Smallville Season 11 - Will It Ever Happen?
Before the domination of the Arrowverse and the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), "Smallville" reigned supreme as the pinnacle of superhero television from 2001 to 2011. The young Man of Steel made his last flight in the blockbuster series finale titled — well — "Finale," leaving no indication that "Smallville" Season 11 had any chance of soaring onto the small screen. Yet, a network saying, "This is the end, my friend," has never deterred fans from campaigning for a continuation of their favorite show. As a testament to its longevity and overall influence in pop culture, "Smallville" continues to be talked about and revered over a decade after it wrapped. Not many shows receive this sort of affection and adulation, proving this coming-of-age story of Clark Kent's evolution from a loveable farm boy to the world's greatest superhero is something special that won't be forgotten to the sands of time.
As the wheels of the new DC Universe (DCU) — led by DC Studios co-CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran — start to spin, many fans wonder if "Smallville" could become part of the new regime's plans at some point. Especially since there appears to be a drive to provide more fan service than division in the future, and "Smallville" hits all the right spots in fandom (for the most part, since detractors will always exist). In entertainment, never say never when there's money lying on the table, so let's take a look at the chances of "Smallville" Season 11 taking flight.
Why isn't Smallville Season 11 happening yet?
When creating "Smallville," Alfred Gough and Miles Millar focused the show on a young Clark Kent (Tom Welling) learning how to navigate his superpowers and daily teen drama rather than suiting up as Superman. Famously, they instilled a "no flights, no tights" policy, even if the show did eventually break its own rule on several occasions. That doesn't take away from the intention, though. "Smallville" works as the early chapters of Clark Kent's life before he ascends to become Earth's protector.
While "Smallville" deviates from canonical events to tell the story it wants, it becomes difficult to ignore the fact that a new chapter is upon us in Season 10. For all intents and purposes, the show fulfilled its initial objective and ran out of road ahead. Sure, it could trot along and embrace Clark becoming Superman, but Warner Bros. held plans for its own cinematic universe in 2011, which would kick off with Zack Snyder's "Man of Steel" two years later. As a result, all the people involved likely decided it was a good time to pull the plug on "Smallville."
At the same time, no one could argue the show's declining ratings. A long-running series drops in viewership every season — since that's the nature of television — however, "Smallville" went from 8.35 million viewers for its Season 1 premiere to 3.02 million viewers in its series finale. While the numbers were never outright terrible, it's likely the network was well aware that the show was running out of steam.
What Alfred Gough and Miles Millar have said about Smallville Season 11
As the architects of "Smallville," Alfred Gough and Miles Millar understood the story they wanted to tell, so much so that they left as showrunners after seven seasons. They believed they had said everything they needed to say, and it was time to move on from the series. Considering the show carried on for another three seasons without them, it should come as no surprise to learn their sentiments about the possibility of "Smallville" Season 11.
Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, Millar revealed how they had only planned for five seasons but the show was stretched to get more out of it. An example Gough raised was how the romance between Clark Kent and Lana Lang (Kristin Kreuk) ran for too long. When asked if they would welcome the opportunity to revisit "Smallville," Gough replied: "To be honest, no. I think we told that story, and they're always refreshing Superman."
He added how grateful they were to have received the chance to tell a story independently and without the sort of corporate interference that's prevalent in comic book media today. As Gough explained, there were always rules about the characters they could use and whatnot, but they were allowed to create the show they wanted to without too many internal challenges.
What Al Septien and Turi Meyer have said about a new season
Writers Al Septien and Turi Meyer penned many fan-favorite "Smallville" episodes, and the duo also had the chance to write the first half of the two-part series finale. Expectedly, Septien and Meyer understand this version of the Man of Steel better than most.
Speaking to The Gorgeous Geeks, Septien and Meyer explained how difficult "Smallville" Season 11 would have been to write since they viewed the finale as the big moment when Clark Kent finally becomes Superman. Meyer said they had the chance to tell the majority of the stories they wanted in the lead-up to the finale, while he also saw the ending as the right way to conclude the show instead of letting it drag on for the sake of it.
Septien agreed with his co-writer's statements, though he added there could have been wriggle room to explore another stumbling block in Clark's development if needed. "I think if we had gone to a Season 11, I'm just kind of afraid, like Turi was saying, it would have been ... We couldn't make Clark Superman — that was the thing," Septien said. "The series finishes with Clark becoming Superman. So what we would have to do is kind of tread water, waiting, figuring out what else interrupted his growth." That said, Septien also recognized how that could have become frustrating to the viewers.
