Tom Welling Reveals Why Clark Kent On ‘Smallville’ Didn’t Fully Suit Up As Superman

Tom Welling, the first TV Clark Kent and star of the early 00’s WB (now The CW) series “Smallville,” has finally spoken up about why he didn’t fully suit up as Supermen in the series finale. The premise of the show followed Clark Kent in his teenage years as he learns to make sense of all his abilities—not powers, as explained by Executive Producers Alfred Gough and Miles Millar—and struggles through high school and young adult years.

The show did introduce Superman’s iconic powers, including one scene where Clark flies. However, the show existed under the concept of Clark being an alien trying to fit in as a human without the iconic traits of Superman. To the show, he was The Blur, simply donning blue and red clothes that looked similar to the Superman suit. The showrunners wanted to operate under the “no tights, no flights” rule for “Smallville,” thus the absence of Clark’s other Kryptonian abilities.

‘Smallville’ Special Effects Was Too Expensive

Tom Welling in Smallville (2001). Photo via The CW Networks, LLC.

Ever since the “Smallville” series finale, Welling has kept his mouth shut since it ended. But now, in an interview with Entertainment Weekly, the OG superhero TV star finally revealed his thoughts on why the series never showed him wearing the Superman suit, even towards the end—at least, not entirely. According to Welling, the showrunners wanted to keep “Smallville” grounded and closer to reality. Making Clark turn into Superman was “too easy.” Here’s what the actor had to say:

“It was something that we discussed before we ever shot the pilot with [creators] Al [Gough] and Miles [Millar]. We literally had a sit down where we talked about the show and I asked about the suit and the tights and the flying, and they said, ‘No, absolutely not,’ part of the reason being is that show is about a teenager trying to figure out who he is. They felt that once Clark put on the cape and the suit, life became too easy, in a sense. They wanted to focus on who this character was before that. And, at the time, because of where visual effects and special effects and stunts were, it would be too expensive. That’s mainly why they save that for movies, more or less.”

Welling’s Refusal To Wear The Superman Suit in ‘Smallville’ Series Finale

Welling’s remarks on the special effects issue are understandable. If you compare it to now, it would’ve been outright easier to do an excellent CGI rendition today than when “Smallville” first aired in 2001. However, those were not the main reason why Welling wasn’t allowed to wear the Superman suit as Clark Kent. The “no tights, no flights” rule was something that the creators stuck with until the show’s end, but it was also something Warner Bros. TV big boss Peter Roth wanted to scrap during the series finale. It turns out, it was Welling who actually voted against wearing it. That’s why a tease was only shown where Clark had the iconic “S” symbol and blue tights hidden under his shirt.

Tom Welling in Smallville (2001). Photo via The CW Network, LLC.

“We jumped onto this idea that at the end of the show, the idea is that Clark becomes Superman and he’s out there, and we know he’s out there, but we can’t go with him, but that we know and we feel good that he’s out there doing good. That was what we strove for, and I think we hit it. I liked the ending of the series, because it’s like, ‘Yes, he did it!’ I hope the audience didn’t feel like we didn’t show them something that they needed to see. I felt like we gave them the jumping off point for their imagination as to what could happen.”

Of course, many of the show’s fans wanted to finally see Welling wear the Superman suit. That’s why they campaigned to see him on “Supergirl,” alongside Melissa Benoist as the Man of Steel.

Why Tom Welling Didn’t Appear On ‘Supergirl’

Tyler Hoechlin and Melissa Benoist in Supergirl (2015). Photo by Robert Falconer/The CW Network, LLC.

The campaign by fans didn’t come through, though, but Welling did say that he actually had official discussions about him taking the role in the Arrowverse. “I know [executive producer] Greg [Berlanti] quite well and there had been some discussion, but they’re different worlds. There was an idea that maybe Supergirl, appearing on that, but it’s such a different show. I’m older now, I don’t look the same. Appearing on that show as Clark Kent or even Superman, for me, I would not want to watch me do that at all. They just have such a different tone,” Welling explained.

In the end, it was Tyler Hoechlin who nabbed the Superman role (and suit) for “Supergirl.” The decision to not just tease fans with Clark wearing the costume actually made sense considering how “Smallville” was keen on keeping their “no tights, no flights” rule till the very end of the show.