For ten seasons, Smallville captivated audiences with its fresh take on the Superman mythos, following Clark Kent’s journey from awkward teenager to the Man of Steel. What made the show truly exceptional wasn’t just its reimagining of Superman’s origin story, but the rich, complex characters who populated Clark’s world. These weren’t just supporting players in Clark’s story – they were fully realized individuals with their own struggles, ambitions, and emotional arcs.

Let’s take a deeper look at the characters who made Smallville such a compelling saga, examining their development through pivotal moments, the actors’ perspectives on their roles, and how these interpretations compare to their comic book counterparts.

Clark Kent: The Reluctant Hero

At the center of Smallville stands Clark Kent, portrayed by Tom Welling for all ten seasons. Unlike previous incarnations of Superman, this Clark wasn’t an eager hero embracing his destiny. Instead, Smallville presented a young man struggling with his alien heritage and supernatural abilities while desperately trying to live a normal life.

When casting for Clark, director David Nutter stumbled upon Tom Welling’s image. Initially, Welling was hesitant to take the role, concerned it might hurt his film career. What changed his mind was reading the pilot script and realizing the show wasn’t about Clark “being a superhero,” but about a teenager attempting to live a normal life despite extraordinary circumstances.

“When Tom Welling auditioned for the role,” the creators recalled, “he wasn’t sure how to prepare. While waiting his turn, he realized that the character is one thing above all else: ‘…a high school kid.’ To Welling, simply acting like he was a normal teenager, instead of like a superhero, was the perfect way to embody the character.”

What made Welling perfect for the role was his ability to convey Clark’s fundamental goodness while showing his fallibility. As Al Gough explained: “Clark doesn’t always make the right decisions, and by not making the right decisions, he brings further consequences on himself.” This humanity made Clark relatable despite his alien origins.

Throughout the series, Clark wrestled with profound questions about his identity and purpose. Season two’s “Rosetta” marked a turning point, as Clark learned about his Kryptonian heritage, including his birth name (Kal-El) and his biological father Jor-El’s plan for him. Rather than embracing this knowledge, Clark ran away, highlighting his reluctance to accept his destiny.

The Christ imagery surrounding Clark was intentional and began in the pilot, where he was crucified scarecrow-style during a high school hazing. As writer Bryan Byun noted: “Superman is, in a way, the secular pop culture stand-in for Jesus Christ, a messiah figure for our generation.” This symbolism continued through the series, most explicitly in the season nine finale where Clark sacrificed himself to save others, falling off a building “in full crucifixion pose.”

By series end, we witnessed Clark’s complete transformation from reluctant teenager to Earth’s greatest hero, though notably, Welling never fully donned the iconic Superman suit on screen. This aligned with his initial understanding with the producers that he was playing Clark Kent on his journey to becoming Superman, not Superman himself.

Lex Luthor: The Fallen Friend

If any character rivaled Clark for complexity, it was Michael Rosenbaum’s Lex Luthor. Unlike traditional portrayals of Superman’s nemesis, Smallville‘s Lex began as Clark’s best friend, and his gradual corruption formed one of the show’s most compelling arcs.

Casting Lex proved challenging until Rosenbaum auditioned. After an initial attempt he felt lacked seriousness, he returned with a two-and-a-half-page scene outline indicating “where to be funny, charismatic, or menacing.” This preparation paid off – his audition went so well that everyone agreed he was “the guy.”

Rosenbaum approached Lex as a character walking a moral tightrope. “What the audience sees in Lex’s dark side in the early seasons is merely a taste of what the character is truly capable of,” Rosenbaum believed. He relished moments that revealed Lex’s inner darkness, like the close-up shot after Lex kills Nixon in “Vortex,” which left viewers wondering if Lex felt horror or satisfaction.

Lex’s relationship with Clark represented what writer Brian Byun called “a yin and yang type of relationship.” Their friendship began when Clark saved Lex from drowning in the pilot, and Lex later rescued Clark when he was strung up in the cornfield. This reciprocity established their bond, but both characters’ secretive natures doomed their friendship.

