This article covers a developing story. Keep checking back with us as we will add more information as it becomes available.
Tom Welling tells how the Smallville The series finale was almost different in regards to how Superman’s costume was revealed on the DC TV show.
At this year’s Stockholm Comic Con, Screen speech was present at Welling’s Sunday panel, where he recalled Smallville’s legacy, including the series finale. When asked about the famous scene from Smallville series finale where Clark finally rips off his iconic shirt and dresses up as Superman, Welling revealed that there was initially a very different approach to how the costume would be usedas he shared the following:
[In] one of the last [scenes,] Clark opens his shirt and finally jumps off the building. This was written [in] a completely different way. They wrote where Clark sees the suit, then cut to him wearing it and putting on the boots. Do you remember Kiefer Sutherland’s 24th birthday? That show just ended, and one of the things they did on that show, is a satellite image of space, and he’s talking to [the] satellite images, knowing that Chloe, who he works with, is watching and he is saying goodbye. He’s saying, ‘I can’t stay, but I have to go,’ and I remember the conclusion of that for me was: here’s a guy who’s going to go there, he’s going to fight the good fight. We can’t go with him, but it allows our imagination to believe he’s still out there.
I took that and when we were trying to figure that out on the show, I mentioned that the idea that this character is going to leave, he’s going to be there. We can’t go with this. And that’s how it all happened. There was a bit of discussion and limitation about which shots we would use, and it was Greg Beeman and I, who directed the episode. But the idea was to force them into action with a crane shot. After that, the show was over, and because it was a crane shot, and no, I wouldn’t allow them to film any other angle, because that’s what I wanted, and then continue. So the wardrobe department said, ‘So we’re just going to look at this? OK.’ Then they made me a sleeveless crop top. They didn’t want to pay for the entire suit, and I didn’t care, I didn’t want to wear a suit! [laughs] So when I go like this [mimics the shirt rip going further,] If I went any further, you would see my belly button.
Source: Tom Welling/Comic Con Stockholm