Should Smallville do future flashes?

[Watching Smallville]

Originally posted by otter
Tom Welling can look older just by pulling his hair off of his forehead. He is 28 years old. That would put him in the DP age. I wouldn't put any other actor in his scenes.

There have been several futuristic scenes in SV. The episode with the blind lady is full of examples as well as the episode of the kid who could see people's deaths. Since Superman doesn't die, we got to see his cape flapping... That particular scene is styled similar to your original watch scene, all angles and no faces.

Even in Lexmas, when Clark is supposed to be 25, Tom looked older than he does when he plays Clark at 18.

[otter]

^^Awesome observation! I rest my case... LOL

[LuckyKrypto]

Originally posted by clois1938
And maybe a kiss or two between Clark and Lois for us clois fans

I could go for that

[Happy Random]

Originally posted by LuckyKrypto
I could go for that

Me and Martha could too! (see my avatar )

[LuckyKrypto]

Go Martha Go Martha

[mandylilc14]

Originally posted by LuckyKrypto
Go Martha Go Martha

haha... i think a lot of us could go for that!

[MyOwnSuperhero]

The show does do the occasional 'future flash' as others have already mentioned. Frankly, what they've done already is good, and anything much more than that would be too much. This isn't a show about Superman, this is a show about Clark Kent growing up. Save the rest for the end of the series, or for the movie.

[SuperStupidPower]

The story that could have been done in season one is a classic. Brainiac comes back in time to kill Clark and the Legion of Superheroes comes to the rescue. Clark catches a glimpse of what he could potentially mean even thousands of years into the future.

But now Brainiac (Spike) is here. Who knows if the Legion can make an appearance.

Then again, that's been done a dozen times. And the producers of Smallville like to shake things up.

[Conner]

Originally posted by SuperStupidPower
The story that could have been done in season one is a classic. Brainiac comes back in time to kill Clark and the Legion of Superheroes comes to the rescue. Clark catches a glimpse of what he could potentially mean even thousands of years into the future.

But now Brainiac (Spike) is here. Who knows if the Legion can make an appearance.

Then again, that's been done a dozen times. And the producers of Smallville like to shake things up.

If I remember correctly that story was done in Superman the Animated Series, or was it Justice League Unlimited. I don't know, but a live action version would be cool.

[SuperClarkMode]

Originally posted by SamBanksJLA
I think that future flashforwards would be great.

I was thinking about this the other day, and I agree with the poster who thinks that Brandon Routh should play Superman if they ever did it. I know a lot of people want to see Clark in the suit, but I think bringing in Routh would do much more for the show. The movie is going to be huge, and people who don't watch Smallville will go see the movie just because it is Superman. And those people will tune into Smallville if Brandon Routh were to don the cape on an episode of Smallville. So I think it would be better for the show to have Routh don the suit instead of Tom Welling.

Although Branndon Routh could help the ratings in the short term, I think Smallville can stand on its own two legs, its somewhat unnessasary, and could hurt Smallville in the long run with market confusion. And it has yet to be determined if Superman Returns/Brandon Routh can best Smallville/Tom Welling in the live action Clark Kent/Superman genra, even though Smallville is light on the "Superman" half of the equation, and you can't compare the two really, since one is a movie, and the other is a tv show.

Plus I still maintain that you should not just lump them together, and let Brandon play older Clark. First, they look nothing alike. Two, because TW and Brandon both play separate unique takes on Clark Kent from two different universes. It is just not the same story, and letting two versions of Clark Kent play each other, in the same episode, when they are just a decade apart charactor age wise, is just contrived, would hurt the suspension of disbelief, and its cheesy. And then it is like, when Brandon is on Smallville with the suit, facing down TW, exactly who is it that he is playing? Future TW Smallville Superman? Superman Returns Superman? Alternet reality? Same reality? It is all alittle forced and too close to home. Though having former Superman related actors play other completly different roles in Smallville is a fantastic nod to the separate creations, and is cool. But the charactors can't be the same, or it goes too far IMHO.

Although, it is funny when people think Smallville is the same thing as the movies, or the comics, like when someone posts about "When is TW getting the Memory Loss Kiss or the Big Throwing "S"... ... ... SIGH ... those posters have to realise that only the core elements are going to make the transition to Smallville's unquie take on Superman, and even they can be changed. And sorry Christopher Reeves fans, but the Big "S" and Memory Loss Kiss are not primary aspects of the Superman Genra, and it was never seen outside of the movies, and we know why. They were LAME, and non traditional powers.

The one exception to the separate universe rule is the old movies vs Superman Returns, which are really two different universes, with different actors, etc, but they are paying heavy homage to the old movies, and it meant for the viewer to take the 1st 2 old movies as a sort of loose origin story, a vague history, as things are different, but so that they don't have to start all over again (It is not like Clark is still using a type writer for the DP still. Little know advances in that field include DOS and Windows!), that is one of the reasons why its billed as a loose continuation of the first two movies, and not a direct sequel. I like that, and it does not bother me, espcially since enough time has passed, and they will be doing "new" flashbacks to bring you up to speed, with the new actors. It is just a bonus if you seen the first two movies is all. That is different than say, putting Christopher Reeves in Superman Returns playing an older version of Brandon Ruth, which is a blatent glare to the logic center of the brain. Yet ppl still want Dean Cain on Smallville as Superman.

Also, us hardcore fans would be upset if TW was denied the chance to don the suit at least once or twice, we don't care if they never show it again, I just want one episode with TW in the suit. It can be the last one, thats a good low risk oppertunity, but having one other episode with him in the suit, in a future flash, while the show was still running, would be great. If ppl respond well, maybe they could do another like that once and awhile. Alternet timelines, time travel, whatever.

