Smallville ran for a total of 10 seasons, and while the show was arguably at its best during the first 100 episodes or so, there were still a lot of great ideas even in later years.
A series that put a very different spin on the Superman mythos, it delighted fans just as much as it frustrated them (why couldn't he fly again?), but concluded way back in 2011. This world has since been revisited as a comic book, though, while stars Tom Welling and Michael Rosenbaum are still thought to be plotting out some sort of animated follow-up.
During a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter to discuss their work on Wednesday, Smallville showrunners Al Gough and Miles Millar revealed how they would feel about any sort of revival or reboot of the series.
"To be honest, no," Gough responded when asked if he has any interest in the idea. "I think we told that story, and they’re always refreshing Superman. I feel like we were very, very fortunate to do the show when we did it because we got to make the show we wanted to make, and frankly, there was no committee sitting over us telling us what we could or couldn’t do."
"I mean, we had Warner’s features, who wouldn’t give us certain characters that we wanted, but we got to make the show we wanted to make which we wouldn’t be allowed to make that show today," he continues. "There were so many deviations from the canon. One generation’s heresy is the next generation’s gospel."
Millar would add to that by saying, "The whole premise of the show was not canon...we categorically would not be allowed to make that show and make those changes today, which is a real tragedy because I think what’s amazing if you look at the history of comics and these characters, is they’re always evolving."
"[We] were still very privileged to have had that moment where we were actually free to do whatever we wanted, and it was it was amazing and very liberating."
Smallville still has a very devoted fanbase, but no matter how you look back at the series, it's fair to say mistakes were made. That was probably inevitable over the course of 217 episodes, though for Gough and Millar, their approach to Lana Lang is the one thing they would like to go back and change.
"The Clark-Lana thing played out way too long," Gough acknowledges. "Something else had to happen there. I think that was one that got a little repetitive. I think there are things there, if we went back, we probably would be a little more adventurous with some of those relationships and bring them to certain heads and let them play out."
Millar agreed with that point, saying Lana didn't have enough agency and that, "She could have been a much stronger character, and she always felt put in positions of weakness. It’s a different era, a different time. So, that’s something I think we could have done and would definitely look at to do better."
Neither of the writers is wrong here as Smallville was indeed made at a time when a woman in a superhero movie or TV show was, more often than not, a love interest and little more. By the time all was said and done, Clark and Lana had to be separated in the most ridiculous manner, though that did lead the Man of Steel to his true love, Lois Lane.
How do you think Smallville holds up today?