Even more toxic was Lex’s relationship with his father, Lionel. Rosenbaum characterized this dynamic as a “tug-of-war,” with Lionel constantly testing Lex to “toughen him up.” This strained father-son relationship has been compared to Norman and Harry Osborn from Spider-Man, another example of a powerful father shaping his son into something darker.

Season seven marked Lex’s final descent into darkness when he murdered his father after discovering Lionel had been protecting “the Traveler” (Clark). After seven seasons, Rosenbaum departed the show, only returning for the series finale, where a resurrected Lex tells Clark he accepts they have a destiny as enemies.

Lana Lang: The Unattainable Love

As Clark’s first love interest, Kristin Kreuk’s Lana Lang was central to the early seasons of Smallville. Initially characterized as the “girl next door,” Lana evolved from a cheerleader mourning her parents’ death into a more self-reliant young woman.

Kreuk was actually the first person cast on the show. As the creators explained, “Casting director Coreen Mayrs sent David Nutter, the director of the pilot episode, a tape of 69 people and the second person on the tape was Kreuk.” They were so impressed with her audition that they immediately showed it to the network.

Interestingly, when cast as Lana, Kreuk had no idea who the character was in Superman lore. Her uncle, who owned a comic book shop, filled her in on the details. Kreuk quickly realized that the Smallville version of Lana differed significantly from her comic book counterpart.

Kreuk saw Lana as a “kindred spirit who was sad, lonely, but also endearing.” The character’s central tragedy – losing her parents in the meteor shower that brought Clark to Earth – created both a connection and barrier between her and Clark, as he felt responsible for their deaths.

Lana’s relationship with Clark was defined by his inability to be honest about his origins, while her later relationship with Lex represented her darker turn. Kreuk believed Lana “went to Lex because she knows she will never really love him,” suggesting her relationship choices were driven by a desire to fill the void left by her parents’ deaths.

By the time she left the show in season seven, Lana had transformed from naive teenager to a morally ambiguous figure who could match Lex at his own games. Some critics felt this damaged the character, with Gough and Millar later expressing regret about Lana’s characterization, believing her behavior toward Clark (for refusing to reveal his secret) made her unsympathetic to audiences.

Chloe Sullivan: The Original Creation

Unlike the other main characters, Chloe Sullivan was created specifically for Smallville and had no comic book precedent. Portrayed by Allison Mack, Chloe began as Clark’s best friend and the editor of the school newspaper, eventually becoming one of his most important allies.

The creators envisioned Chloe as a “Lois Lane archetype” and Smallville’s “outsider” – someone who would notice the strange happenings in town. When developing the character, Gough and Millar had intended for Chloe to have an “ethnic background,” but cast Mack against this initial conception because of her “rare ability to deliver large chunks of expositionary dialogue conversationally.”

Mack described Chloe as “intelligent and independent,” with a driving need to “expose falsehoods” and find the truth. This journalistic curiosity often put her at odds with her friends, especially when investigating Clark’s mysterious past. Her unrequited love for Clark added another layer of complexity to their friendship.

One of Chloe’s most significant moments came in season five’s “Arrival,” when she revealed to Clark that she had known his secret, but wanted him to tell her when he was ready. This honesty deepened their friendship and allowed Chloe to become Clark’s most trusted confidant.

In later seasons, Chloe evolved from high school reporter to a superhero support figure, taking on the codename “Watchtower” and serving as an information broker for Clark and the Justice League. She also discovered her own meteor-induced ability to heal others, further connecting her to the show’s superhero elements.

Mack’s portrayal earned multiple award nominations, including Teen Choice Awards for Choice Sidekick, which she won in 2006 and 2007. The character proved so popular that she eventually crossed over into the main DC Comics universe in 2010 – a rare instance of a character created for an adaptation making its way back to the source material.

Lionel Luthor: The Manipulative Father

As portrayed by John Glover, Lionel Luthor was another Smallville creation who significantly expanded upon a character barely mentioned in Superman comics. Introduced as a recurring character in season one and promoted to series regular in season two, Lionel provided a dark counterpoint to Jonathan Kent’s wholesome parenting.

