Michael Rosenbaum Reveals How Smallville Revival Fits Into James Gunn’s DC Plans

Published Oct 17, 2026, 8:15 PM EDT

Andy Behbakht has worked as an entertainment journalist since 2010, covering all the latest in Hollywood on both the big and small screens, from staying on top of the biggest breaking news, analyzing movies and television shows in Hollywood, to in-depth interviews with actors and storytellers.

Andy's career includes having worked for publications such as FanSided, KSiteTV, TV Fanatic, It's Just Movies, Heroic Hollywood, TV Overmind, and more. Outside of his career as an established reporter, Andy is the host and producer of The Showrunner Whisperer, The Flash Podcast, the editor-in-chief of Multiverse of Color, and the network director of DC TV Podcasts.

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EXCLUSIVE: One of the most beloved DC properties for Superman still has a chance of coming back.

In 2025, James Gunn's DC Universe brought the Man of Steel back to the big screen, with David Corenswet taking on the iconic role as Krypton's last son, while Nicholas Hoult joined the franchise as Lex Luthor. They joined a large line of stars who previously played the beloved characters, following numerous live-action projects that have featured the two rivals.

As Smallville celebrates its 25th anniversary, ScreenRant's Andy Behbakht interviewed Michael Rosenbaum about the show's legacy, while also checking in on the animated sequel's progress. As Warner Bros. Discovery and Paramount's Skydance merger is happening, the DC star was asked if he and Gunn, even if it hasn't been a formal meeting, have had any talks about the possibility of more Smallville with the DC Studios co-CEO.

Rosenbaum confirmed that "I haven't really had the conversation, but Al [Gough] and Miles [Millar] wrote something for me that is spectacular, and when it's the right time, it's the right time. Right now - I won't say anything, but - I feel like James and that world, they have all their ideas of what they're doing, and I'm not sure Smallville is part of that equation." He continued sharing how "I'm not sure that while doing and creating this new world of Superman and Supergirl and all these things, they want to complicate things. Maybe in their minds, if we do something Smallville, now you're conflicting with the new thing and the past. I'm not sure."

However, even if the Smallville sequel hasn't been greenlit as of yet, that doesn't mean it has lost all its chances. Rosenbaum shared, "It's just one of those things where, when it's the right time, I'll definitely pitch it. Tom's there with me; the whole cast wants to do it. Al and Miles want to do it, so I just feel like when the time's right - it could be five years from now - it will happen. I think it's just such a solid idea, and there's such a built-in audience, and I've got these great drawings and illustrations of what it would look like." If it goes forward, he is hopeful that "every character would voice themselves, and we'd have Freaks of the Week, and we'd have all this stuff. It'd be like almost a continuation, and I think it could be really cool. So, when the time comes, and it's in the right hands, I think it will come to fruition."

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When ScreenRant's Andy Behbakht also spoke with Smallville's Tom Welling for the show's 25th anniversary, the DC lead had similar hopes for the animated sequel. He shared that "Al and Miles have very much said that they'd be on board. In my mind, it would pick up relatively quickly after Smallville ended, and we would do our own spin on what happens after that. That's my idea. Whether that's the case, I don't know."

Elseworlds is still a major part of DC Studios, while also co-existing with the DCU franchise, including Robert Pattinson's The Batman universe. If the Smallville cast got to go forward with a sequel, the series could easily exist under that banner, giving the world another beloved take on the last son of Krypton without conflicting with Gunn's property.

Smallville is available to stream on Hulu (via Disney+) and via home media release.

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