Summary
Smallvillestar Tom Welling reflects on hisDCappearance during the Arrowverse’s Crisis on Infinite Earths crossover event. One of the biggest surprises during the Arrowverse crossoverCrisis on Infinite Earthswas the revelation that Clark Kent from theSmallvilleuniverse had given up his powers in order to live a normal life with his wife, Lois Lane, and raise a family. This received a mixed reaction from long-time viewers ofall 10 seasons ofSmallville, who had followed Clark’s path to becoming the Man of Steel.
Welling recently appeared at Terrificon (viaFandom Spotlite), where he spoke about his career, includingSmallville,and reprising the role for the Crisis on Infinite Earths crossover. While discussing his Arrowverse appearance, Welling spoke about the reveal that Clark Kent didn’t have his powers anymore while dropping a hint of his own thoughts about what may have been going on with his cameo. He shared the following:
I don’t know if that’s actually the Clark from Smallville, because it’s a multiverse, so you never know. AndI don’t know how he lost his powers. No one ever told me.
Smallville: When Each Main Character Discovered Clark Was Superman
Here’s how every main character in Smallville discovered the truth about Clark Kent (Tom Welling) being an alien with super powers (in order).
What Tom Welling’s Arrowverse Comments Mean About His Crisis on Infinite Earths Smallville Cameo
There may be two scenarios going on with Welling’s comments about his return as Clark for the Crisis on Infinite Earths crossover. One possibility is that the Clark fans met from Earth-167 is a variant who is similar to theSmallvillecounterpart, where he had pretty much the same history, with the exception that he retired as Superman at some point in his life. That is a very traditional multiverse concept where alternative versions of a character usually have the same life but with various key differences.
Variants are different versions of a character who exist across the multiverse.
The other outcome is that Welling may have simply speculated, as it would be up to the creative team behind his Crisis on Infinite Earths cameo to declare which Clark this was supposed to be. Even earlier this year,Arrowverse creator Marc Guggenheimreflected in an interview how he had to clarify that theSmallvilleuniverse was revived after the multiverse was reconstructed by Oliver Queen. Since it is specifically referred to as theSmallvillecontinuity, that more or less confirms that Welling’s Clark in the Arrowverse event is the same character he played for a decade on his own show.
IfaSmallvillesequel TV showever moves forward, they could easily explore what Clark’s life looks like now after the events of Crisis on Infinite Earths. Or they could retcon the Crisis revelation, or simply explain that Clark has his powers back and is operating once more as Superman while still being a father to his daughters. For now, though, the world can relive Welling’s entire run as the beloved hero onSmallvilleand in his appearance on Crisis on Infinite Earths through Blu-ray/DVD or streaming.
Smallville
Cast
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.