Glover characterized Lionel as a businessman disappointed with his son, seeing Lex as a “wuss” and “fraidy-cat.” Importantly, Glover wanted Lionel to appear as human as possible, noting that he didn’t want to simply “twirl his mustache” as a one-dimensional villain.

Lionel’s relationship with Lex formed the character’s backbone. As Glover explained, “Lionel doesn’t seem to be a man who wants his son to be afraid, so he’s gone out of his way to give him tests, so he can prove himself.” This tough-love approach masked deeper manipulations, as Lionel harbored secrets that would eventually lead to his death at Lex’s hands.

The character underwent a fascinating evolution through the series. Initially positioned as the primary antagonist, Lionel appeared to reform in season four, though the writers ultimately felt this transformation failed. In later seasons, after being possessed by Jor-El, Lionel became an unlikely ally to Clark, protecting his secret while maintaining his morally ambiguous nature.

Another intriguing relationship was Lionel’s connection with Martha Kent following Jonathan’s death. Both actors suggested there was a subtle attraction, with Annette O’Toole describing it as “watching a dangerous animal: ‘It’s that attraction you have for a very beautiful, dangerous animal. You know you can’t stop watching it, but at the same time you feel, ‘Oh my God, he’s going to kill me.'”

Lois Lane: The Late Arrival

Unlike most Superman adaptations, Lois Lane didn’t appear until Smallville‘s fourth season. Portrayed by Erica Durance, this younger Lois initially had a contentious, sibling-like relationship with Clark before evolving into his romantic partner in later seasons.

Bringing Lois onto the show had always been the producers’ intention, but they needed the right reason. Chloe’s supposed death at the end of season three created that opportunity, bringing Lois to Smallville to investigate her cousin’s demise.

When casting Lois, the producers looked to Margot Kidder’s portrayal in the Superman films for inspiration, seeking an actress who was “pretty,” “smart,” and who came with some “wit.” Durance’s audition impressed everyone, and the chemistry between her and Welling was immediately apparent.

Initially contracted for just four episodes, Durance’s role expanded after discussions with Warner Bros.’ film division. To differentiate her appearance from Lana, producers added highlights to Durance’s hair, as she and Kreuk shared similar brunette coloring.

The writers intentionally developed Lois and Clark’s relationship as antagonistic rather than romantic at first. As writer Brian Peterson explained: “In the Smallville pilot, Al and Miles established Lex and Clark as best friends, which is…one of the best aspects of the show. So when you’re introducing his future love interest, why not introduce her, not as an enemy, but as the one who is constantly going to butt heads with him?”

Durance described Lois as “fiercely independent” but not afraid to admit her flaws. Critics praised her portrayal, with IGN’s Daniel Phillips rating her the highest among actresses who had played Lois Lane over three decades. He wrote that “Durance makes Lois intelligent, capable, funny and dangerously curious – exactly the type of woman Clark Kent would fall for.”

By season nine, Lois and Clark finally began their romantic relationship, with Lois deducing Clark’s secret identity as “The Blur.” Their engagement in season ten fulfilled fans’ expectations of the couple’s iconic comic book destiny.

Final Thoughts: A Character-Driven Superman Story

What made Smallville exceptional was its character-driven approach to the Superman mythology. Rather than focusing primarily on heroics and spectacle, the show delved into the emotional lives and complex relationships of its characters.

The dynamics between characters – Clark and Lex’s doomed friendship, Clark and Lana’s secretive romance, Lex and Lionel’s toxic father-son relationship, and Clark and Lois’s evolution from antagonists to partners – provided the emotional core that kept viewers invested for ten seasons.

While some characters evolved further from their comic book origins than others, the show succeeded in honoring the essence of these iconic figures while giving them new dimensions. Perhaps most remarkably, original characters like Chloe Sullivan became so beloved that they eventually found their way into the broader Superman mythology.

Smallville reminded us that even in stories about aliens and superpowers, it’s the human connections – the friendships, rivalries, and romances – that truly make a narrative soar. In presenting Clark Kent’s journey to becoming Superman through the lens of his relationships with those around him, the show created a uniquely emotional and grounded take on America’s most iconic superhero.

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Remember to join me each Tuesday here on the blog as I rewatch all of Smallville’s ten seasons!

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