Tom Welling Won’t Rule Out a ‘Smallville’ Reboot as Michael Rosenbaum Notes Hollywood Is Rebooting Everything

Few TV shows have had the lasting cultural footprint of ‘Smallville‘. Premiering on The WB in 2001, it reimagined the Superman story as a teen drama, following a young Clark Kent as he learned to use his powers in a small Kansas town. A quarter of a century later, fans still want more.

Tom Welling played Clark and appeared in every episode of the show’s 10-season run, while Michael Rosenbaum played Lex Luthor. Rosenbaum left after season 7 following a contract dispute with Warner Bros., though he returned as a guest star for the series finale. The pair have stayed close ever since, even co-hosting the rewatch podcast ‘Talkville’, which launched in 2022.

With the anniversary here, the two stars sat down with Variety for a “How Well Do They Know Each Other?” video. In one segment, they were asked about a ‘Smallville’ reboot and who would say yes first. According to Variety, Welling said he “just can’t imagine” an idea for a reboot that would convince him to return, but then added, “Never say never.”

Rosenbaum jumped in with a comment that captured the current state of Hollywood. “They’re rebooting everything,” he said. It’s a fair point, considering how many classic franchises have been revived in recent years.

The exchange fits a pattern that has played out for years. Welling and Rosenbaum have said they would love to see an animated sequel with the original cast voicing their characters. They have worked on the idea with ‘Smallville’ creators Alfred Gough and Miles Millar, and it would pick up shortly after the finale.

Welling previously sounded pessimistic on Rosenbaum’s podcast ‘Inside of You’, saying a live-action reboot seemed unlikely for a show like theirs. Reports at the time said the project was stuck in limbo while James Gunn and Peter Safran focused on rebuilding the DC Universe. Even so, no one has shut the door.

Tom Welling says he “just can’t imagine” an idea for a “Smallville” reboot that’d convince him to return: “Never say never.” Michael Rosenbaum: “They’re rebooting everything.” Watch the full video: https://t.co/M1cvnOfIPD https://t.co/IJ2MOeonby

— Variety (@Variety) October 19, 2026

In an exclusive conversation with ScreenRant, Rosenbaum said he will pitch the idea when the time is right. He said Welling is with him, the whole cast wants to do it, and Gough and Millar are on board too. He added that it could happen five years from now.

Welling has expressed similar hopes. In his own anniversary interview with the outlet, he described the animated sequel as picking up fairly quickly after the end of the original series. That would let them offer a fresh spin on what happens next for Clark, Lex, Lois and the rest of the cast.

The anniversary conversation also revisited how the show ended. Clark finally took on the mantle of the hero, while a flash-forward showed Lex becoming president, hinting at larger showdowns to come. Welling said he pitched an idea to the writers for the ending because he liked it as a conclusion to Clark’s story.

Both actors also reflected on the show’s legacy. They said they wished they had appreciated it more at the time. It’s a sentiment that many fans share as they look back on a series that shaped a generation’s idea of Superman.

The idea of a revival lands at an interesting moment for the Man of Steel. Welling’s Clark has long been compared to the Superman of film, including Henry Cavill and David Corenswet. He has also reprised the role before, appearing alongside Erica Durance as Lois Lane in 2019.

That history shows there is an appetite for ‘Smallville’ nostalgia. Fans have been asking for Welling to return since the show ended in 2011. The current anniversary, along with Rosenbaum’s confidence, keeps that hope alive.

For now, there is no official reboot or sequel in the works, and any return would depend on the right pitch landing at the right time. But “never say never” is not a no, and the two stars clearly still love the show.

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