Smallville was one of the most important series ever produced in the DC Universe and featured a host of incredible heroes and villains, some of which, unfortunately, didn’t receive nearly the focus they deserved. Through many rewatchable Smallville episodes, the series built an incredible and original version of the DC Canon. In retrospect, some parts of this canon were successful, while other components never reached the potential for which they were created.
Smallville was planned to have a series of spinoffs and almost launched one Justice League show. The series had an incredible influence on the shows of Arrowverseand was briefly revisited in the franchise’s Crisis on Infinite Earths crossover event. With all this in mind, It’s remarkable how many characters were introduced in Smallville that not enough has been done. So it’s worth looking back and reflecting on the huge cast of characters that DC ended up disappointing throughout the series.
10
Mikhail Mxyzptlk
Appeared in season 4, episode 7, “Jinx”
One of the strangest villains in DC comic book history, Mister Mxyzptlk is often depicted as an imp from another dimension. Using strange interdimensional and reality-warping powers, the villain remained an important part of Superman’s story for many years.. With an inhuman design and strange but potent abilities, Mxyzptlk is an important part of the Superman canon because he possesses power that often even replaces Clark’s, making him a worthy opponent for the Man of Steel.
In smallville, however, the character is significantly toned down. Mikahil Mxyzptlk is not one of Smallville’more powerful characters, but instead, it’s a student with metahuman powers who makes a football bet with Chloe. Using his powers to influence the characters’ actions, he causes minor problems for the heroes. However, this is quickly resolved, and although it is teased that Mikhail may regain his powers, the episode ends with Mxyzptlk powerless and defeated, never to return to the series.
9
Mr Maxwell
Appeared in season 9, episodes 18 and 20, “Charade” and “Hostage”
Maxwell Lord appeared in Smallville with little fanfare in a small part in season 9. Although the character has a long history in comics, the character’s appearance on the show seemed secondary, as a member of Checkmate who wished to help discover the identity of The Blur. With mind control powers that didn’t receive enough focus, Lord was a major DC Comics character who wasn’t used to his potential in the series.
Fortunately, other DC media has adopted the character in much more significant ways since then. Smallville was the first live-action iteration of the characterbut it was followed in the Arrowverse, and with a version in Wonder Woman 1984which saw Pedro Pascal play the character as the film’s main antagonist. With Sean Gunn set to play the character in 2025 Supermanit seems likely that Lord will get the screen time he’s owed in the near future.
8
Morgan Edge
Appeared in several episodes of season 3
Morgan Edge should have been a much more interesting character Smallville. Presented as an old friend of Lionel Luthor and featuring the performance of two different actors due to the character having undergone plastic surgery, Morgan Edge could have followed his interesting path in the comics as a media mogul who gets involved in some disturbing and twisted things. Instead, the show went a much more generic route and turned the character into a crime lord.
Edge appears in some interesting scenes, where he assists Lionel Luthor in taking down Lex in some disturbing ways. This eventually leads to Edge being killed by Lex and Lex being sent to the sanitarium. In just a few episodes, the character seems to be something interesting and could have led to his strangest and most eventful comic book stories. Instead, Edge’s story is cut short Smallvillebut luckily it was adapted in more detail in the Arrowverse and Superman and Lois.
7
Hawkgirl
Appeared in season 9, episodes 11 and 12, “Absolute Justice”
Hawkgirl is an important part of DC’s narrative, but the character never gets to make a full appearance in the series. During Smallville’s episodes of season 9, Shayera Hall is mentioned many times and appears in a series of visions. Carter Hall appears as Hawkman, who mourns the loss of his wife, who will one day be born again. However, despite a number of hints, and even a look at Hawkgirl’s cowl and mace, the character has nothing to do other than appear in visions here.
Introducing Hawkgirl, only to do nothing with her, is an odd choice for the series. With an entire team of heroes, almost all of whom are men, Hawkgirl’s exclusion feels like an ageist situation. Smallville moment. Hawkgirl’s story then becomes just a story point for Hawkman’s journey, and it’s disappointing that Hawkgirl didn’t appear in the series. Luckily, she’s received a little more focus in the Arrowverse and will appear in the DCU.
6
Aquaman and Mera
Appeared several times throughout the series, most notably in season 5 “Aqua” and season 9 “Patriot”
Aquaman seemed destined to be a major part of the Smallvilleof the universe, with a spinoff series set to continue the character’s adventures. However, Alan Ritchson was recast as Aquaman in the failed series, which never made it past the pilot stage. Instead of having their own exciting stories and expanding the universe’s lore Aquaman made few appearances during the show, with his wife, Mera, only appearing in a single episode.
