There are few that are ever more iconic than the first, and in the case of superheroes that would be Superman. Debuting in a 1938 issue of Action Comics, the superhuman being would go on to pave the way for an expansive catalog of characters and works that are among the most successful in the world today in the superhero genre. Subsequently, like any iconic character or franchise, Superman has had his story rebooted and retold in a countless number of ways since he was created over eight decades ago. One effort that has stood out amongst the rest though was the television series Smallville, running for ten seasons in the early 2000s before coming off the air. The series took a small-town approach and resonated with Superman fans and critics alike, a difficult task for such a highly regarded character and story. Now it looks like Smallville is set to make a return and with the original cast no less, but this time in animated form.
Smallville followed Superman beginning as a young man and first discovering his extraterrestrial origins that made him different from his peers. This is a lot to come to terms with, especially when you are in high school and have to worry about things like your next math test too. The series took off from there, amassing over 200 episodes in a span of just nine years. The countless fans who were likely disappointed when the show ended though have every reason to be excited now that it has been announced that Smallville will be returning, this time as an animated series instead that will follow teenage Superman discovering his true identity. Tom Welling, who played Clark Kent in the original series, made the announcement via Cameo that he and Michael Rosenbaum have been working on the project and that he is doing his very best recruiting the original cast to join them.
Tom Welling seemingly could not have picked a better time to tease his fans with such monumental news. The superhero genre has been in a revolution since Marvel began rebooting The Avengers’ characters, and in animated form it allows the original cast of Smallville to return a decade after the original show ended. Though very little is known about the project yet, the prospect surely is intriguing. Fans of the original Smallville series can remain on the lookout for further updates about the animated project that is reportedly in the works.