Don't forget that while everyone here responds to Dean Cain and Brandon Ruth as futuristic time travel Superman role casting choices in Smallville, Dean Cain was never on a show as popular as Smallville, Smallville is a more successfull show, so by extention, Tom Welling is a more successfull Clark Kent, who is the same guy as Superman.

Why put Dean Cain in TW's shoes, you got TW right there!??

And while Superman Returns has great hype surrounding it for sure, it is not a sure fire hit yet, and Smallville has been a hit for 5 years, and therefore more a more proven success and creative property. We have yet to see how people respond to a new Superman Movie, and while I know I will like it no matter what, its the causal Joe B. Public mass market movie watcher who will decide if that movie is a flop or a grand cash cow. Not us hard core fans gossiping here.

While I am a fan of all things superman related, having watched all the Christopher Reeves movies, Lois and Clark, WB's Superman the animated series, and read many comics, I still feel that TW has earned the right to don the suit more than Dean Cain or Brandon Ruth. Christopher Reeves was really classic and all, while great in its day, is no longer one of the cutting edge modern versions, and the actor is no longer with us. Smallville handsdown is the best live action Superman ever, even if it is no flights, no tights, and in the early years before he donned the suit.

If anything, I would like to see TW in Brandon Ruths new Spiderman 2 like suit, to keep the images the same. Just like they did with Smallvilles FOS, where it looks like what they are doing in Superman Returns FOS, which in turn pays homage to the first movies.

Or how bout an CGI creation for old TW? I think TW can be made up to look old, but there is always CGI. If you got the cash to use it. Like they could have continued Christopher Reeves charactor in Smallville for a few scenes more, to give that storyline a proper ending, unlike what we were treated to. Several episodes of mystery non mentions, only to see the Kents watching a tv news report stating his death. That is only microscopic step up from when the Sliders went into thier upteenth wormhole in the season premere, with all the cameras aimed at the back of the heads, and some of the charactors never make it out! You see, some of the actors didn't return to the show that show that season! CGI could be used to wrap up deceased actors, or non returning actors storylines. Ya dig?

Originally posted by Conner
If you actually read the comic books, you might want to try a trade paperback titled "Birthright," it covers exactly what you guys are talking about. Not to mention there is an excerpt about Smallville inside it.

I liked birthright, great book. Not nearly as fun to read as say, Ultimate Spiderman, but fun.

[Conner]

[i]I liked birthright, great book. Not nearly as fun to read as say, Ultimate Spiderman, but fun. [/B]

I'm glad you enjoyed the read, DC is saying that it's the "official" origin point of Superman. So I would recommend it for any "Super-fan."

[LuckyKrypto]

Originally posted by MyOwnSuperhero
[B This isn't a show about Superman, this is a show about Clark Kent growing up. [/B]

To me showing future flashes of Clark as Superman doesn't take away from the show. I mean after all they are one in the same aren't they?

[Happy Random]

Originally posted by LuckyKrypto
To me showing future flashes of Clark as Superman doesn't take away from the show. I mean after all they are one in the same aren't they?

Yeah, and wouldn't showing what Clark grows up to become be part of him growing up...???

[SuperClarkMode]

Indeed, Birthright was the offical new DC Comics origin story, and the comics come first, and have the authority in all things Superman. It all started with the comics. And Birthright was influenced by Smallville! It's like a circle of reincarnation between the different takes on Superman, all cool stuff.

I think that at first, the rules of "No tights no flights" was to ensure that Smallville never became a superboy tale. I think we are past that creativly, but the writters still fear it seemingly, but have shown signs of bending the rules. As a show, Smallville has a clear sence of itself, and can do whatever it wants, as long as it is well written, and does not completly betray what has come before. Showing a future glimpse of Tom Welling as Superman, in the suit, would not hurt anything, and add to the fun. And it would be inline with the Superman in training vibe of Season 5, and the show in general. And perhaps this would clear up some confussion and add viewers to the show. Do you guys realise that to this day, some ppl have heard of Smallville, even seen a few episodes, but still just fail to realise that Smallville is a Superman Tale? Weird!

I have the hardcover of Birthright, and I recommend it, but I recommend the Ultimate Spiderman Hardcovers ten times more...they are better than the Spiderman movies, where as Smallville is better than Birthright. Thats to be expected somewhat, as Birthright is only twelve issues long, and Smallville is over 100 episodes. And Spiderman has only 3-6 movies planned, whereas Ulitmate Spiderman is almost 100 issues long.

Although length does help to immerse you more, Ultimate Spiderman was not better because of its length. It was better because it was true to the Spiderman charactor. In the movies, as cool as they are, Spidy is too silent. Spidy is a talkitive guy, likes to crack jokes as he pounds bad guys. Talks to himself in that Peter Parker way. Tells old ladies after he saves them that they are braver than he is, because they walked out of the house with that that (ugly) hat on. There is little of this in the movies. Ultimate Spiderman top notch art, often funny, quality writting, and the artist and writter have been the same since issue 1, and its approching issue 100. Thats Rare. Thats 12-24 issues a year. Think about how long writter and that artist have been doing Ultimate Spiderman. Most books are lucky to have the same team for over a year in the comics world. Everyone needs to read this book who loves superheroes, and that includes everone in this forum.

[Conner]

Not much of a Marvel reader, I've been hooked on DC since I was a kid. I am always willing to try something new though.