Smallville Sequel Series Finally Get an Update (Is the Superman Movie To Blame?)

Smallville co-creator Al Gough provides an update on the in-development sequel series, suggesting that fans might be in for an extended wait before the project comes to fruition. While appearing on the podcast Talk Ville (hosted by Smallville stars Tom Welling and Michael Rosenbaum), Gough discusses the current status of the show. Highlighting recent behind-the-scenes changes at Warner Bros., Gough seemed to indicate that James Gunn’s upcoming film Superman has halted progress on the Smallville sequel for the time being. That said, Gough remains hopeful that the series will eventually see the light of day at some point.

“That is the thing, I think the problem with most projects in development in any studio and/or any network is regime change,” Gough said. “Warners has obviously gone through a lot, and I think the fact that they are in the process of rebooting Superman again, kind of unfortunately, I think, keeps our thing off the table for a bit. Everything comes around in one form or another, I just read the other day that they are rebooting Buffy for Hulu.”

Smallville ran for 10 seasons, wrapping up its run in 2011. The sequel series, which would be an animated show, has been talked about for some time. Back in 2022, Welling said the plan was for the new series to pick up from where the Smallville finale left off and continue the story. Unfortunately, the project hasn’t been able to get off the ground. Last year, Welling mentioned that the main hurdle was getting approval from Warner Bros. “We need their permission,” he said.

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Gunn’s Superman premieres in theaters this July. It is the first feature film of the DC Universe franchise, a shared universe consisting of titles across various mediums. The animated series Creature Commandos, which debuted in late 2024, was the DC Universe’s first official release. Several other movies and TV shows are in development.

Smallville was ongoing when Bryan Singer’s Superman Returns was released in 2006, so there is precedent for Superman-related stories to exist simultaneously on the big and small screens. However, that transpired in the pre-MCU era before shared universes were all the rage. It’s possible that now Warner Bros. would prefer to keep the focus on the upcoming film as it looks to properly launch what it hopes will be a lucrative franchise. There is a lot riding on Superman; reports indicate its box office performance could determine the fate of the entire Warner Bros. studio. For that reason, it’s understandable that WB hasn’t given the Smallville sequel series a green light yet. The top priority is ensuring the DC Universe gets off the ground smoothly. Fans are smart enough to recognize separate continuities, but WB probably doesn’t want people’s attentions spread between two different versions right now given the magnitude of Superman.

Of course, this doesn’t mean the Smallville sequel will never be made. Gunn has expressed an interest in producing Elseworlds titles set outside of the main DC Universe timeline. So far, the only project that fits that bill is Matt Reeves’ Batman Epic Crime Saga (consisting of The Batman and The Penguin), but there is potential for more down the line once the DC Universe has found its groove. A Smallville sequel series would be right at home under that Elseworlds banner, and it would be a great treat for fans to see those versions of the characters again.