Smallville is the live-action series that paved the way for all other superhero television shows and its still growing popularity is one the DCU should capitalize on for Superman. Returning to the Smallville universe in live-action form could explore and explain how Tom Welling's Clark Kent lost his powers and what has become of his budding new family.
Tom Welling reprised the role to much fanfare with a cameo in the Arrowverse's Crisis on Infinite Earths. One might think, after 10 seasons to show Clark as Superman, losing his powers would put an end to fan requests for Tom Welling to return as Superman/Clark Kent. However, it has only fueled more speculation for the possible return of at least an older Clark Kent and his superhuman children who could continue the coming-of-age Superman journey.
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Why Smallville Still Matters
Most live-action superhero stories do not depict the coming of age, high school trials and tribulations of the characters before they decide to become the heroes fans know and love. Smallville grounded Superman in the world of a teen Clark Kent which gave fans an opportunity to see the young Man of Steel, pre-costume, learn to use his powers while dealing with high school drama, a first for a live-action story based on Superman. This more natural coming-of-age superhero origin story is still rarely produced. Smallville humanized Superman in a way that no other film or show was able to do, and in turn made the hero more relatable to viewers.
This is an element often missing from superhero stories. At the end of the day, Smallville's Clark Kent was just a person trying to find his way. Granted, that was largely before the introduction of more powerful villains in Smallville, which Tom Welling's animated series could continue, which shifted the focus to the more typical superhero story of good versus evil in the latter half of the series. But focusing first on Clark's desire to simply live a normal human life, to figure out who he is and who he wants to be, made his story more meaningful and impactful.
How Smallville Can Continue The Teen Superman Journey
While the animated Smallville series is still in production, a live-action coming-of-age Superman can also continue with a focus on Clark Kent's children. After giving up his powers to live a normal human life, Tom Welling's Clark had a family with Lois Lane, a reporter. A spinoff of the series could follow the new Kent siblings as they learn to develop their powers and carve out their own identities. There are several variations of Superboy and Supergirl that Clark's children could portray. But the most recent version of Clark's bisexual son Jonathan Kent could be a great addition to the franchise and a push for more LGBTQ representation in the DCU.
If done true to the character's identity, Jonathan Kent's story would be a drastically different telling of the coming-of-age Superman that could answer a big question about how Clark lost his powers. Having to manage the looming identity of his parents as reporters and his father as a retired hero, while also finding his own identity and dealing with the prejudices and injustices that come with being a member of the queer community, could all prove to be a compelling and relevant story. Plus, a return to Smallville onscreen for both Tom Welling and Erica Durance reprising their roles would be fun fan service. A world without Superman in the Smallville universe is still difficult to imagine. How Clark and Jonathan wrestle with their ideals of having powers and how to best use them is an interesting conflict that would differ from the Jonathan Kent storyline in Superman & Lois. Clark's knowledge and experience of kryptonite could also provide interesting parenting tactics, such as grounding Jonathan from using his powers by making him wear blue kryptonite. Then again, it may be difficult to ground someone with super-speed and superstrength, as Smallville occasionally illustrated.
Then, there are possibilities of an additional Supergirl storyline. Clark Kent's Superman legacy is best illustrated through the numerous daughters in the comics who rival the prowess of Superman even as a child, being far stronger than their parent. Ariella Kent is one version with such vast untapped potential. Sibling rivalry and parental dynamics that dramatize the difficulties in raising a superhuman family aren't exactly new onscreen. But what would make this potential Smallville spinoff fresh is challenging what it means to be human, a hero, and competing for the mantle of Superman.
If Tom Welling is committed to reprising his role as an older Superman/Clark Kent, a live-action Smallville spinoff shouldn't be completely off the table. It's a different universe than the DCU Superman as well as the Arrowverse's Superboy, and can tell an unconventional story of a young Superman or Supergirl, if not both. Superhero fans are now accustomed to different versions of their favorite superheroes simultaneously appearing onscreen across film and television, and they can navigate their way through the onscreen multiverse with ease. Therefore, continuing the live-action journey of a different teen Superman could satisfy fan angst as they await for the next DCUSuperman.