The network wanted the show to continue indefinitely
For much of the 2000s, "Smallville" proved to be a staple of the television schedule, as viewers got used to seeing the adventures of Clark Kent and his friends (and foes) season after season. For the creators Alfred Gough and Miles Millar, the seven-year-itch kicked in and they departed the series, believing they had done all they wanted to and would rather hand over the reins to others.
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Gough discussed the network's plan for the show, stating: "They wanted to keep going sort of indefinitely. We knew it was going to go further than Season 8. We had told the stories that we wanted to tell. The show would keep going."
Of course, "Smallville" didn't continue indefinitely, as it ended three seasons after Gough and Millar's departure. However, the question still remains: If the creators and core cast had stayed together for the full 10 seasons, would it have ended there and then or continued a little while longer?
What could be explored in a new season?
Unless "Smallville" Season 11 continues as an animated show, too many years have passed to pick up events immediately after the series finale in 2011. The most obvious answer would be to set the show in modern times or to take inspiration from Clark Kent and Lois Lane's cameo in the Arrowverse's "Crisis on Infinite Earths" crossover. In this timeline, Clark and Lois are happily married and have daughters together. However, it's revealed Clark gave up his powers at some point to focus on being a family man. Tom Welling himself said he isn't sure what Clark did to give up his powers, but this could be the perfect jumping-on point for the premise of "Smallville" Season 11.
Considering how the show focuses on Clark before he becomes Superman, any further seasons could look at the man after he gives up the famous red cape. There's a special symmetry to this approach that would provide the ideal bookend to his story. This version of Clark has never been about him becoming Superman, but always about the man he is and how he navigates his life. So, if "Smallville" Season 11 wants to stay true to the "no flights, no tights" approach, it could do so by exploring this already established narrative beat set up in "Crisis on Infinite Earths."
Who would star in Smallville Season 11?
Much like any other television show, the "Smallville" cast evolved from the first episode to the last. Series regulars Kristin Kreuk and Michael Rosenbaum stepped away in the latter seasons — something that most fans felt hurt the show — while other characters drifted in and out depending on storyline purposes. In order for "Smallville" Season 11 to be a success, however, it needs to feature the core cast that made the show a success to begin with. This means the return of Tom Welling's Clark Kent, Erica Durance's Lois Lane, Rosenbaum's Lex Luthor, and Kreuk's Lana Lang. These actors are the heart and soul of "Smallville" and have a specific chemistry that cannot be replicated, and any continuation would feel less important without all of them.
One actor unlikely to return, though, is Allison Mack, who plays Chloe Sullivan on the show. In 2021, Mack was sentenced to three years in prison for her role in the highly publicized NXIVM cult scandal, however, she was released in 2023. It's unlikely any "Smallville" revival will want to risk negative headlines or bad press by including her in the series.
Tom Welling wanted to see Batman appear in Smallville
"Smallville" never shied away from showing other major characters from the DC Universe in its episodes. Arthur Curry (Alan Ritchson), Oliver Queen (Justin Hartley), Bart Allen (Kyle Gallner), and Victor Stone (Lee Thompson Young) form the show's version of the Justice League alongside Clark Kent, while the likes of Kara Zor-El (Laura Vandervoort) and Zatanna Zatara (Serinda Swan) also feature throughout the seasons. One character that never appears, though, is the Caped Crusader himself: Batman.
The reason for his absence is simple: "Smallville" didn't have permission to use him. In an interview with TVLine, Tom Welling chatted about how the modern multiverse concept allows for series to showcase characters and ideas they couldn't in the past. "I don't know if I would've done anything different, other than I wish I would've pushed for Bruce Wayne to somehow cross through Smallville," he said. "Like, I really wish Clark could've gone into Lex's mansion, in his office, and Lex is like, 'Clark, how'd you get in? This is my friend, Bruce Wayne...' Just something quick."
Undoubtedly, if "Smallville" Season 11 happened, the restrictions of the past wouldn't be as stringent now. Considering how connected all comic book shows and movies are nowadays, it would be expected that Bruce Wayne, or his alter ego Batman, feature in some manner. They would just need to decide which version that would be.