Considering the incredible success of the DCEU Aquaman and its smaller but still decent sequel, this was a huge mistake. If these impeccably cast versions of these characters had been used correctly, they could have contributed to a more developed and exciting DC universe. Since then, Ritchson has proven himself to be an incredible star with his acting Reachand it’s disappointing that Smallville and his universe didn’t make better use of it at the time.
5
Jason Teague
Appeared as a member of the main cast in season 4
After Pete Ross’ departure, the show brought in rising star Jensen Ackles to play a lead role in season 4 of Smallville. The character was set up to be a significant character who eventually became a huge threat. However, when it was revealed that Jensen Ackles was leaving Smallville Early on, the show had to make adjustments. As a result, Ackles’ villainous turn was too quick and not as effective as the character deserved.
With complex relationships in the series, including his romance with Lana Lang, a lot could have been done with Teague. His villainous turn could have also been given more time and attention. With a star like Ackles, the character could have been one of the best in the entire series. Instead, season 4 of smallville, which presented strange episodes like “Spell”, It felt, in some ways, like a departure from the heart of the series that would only be recovered in season 5.
4
Kyla Willowbrook
Appeared in season 2, episode 10, “Skinwalker”
Kyla Willowbrook was an original character in Smallville which would have been well served by a longer story. Introduced in a strange episode of the series, Kyla is a Native American skinwalker who is able to transform into a wolf. She and Clark bond immediately and share a deep, intimate connection. Furthermore, the two actors had great chemistry, to the point that the producers even discussed their regret for not having planned a bigger arc for Kyla.
Kyla could have been an important part of Clark’s emotional journey during the early seasons of Smallville. Having someone with powers of his own that Clark could connect with would have helped him on his journey. Instead, Kyla was killed at the end of the episode. Her specter hung over Clark for the rest of the series, and he thought of her occasionally after this event. Unfortunately, Kyla never returned.
3
Gunslinger
Appeared in season 10, episodes 2 and 12, “Shield” and “Collateral”
Floyd Lawton, aka Deadshot, became a more prominent DC character in the following years. Smallville aired due to his status as a member of the Suicide Squad. Smallville tried to do some of these Suicide Squad stories near the end of its run, and Deadshot was brought in for a few short appearances as a result. However, in his simple cowboy outfit and bionic eye, the character’s execution failed to make much of an impact.
As a famous Batman villain, seeing Deadshot appear here was an exciting prospect. The character even had some redeeming moments, saving Chloe at the end of his story. However, there is simply so much more to Deadshot that is diminished by placing him as a secondary character. Without enough space to tell an effective story with Deadshot, the character ended up serving only as a minor contributor to the DC Universe.
2
Black Canary
Appeared in several episodes from seasons 7 to 10
Dinah Lance, also known as Black Canary, has made several appearances in Smallvillealthough the character never reached her full potential. The character, who has long been known as Green Arrow’s romantic partner in the comics, was introduced as a villain before changing her ways and joining the Justice League after learning she had been tricked. From here, Black Canary joined the heroes’ side, where she didn’t have much to do.
After its appearance in SmallvilleDifferent versions of Black Canary have appeared in the Arrowverse, giving the character more time and focus. This comparison helps illustrate how underutilized Dinah Lance was in Smallville. While parts of Lance’s story were effective, it unfortunately felt like little more than an extra to an already bloated group. Smallville cast. The focus went elsewhere, and Black Canary unfortunately ended up underused in the series.
1
Adam Knight
Appeared in several episodes of season 3
The showrunners of Smallville wanted to build a bigger DC universe in the series, and from the introduction of Adam Knight, it seemed like they intended to reveal that the character was Batman. Drawing names from Batman actor Adam West and the famous Dark Knight moniker, Knight’s character was considered a mystery for some time. With promising actor Ian Somerhalder in the Smallville role, the character seemed primed to be a major contribution to the series’ universe.
Instead, Adam Knight turns out to be a resurrected teenager named Chad Nash, sent to spy on Clark and Lana. This eventual reveal felt strange and undeserved, and caused many to speculate that the character’s path in the series may not have been what was originally planned. Although it’s probably for the best Smallville never introduced a Batman into his series, Adam Knight seemed like the biggest candidate for the role that was never fulfilled.
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