Smallville introduced a very early version of the Justice League, with the team originally comprised of Bart Allen/The Flash, Oliver Queen/Green Arrow, Clark Kent/Superman, Arthur Curry/Aquaman, and Victor Stone/Cyborg.
Now we've seen the Avengers and a more comic-accurate Justice League assemble on screen, it seems pretty tame by comparison. Still, in 2007, it was a big deal for comic book fans and an exciting moment to see in live-action.
The animated Smallville revival series hasn't taken shape as quickly as hoped, and as of now, it doesn't seem as if the story of those characters will continue in any form.
Justin Hartley has gone on to find success beyond his stint as the Emerald Archer, with lead roles in shows like This Is Us and Tracker. Appearing on The Jennifer Hudson Show, the actor confirmed, "I would love to play a superhero again; I would love that."
"You know, there are so many interesting ones that have been portrayed, and there are so many interesting ones that haven't yet been portrayed," Hartley continued. "What I think would be really cool, though, now that I'm older, I have different life experiences, and I would approach it differently, and I think it would be a different story. I'd like to jump back into that Green Arrow suit on."
This is a surprise, but one that many Smallville fans on social media are already approving of. Still, there is one caveat for Hartley, who said, "Maybe not that exact suit, but something a little hipper."
He added, "I think you'd find him in a different place, and you could tell different stories. He's been through stuff, and I think it would be interesting. Yeah, I would love that."
Smallville was followed quickly by Arrow, an unrelated DC TV series that eventually expanded to include shows like The Flash and Legends of Tomorrow, becoming The CW's Arrowverse. DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn, meanwhile, is a big fan of Green Arrow and is reportedly keen to find a way to bring him into the DCU.
Giving Hartley another shot at playing a different version of the hero would be fun to see. However, the only actors who have been granted the opportunity to return to their previous DC roles in the new DCU are those who previously collaborated with Gunn on DCEU projects like The Suicide Squad and Peacemaker.
You can watch the full interview with Hartley in the player below.