Smallville Season 11 actually happened as a comic book series
Since "Smallville" is based on a comic book character, it's no surprise that the show continued as a comic book series afterward. Released in 2012, "Smallville: Season 11" picks up events six months after the Season 10 finale. Unlike the show, the comic drops the teen melodrama in favor of becoming a straight-up superhero story as Clark Kent is now officially Superman and learning how to handle this new part of his life. Lex Luthor features as he tries to figure out more about his past after his memory loss, while Lois Lane continues her rise as a celebrated journalist at the Daily Planet. At the same time, heroes like Batman, Nightwing, Green Lantern, and Wonder Woman are also introduced into "Smallville" continuity, as new threats emerge on the horizon.
Initially, the comic book was released digitally before being collected in print. The series features the talents of creators such as Bryan Q. Miller, Pere Pérez, and Jorge Jiménez, and has become a prized part of the canon among super-fans of the show.
Tom Welling and Michael Rosenbaum planned an animated continuation
Years after "Smallville" ended, co-stars Tom Welling and Michael Rosenbaum remain closer than ever. Rosenbaum revealed that they even formed a better friendship after the show wrapped, with the pair even starting their own retrospective podcast titled "Talk Ville," where they revisit and discuss "Smallville" episodes. Then, in 2021, news dropped that the two were actively working on "Smallville: The Animated Series."
In February 2022, Welling appeared at Fan Expo Vancouver 2022 and revealed further details about the status of the animated show. He explained how it is set to pick up after the events of Season 10 and bring back familiar characters such as John Glover's Lionel Luthor and Sam Jones III's Pete Ross. "We've already gotten animation," Welling said. "We just don't have the stories yet because Al [Gough] and Miles [Millar] are busy making Tim Burton movies. As soon as they are done with that, we're going to do this. I want to be Clark's voice. I want Erica to be Lois' voice. That's going to be the fun of it."
Welling joked about how difficult it might be to do a live-action version due to their advancing years, but he believes the animated show is the right vehicle to continue the story, calling Gough and Millar's story "a multiverse thing." Keep in mind that Welling's comments were made before the announcement of DC's shake-up in October 2022, with many planned projects being canceled since then.
James Gunn told Michael Rosenbaum he's the best Lex Luthor
James Gunn and Michael Rosenbaum are no strangers to each other. Rosenbaum appears as Charlie Braun in Gunn's web series "PG Porn" and plays Martinex T'Naga in "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2" and "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3." After being announced as the new co-CEO of DC Studios, Gunn stopped by Rosenbaum's podcast "Inside of You with Michael Rosenbaum" where the two discussed a variety of topics, including Gunn's "Superman: Legacy."
Chatting about the film, Rosenbaum prodded Gunn for more info on how Lex Luthor will be portrayed in the movie if he is included at all. Out of the blue, Gunn said to Rosenbaum: "You are the best Lex. Let's admit it. We know you're the best Lex." Rosenbaum told Gunn to stop kidding, but the filmmaker repeated his statement again, adding that Rosenbaum wouldn't be the right choice for Lex in "Superman: Legacy."
While Gunn's comments don't say anything about "Smallville" Season 11 or the show itself, they demonstrate how highly he regards Rosenbaum's portrayal of the character. The filmmaker has also shown a propensity for working with the same actors in his career, so there could be a chance for Rosenbaum to appear in the DCU in some capacity. Maybe a multiversal film could introduce his version of Lex, or he may even be cast as Lionel Luthor in the future.
Smallville Season 11 might be impossible now
As long as the Arrowverse existed, the possibility of a "Smallville" revival remained alive. After all, both Tom Welling's Clark Kent and Erica Durance's Lois Lane returned for a brief cameo in the "Crisis on Infinite Earths" crossover. The Arrowverse, though, looks set to be catapulted into the Phantom Zone as the rise of the DCU focuses on new projects and a singular vision.
DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn criticized the previous regimes and their lack of strategy for creating unification for the DC franchise, believing having a bit of this and some of that didn't help anyone in the long run. At the same time, Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav stated there won't be multiple versions of characters in this new shared universe. With Gunn confirmed to be working on "Superman: Legacy," which will see David Corenswet portray the Man of Steel in a reboot film, it's unlikely other Clarks will be running around in the DCU.
As a result, this puts the status of "Smallville" Season 11 in jeopardy and further out of reach than ever before. While the show remains popular among the fandom, its inclusion in the DCU could create narrative loopholes and unnecessary complexity that the powers-that-be want to avoid moving forward. That said, all the mergers and musical executive chairs at the studio could change plans again. Time will tell if fans have seen "Smallville" for the last time.