According to live-action Superman TV shows and movies over the decades, Smallville still holds the record of being the longest-running one, with Welling having played the heroic icon longer than any other actor in live-action. During Welling's era, multiple Superman actors came on Smallville as part of the show's legacy casting, including Reeve in the earlier seasons.

Welling recently appeared at Steel City Con 2024 (via Welling Durance Fans) with his fellow Smallville co-star Erica Durance, who played Lois Lane, as they looked back on the beloved DC TV drama. While talking about working with Reeve during his guest spots on the show, Welling revealed a sweet story about how the former Man of Steel wanted the Smallville star to be Superman on the big screen for Superman Returns, sharing the following:

He [Christopher Reeve] said, 'I'm really happy they chose you to be the next Superman,' and I said, 'Well, they didn't...' because Brandon Routh was doing the movies and he goes, 'Well, they should have!' and I always that feeling really good.

Why Tom Welling Dodged A Bullet Missing Superman Returns

While it would have been a major deal to see Welling headline Superman Returns, him missing out on the film gig arguably worked out for the best. In the long run, Superman Returns could have potentially hurt Welling's career, as the 2006 installment didn't perform well at the box office and also struggled with its critical reception. That is why Warner Bros. ended up rebooting the Superman film franchise with 2013's Man of Steel, seeing the need for a fresh start.

It's also crucial to that if Welling had starred in Superman Returns, that would have likely meant the end of Smallville, as there potentially wouldn't have been a reason for Warner Bros. to have Welling star in both Smallville as well as a hypothetical Superman movie franchise, had Superman Returns been successful. Seeing Welling's Superman in Smallville grow into the DC legend for a decade was far more worth it than a two-hour film, including the fact that The CW drama paved the way for the Arrowverse and other comic book TV shows.

The bigger question that remains about Smallville these days is whether or not the popular DC TV show may ever come back. With Welling and his co-star Michael Rosenbaum, who played Lex Luthor, developing a Smallville animated sequel show, time will tell if the world will get to revisit these characters sooner rather than later. But until that happens, Smallville is available through Blu-ray/DVD and streaming for any new or old fan to catch.

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    Smallville
    TV-PG
    Drama
    Adventure
    Science Fiction
    Action
    8/10
    183
    8.9/10
    Release Date
    2001 - 2011
    Network
    The CW
    Directors
    Mike Rohl, Jeannot Szwarc, Glen Winter, Terrence O'Hara, Whitney Ransick, Mairzee Almas, Paul Shapiro, Rick Rosenthal, David Carson, James L. Conway, Chris Long, Michael Katleman, Morgan Beggs, Allison Mack, David Barrett, Marita Grabiak, Michael W. Watkins, Philip Sgriccia, Rick Wallace, Thomas J. Wright, Todd Slavkin, Brad Turner, Charles Beeson, Craig Zisk

    Cast

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    WHERE TO WATCH

    Streaming
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    Smallville chronicles the journey of Clark Kent, portraying his origins from Krypton to his teenage years on Earth. The series explores his challenges and development leading towards his destiny as the iconic hero, Superman, set against the backdrop of Smallville, Kansas.

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    Superman Returns
    PG-13
    Superhero
    Action
    Adventure
    Sci-Fi
    6/10
    18
    7.6/10
    Release Date
    June 28, 2006
    Runtime
    2h 34m
    Director
    Bryn Singer

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    Bryan Singer's Superman Returns follows the events surrounding the hero's return to Earth after a five-year absence. When Superman (Brandon Routh) arrives back on Earth, he discovers that Lex Luthor (Kevin Spacey) has developed a plan to use kryptonite crystals to establish a new landmass that he intends to sell off to the highest bidder. With Lois Lane (Kate Bosworth) now married with a child, Superman must come to with everything he left behind in order to stop Luthor's villainous scheme.

DC Movie Releases

Source: Steel City Con 2024 (via Welling Durance Fans)/YouTube