As audiences enjoy the wide range of superhero TV series that have been developed in the last several years, one show which still remains popular despite its age is Smallville, the series set in Clark Kent’s youth and the adventures he and his friends end up in their hometown, all while he is discovering his powers and heritage. This weekend Smallville‘s Tom Welling, Michael Rosenbaum, Kristin Kreuk, Erica Durance and Laura Vandervoort attended the con and the legacy of the beloved series.
Premiering in 2001, Smallville explored Clark Kent’s days in Smallville, his early friendship with Lex Luthor and developing powers. Over the course of its landmark 10 seasons, still the longest running superhero show, Clark slowly transformed from a smalltown hero into Superman.
The significance of Smallville‘s upcoming 25th anniversary is not lost on any of the cast, especially as the character of Superman remains incredibly popular and the show is seeing a surge in popularity due to both Rosenbaum and Welling’s re-watch podcast Talkville as well as this summer’s release of Superman, the beginning of a new DC on film universe from James Gunn.
“Smallville is pretty much half my age,” Rosenbaum said. “It’s been a big part of my life, all of our lives. Thanks for standing by us after all these years. And with the new Superman movie coming out there’s a new audience and a resurgence of fans. I think it’s so cool.”
For Vandervoort, who joined in the latter half of the series as Clark Kent’s Kryptonian cousin Kara Zor-El, aka Supergirl, it opened further doors to both her career and a character who had long been dormant from film and TV. “Honestly, at the time we had Helen Slater from [1984’s Supergirl] and I got to play the first televised version of her,” Vandervoort said. “Even to today, you guys have supported us and its a huge highlight in my career. I’m super grateful for it.” Since her portrayal of Supergirl in Smallville, the character has led her own series with Melissa Benoist in the role and Milly Alcock appeared in a cameo in Superman ahead of next summer’s Supergirl film. “I love that there’s more Supergirls coming to fruition now and I think they’re doing a great job,” she said of her fellow Supergirls.
Obviously, playing these iconic characters for a decade didn’t just impact their careers, but their personal lives as well. The five cast members opened up about how they have become closer in their adult life seeing each other at conventions and podcasts than they were on the series’ set, and they were already close to begin with. They also expressed what they learned from their characters over the course of playing them throughout the seasons.
“There’s something about Clark and his… its not open-mindedness, but his desire to learn more,” Welling explained. “I think that was something I always tried to instill in scenes. ‘I don’t know, but let me try to find out, let me understand.” Welling also recounted an interaction with a fan that meant a lot to him. During Smallville, he and Kreuk met a young boy brought to the set from the Make-a-Wish Foundation and took a picture with him. Welling recently met this fan again at a convention with the fan’s son and saw the picture they took over 20 years ago. The fan is now watching Smallville with his son, bringing Welling to say “That was just amazing to me”.
For Kreuk’s Lana Lang, who was often found the target of Meteor Freaks, ups and downs in her relationship with Clark and Lex’s manipulations, Kreuk said “I think her fortitude. She was inspiring in the fact she kept pushing. She kept going through horrible stuff and she was committed to growing, to working on her crap and becoming a better person.”
“I would say learning from Kara it’s okay to be an outsider, it’s okay to be a little strange and it’s okay to be new in whatever field you’re in,” Vandervoot said. “When I first went on Smallville I was new to the show, new to the US market, and so was Kara. I think I got comfortable with putting myself in positions I was uncomfortable in and at this point in my life I’ve come around to understanding its okay to feel you don’t belong. Everyone’s an individual, its okay to be different and she taught me that was alright.”
“That you can continually fall flat on your face over and over again and be okay,” Durance said. On one aspect that she wishes she had more of in hindsight was more scenes with Kreuk and Vandervoort as Lois, Lana and Kara rarely shared scenes even after starring in several seasons together.
“I think I’ve always wanted people to like me. I think Lex just wanted that approval, approval from his father, approval from a lot of people and so its partly that, but by the end of it you just have to believe in yourself and learn to love yourself.”
What do you think of Smallville‘s soon-to-be 25th anniversary? What are some your favourite moments from the series? Let us know on our social channels at @FlickeringMyth…
Ricky Church – Follow me on Bluesky for more movie news and nerd talk.
Originally published August 23, 2025. Updated August 24, 2025.
