, Lex Luthor, played by Michael Rosenbaum. Given that the story of Superman continues to hold great appeal, an animated sequel series for Smallville is in the works, and Rosenbaum has an update on its progress.
Welling and Rosenbaum’s characters were friends before they became deadly enemies, and now these characters are coming together once more with an animated series in mind. Speaking during his Nashville Comic-Con 2024 panel, moderated by Comic Book, Rosenbaum offered a progress report. The actor revealed that a potential pitch is coming down the line, but timing is all important. He said:
“Tom and I are working on a
Smallville
animated series that we’re trying to get made. It’s gonna take time. But
the creators of
Smallville
are attached
, they want to be a part of it. And we, you know, when it’s the right time, we’ll pitch it. You know, we’re working on it and
we have some loose animation that we’ve worked [on]
with someone who was just awesome.
It looks great.
So if we can get that made, that’d be awesome.”
Airing from 2001 to 2011, Smallville was created by Alfred Gough and Miles Millar who offered a fresh take on Superman’s origin story as he grew into his role as the Man of Steel. Much of the series’ success laid the foundation for other superhero shows like Arrow and The Flash which came later. It was an iconic offering that lasted years, and matching it will be no small feat.
Rosenbaum Wanted a Lex Luthor Return
Looking ahead, the story of Superman is set to take on an entirely new face as filmmaker James Gunn, the co-head of DC Studios with producer Peter Safran, has set about producing a Superman movie to kick off the new DCU. The latest iteration of the character is already halfway through filming, and the Man of Steel is brought to life by David Corenswet with Nicholas Hoult taking on Rosenbaum’s role as Superman’s arch-nemesis Lex Luthor. Rosenbaum, who is friends with Gunn, has revealed that he questioned the filmmaker regarding why he didn’t have him on for the reboot.
“I asked him, ‘Why am I not in Superman? Why am I not in the movie somehow?'” Rosenbaum recalled with a smile, adding, “It was fine, though. I wish him all the happiness. He deserves all the success he has. He’s enormously talented. When it’s the right thing, he’ll ask me. Or he won’t. And that’s aside from friendship. When your friends go off and do big things, you say, ‘Hey, they know I’m here. They know my number.’ And you just hope for the best.”
Superman will headline the beginning of the DCU exclusively in theaters on July 11, 2025. Stay tuned to Collider for future updates on the Smallville animated series.
Superman (2025)
Follows the titular superhero as he reconciles his heritage with his human upbringing. He is the embodiment of truth, justice and the American way in a world that views kindness as old-fashioned.
- Release Date
- July 11, 2025
- Studio
- DC Studios
