Tom Welling has shed some light on why the Crisis on Infinite Earth’s cameo was his first appearance as Clark Kent afterSmallville, and it makes perfect sense. While many people refer to Christopher Reeves as delivering one of the greatest adaptations of Superman to date, Tom Welling is absolutely a contender for tackling the character of Clark Kent. His time onSmallville, over a decade, as he refined the character and unpacked the origin like no other iteration before or since legendary.
And, in many ways,Smallville’ssuccess was a clear influence for The CW to move forward and create something as imaginative and far-reaching as the Arrowverse. However, actorTom Welling avoided reprising the characterafter the show ended in 2011, despite the popularity of his portrayal. Which also led to the Arrrowverse making contact in thehopes of securing a cameo from the actor long before the Crisis on Infinite Earthsstoryline.
Tom Welling Explained Why Smallville Didn’t Crossover With The Arrowverse Until Crisis On Infinite Earths
The Time Wasn’t Right For Welling’s Clark Kent
While attending a comic convention in New Orleans, Welling was asked about his cameo in the massive crossover event which led into the conclusion of the Arrowverse, and he gave an insightful answer. Specifically, he highlighted howthis story was not the first time he was contacted about making an appearance, and despite the Arrowverse’s success, Welling was hesitant to come on board. But the more interesting detail is whyTom Welling chose not to appear in the Arrowverse earlier.
I [had] gotten some calls but they weren’t [about] me acting on these shows, it was me playing Clark on those shows, and I really felt protective of the fact that Clark wouldn’t exist on those shows.
The reason he provided above indicates that Welling was being careful andvery particular about how his version of Clark Kent would be presented. He had a vision for that character, and one that he spent a decade building, so coming back in the right way was crucially important. And with the way his character was eventually brought back, it did make sense for this version of the character to opt into a life that saw him step out of the spotlight, and putting his family above everything else.
How Tom Welling’s Arrowverse Crossover Comments Make Crisis On Infinite Earths More Special
Knowing that Welling had the opportunity to come back, on what appeared to be multiple occasions, makes the one time he did choose to return to the role all the more special. Had he returned earlier, or in some other way, it wouldcertainly have had an impact on the rest of the Arrowverse, due to how popular his character was. It may have led to Welling returning several times, or even potentially the creatives choosing to stick with his casting and never hireTyler Hoechlin to play the part of Superman.
If that was the case, the likelihood would have been that the showSuperman & Loiswas never made. So, in a way, Welling’s choice could well have saved not only his version of the character, but also cleared the path for Hoechlin to take over the role. On top of that, Welling clearly felt that theidea of how Clark would return in Crisis was fitting for the character, and thus preserved the legacy that he spent so many years building. Ultimately, that makes his cameo all the more worthwhile and meaningful.
When Tom Welling Could’ve Appeared In The Arrowverse Before Crisis
The Arrowverse Took Time To Find Its Superman
ConsideringSmallvillewrapped up in 2011, and The CW went on to launchArrowin 2012, it’s very possible that the people working on that series could have envisioned crossovers for Welling’s Clark Kent. They introduced the Flash early on, but it took several more years for them to cast a version of Superman, and even then, that wasin connection to theSupergirlseries, which debuted in 2015. With that in mind, Welling may have received multiple calls from 2012 about reprising his role, and finally donning the suit.
10 Smallville Decisions That Aged Way Better Than Any Of Us Expected
The Man of Steel’s origin series ran for many seasons, making controversial choices through its run that have since been proven wiser than expected.
It would make a lot of sense if the creatives also approached Welling when it came time to bring Kara Danvers to the Arrowverse, potentially hoping to set him up as her mentor, in a similar way to how they brought Tyler Hoechlin in. However, all of this would have meant the Arrowverse either had to align itself more to the history established inSmallville, or, it would have reversed a lot of the progress the show had made in its run. After all,Smallvillehad its own versions of Arrow, the Flash, and Supergirl. Thankfully, Welling’s choice to avoid appearing until Crisis was theright call for bothSmallvilleand the Arrowverse.
