Before Tyler Hoechlin was cast as Supergirl‘s heroic cousin on the show’s second season, rumored swirled about Smallville actor Tom Welling‘s possible reprisal of the role.
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But the actor revealed he didn’t want to portray Superman on The CW show, according to an interview Entertainment Weekly.
“I know Greg [Berlanti, executive producer] quite well and there had been some discussion, but they’re different worlds,” Welling said. “There was an idea that maybe Supergirl, appearing on that, but it’s such a different show. I’m older now, I don’t look the same. Appearing on that show as Clark Kent or even Superman, for me, I would not want to watch me do that at all. They just have such a different tone.”
The actor turned down the chance to appear in any of The CW’s DC Comics-based TV shows, despite the fan’s desires to see him don the iconic cape and curl once again.
However, Welling is returning to a variation of the universe when he plays an antagonistic role on FOX’s Lucifer, based on the Vertigo comic.
“To me, because this is still even a DC Universe, which wasn’t a consideration in the beginning, but Lucifer is still DC, so in some ways it’s one foot in, one foot out, but it wasn’t a motivator for me to join the show,” Welling said. “It just so happens that it was connected in that way.”
It seems as though Welling is eager to leave that part of his acting career in the rearview mirror and taking on different roles. Many fans might have been happy to see him actually don the Superman suit for once but Supergirl has a very capable replacement in Hoechlin, who is set to return for Season 3.
Supergirl premieres Monday, October 9th, at 8/7c, on The CW.
Ridding National City of Queen Rhea and her Daxamite army was a major win for Supergirl, but one that came at a significant cost, as Kara was forced to sacrifice her budding relationship with Mon-El. When season three returns with all-new supercharged adventures this fall on The CW, Kara and team will come up against a new threat in the form of DC Worldkiller, Reign.