Tom Welling Explains Why He Waited Until Crisis on Infinite Earths to Reprise Smallville Role

When Tom Welling not only returned to The CW but to the role of Clark Kent, albeit briefly, for an appearance in the 2019 Arrowverse crossover event Crisis on Infinite Earths, Smallville fans were thrilled. After all, by that point it had been eight years since fans had seen him as the DC hero as he hadn’t made any other appearances as the character since the Smallville finale. Now, in the most recent episode of the TalkVille Smallville rewatch podcast (via ScreenRant), welling explains why it took so long and why it was ultimately the Arrowverse event that saw he and Erica Durance return.

According to Welling, he had been asked to appear in the other shows as Clark, but Welling said that he didn’t feel like the tone of those shows was quite right when compared to what Smallville and, by extension, his Clark had been. For him, it was the appearance in Crisis on Infinite Earths that ultimately fit, though he’s not sure it was Smallville’s Clark.

“I was asked to be in a lot of the other shows after Smallville ended, I was asked to sort of appear in them as Clark and it never felt like their tone was the same as Clark was or what Smallville was,” he said. “I still believe that in the crossover what you see Clark doing and giving up his powers and being with Lois for their family, that might not be the Clark from Smallville because it’s a multiverse.”

For those who might not recall, Welling’s Clark appears on Earth-167 where during a search for one of the Paragons — which was supposed to be a Clark Kent from an alternate universe — draws Lex Luthor (Jon Cryer) who is going Earth to Earth killing every Superman. When confronted by a Kryptonite-wielding Lex, Clark reveals that he gave up his powers to have a normal life with his family and that Kryptonite no longer impacts him.  He fights a bit with Lex, but Lex ultimately leaves. Durance shows up as Lois and when Clark explains to her what’s happened, she notes that “Smallville” made a joke.

Interestingly, Welling has said that he doesn’t know if the version of Clark he played in Crisis on Infinite Earths was the Smallville Clark. Earlier this year at Terrificon, he suggested that not only did he not know, but that no one ever explained to him how Clark lost his powers.

“I don’t know if that’s actually Clark from Smallville, because it’s a multiverse, so you never know,” he said. “And I don’t know how he lost his powers. No one ever told me.”

One thing that we do know, however, is that Welling wouldn’t have returned at all had he been required to suit up as Superman.

“If they had started the conversation with ‘So, Clark is in the suit,’ I’d have been like [click]’” Welling said in 2020.