- Primary Subject: Smallville Animated Revival Series
- Key Update: Tom Welling confirmed the original cast and creators are ready for the animated revival, but it remains ungreenlit while waiting for official Warner Bros. IP approval.
- Status: Confirmed
- Last Verified: October 19, 2026
- Quick Answer: The Smallville animated revival is still in active pitch development, but Warner Bros. has not officially greenlit the project or granted rights to use the IP.
Tom Welling has addressed the highly anticipated Smallville revival, which would reunite the original cast as they reprise their roles by voicing their characters in an animated series.
Alongside co-star Michael Rosenbaum, Welling is developing the project with original show creators Alfred Gough and Miles Millar.
As the DC Universe continues to expand, could Welling become part of the franchise, and what’s the status of the Smallville revival?
Will There Be a Smallville Revival?
Tom Welling announced his plans for a Smallville revival through a fan-greeting video in 2021. The announcement quickly spread across social media, generating significant buzz among fans.
Since then, Welling and Michael Rosenbaum, who played young Lex Luthor in the classic TV series, have been actively developing the project, although nothing has been confirmed yet.
With Warner Bros. and Paramount moving forward with the Skydance merger, however, will the project still move ahead?
“It was an uphill battle before the whole merger thing, and I don't pretend to understand any of that. But I think this is a labor of love for the fans,” Welling told ScreenRant.
The 49-year-old actor also proudly shared that every cast member they had approached was excited about the revival and that development was still ongoing. However, its future ultimately depends on Warner Bros.
“We have some early renderings from an artist, we have a poster for it already, that, obviously, we can't share, but the actual answer is Warner Bros. has to give us the green light,” Welling continued. “They have to let us use their IP, and that just hasn't happened yet. But we're still fighting. Yeah, we're optimistic about it.”
Confirming the return of original creators Alfred Gough and Miles Millar, Welling added that the animated series would pick up where the original show ended. However, the team would put its own spin on what happened after Clark Kent fully embraced his destiny as Superman and set out to save Earth.
“That's my idea. Whether that's the case, I don't know,” Welling admitted.
Will Tom Welling Join the DC Universe?
The DC Universe may have its own Superman in David Corenswet, but it’s not out of the question for Tom Welling to join the franchise, too.
In fact, Michael Rosenbaum made a cameo in James Gunn’s 2025 movie as one of Lex Luthor’s (Nicholas Hoult) troopers. So, will fans see Welling in the DCU?
"Well, I've learned enough in this industry that you don't do yourself any service saying no before anything,” he said. “You got to keep your mind open, so that's how I kind of feel about it."
For now, Welling remains open to the possibility of joining the DCU, leaving fans wondering whether he could eventually share the screen with Corenswet’s Superman.
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