Before the Arrowverse existed, fans had a Superman show without Superman called Smallville, and that series defined my childhood. Now, it’s celebrating it’s 25th anniversary (and making me feel old). The series focuses squarely on Clark Kent, and it makes some interesting choices regarding the DC mythos. Interestingly, the show never saw Tom Welling's Clark fully suited up as the Man of Steel, and the actor himself shared some BTS details about why that was the case.
Just to refresh fans' memories, Clark never wore the classic red-and-blue suit, and barely hit the skies. However, the final moment gave a little wink at who this fan-favorite Clark Kent had become by showing him running across the rooftop of the Daily Planet and ripping open his shirt to reveal the classic S on the chest. This was the closest fans came to seeing the actor in the hero tights.
When Welling and his co-star, Michael Rosenbaum, (who played Lex Luther) spoke with Variety, he revealed the reason behind the lack of a super suit:
We got to set that day, and they had given me just a T-shirt with no sleeves to wear underneath the shirt. Because they didn’t have the money to put the suit on, and they weren’t going to see it anyway.
The absence of a full suit wasn’t a major surprise, given creators Alfred Gough and Miles Millar initiated a “no flights, no tights” rule when they started the show. Only one of those was ever broken. While Welling admits that they “toed the line a few times” when it came to the suit, they never did get the actor in a pair of tights. The reason for that was pretty simple. They weren’t able to do so unless Welling gave the “all right,” and to this day, this iteration of Clark has not suited up.
Funny enough, the closest we came to seeing Clark in a hero costume was when he wore the Green Arrow suit for an episode. Years later, along with Erica Durance (who played Lois Lane), Welling did reprise his role as Clark for a scene in the Arrowverse's "Crisis on Infinite Earths” crossover event, though even by that point, the character had given up his powers and retired as a hero. Despite Kent not taking to the skies in the final shot, Welling enjoyed the series, and he had this to say about his character's status:
We can’t go with him. But he’s out there.
This is technically true, and there have also been plenty of Supermen before and after Smallville. Yet fans have remained dedicated to the series. That's partially thanks to Welling, Rosenbaum, and several cast members reuniting conventions around the country. Plus, Rosenbaum and Welling host the re-watch podcast “Talkville,” which is currently recapping Season 9. With that, fans continue to hear BTS stories and re-live their favorite moments.
While there have been other Supes shows, the former WB/CW series still stands as the only series to solely focus on Clark and not his alter ego. But this could change if Welling and Rosenbaum succeed in reviving the series. The duo have been reportedly attempting to bring back Smallville via an animated sequel, and this could potentially mean (finally) seeing Clark in the suit.
I'd still actually like to see Tom Welling don the costume in a live-action production, though, even if the chances of that happening seem slim to none. At the very least, fans can enjoy Clark's entire journey by streaming all 10 seasons of Smallville with a Hulu subscription.
