The upcomingArrowversecrossover eventCrisis on Infinite Earthswill feature a smallSmallvillereunion, but don’t expect to see the Superman prequel show’s version of Lex Luthor. Recently, it was revealedSmallvillestars Tom Welling and Erica Durance will be reprising their roles forCrisis on Infinite Earths, leading fans to wonder if any other favorites from the series might appear. However, Lex Luthor actor Michael Rosenbaum has since confirmed he turned down the chance to reprise his role and won’t be a part of the event. For his fans, the actor also provided an explanation, expressing he didn’t want to step back into the role blind.
“Friends, many of you have tweeted and asked me about joining theInfinite Crossover. I can’t tell you how much this means to me. I’ll just be straight up about this. WB called my agents Friday afternoon when I was in Florida visiting my grandfather in a nursing home. Their offer: No Script. No idea what I’m doing. No idea when I’m shooting. Basically no money. And the real kick in the ass “We have to know now.” My simple answer was “Pass.” I think you can understand why. I hope this answers all of your questions.”
Airing on The CW from 2001 to 2011,Smallvillehad a very successful run with 10 seasons and 217 episodes. It starred Welling as a younger version of Clark Kent living in the fictional town ofSmallville, attempting to balance his extraordinary abilities with an otherwise normal teenage life. Earlier seasons focus on his time at high school, with Clark getting a job at the Daily Bugle following his graduation. Season 4 also introduced Durance as Lois Lane, Clark’s most well-known significant other from the comic book series and other adaptations of the story. Of course, Rosenbaum played the primary villain of the series as Lex Luthor, and his performance remains one of the most revered versions of the Superman adversary.
WhileMichael Rosenbaumwon’t be joining the Arrowverse, he recently shared his thoughts on its success. According to the actor,Arrowand its spin-offs have found their own success by following the blueprint established bySmallville. “It was a movie every week, and the effects were something that people hadn’t seen before,” Rosenbaum explained, sayingSmallvillewas the first TV series adaptation of a comic book to be cinematic. “NowArrow, andFlash, and all these other shows, they’ve kind of come up, butSmallvillewas the original. It just was.”
Crisis on Infinite Earthswill feature some other interesting appearances in addition to theSmallvillereunion.Superman ReturnsactorBrandon Routh will be donning the blue-and-red tightsonce again, reprising the movie role as an older version of Clark Kent. Other stars cast include Batman voice actor Kevin Conroy and classic Robin actor Burt Ward. Rosenbaum won’t be appearing, but another Lex Luthor actor will as a different version of the DC villain, this time with Jon Cryer reprising the role fromSupergirl. Of course, many other characters from variousArrowverse shows will also be appearing, including Stephen Amell as Green Arrow, Tom Cavanagh as The Flash, and Tyler Hoechlin as Superman.
It’s a bummer to see Rosenbaum won’t be a part of the upcomingSmallvilleTV reunion, but it’s hard to argue his point of view. Stepping back into such an important role for his career is not something the actor is taking lightly, and without being sure the special appearance would be as amazing as it should be, signing on to the project would be taking a risk. Still, with Welling and Durance on board,Crisis on Infinite Earthswill still be must-see television forSmallvillefans. This news comes to us fromMichael Rosenbaum on Twitter.
