Why Smallville Couldn't Be Made in Today's Superhero Movie Landscape
Smallville creators Alfred Goff and Miles Miller said that in today's modern environment of superhero movies, it's impossible to make a show like the series.
Smallville creators Alfred Gough and Miles Miller have revealed they don't think they could make a Superman franchise with the studio oversight and fan expectations of today's modern superhero movie landscape. programme. The series premiered in 2001 and ran for 10 seasons for 10 years on The WB and its successor network, The CW. Smallville explores Superman's early years on Earth, seeing Tom Welling's Clark Kent grapple with the challenges and responsibilities of his Kryptonian heritage, while also experiencing the challenges that life in an average American teenager brings test.
In an interview with THR to discuss their latest hit Netflix series, Wednesday, Gough and Millar were asked if they would revisit Smallville if given the chance to expand the world, and both former showrunners declined. Not only do they feel like they've told the stories they want to tell, but they don't like working with studio oversight and the increased priorities of the current superhero adaptation environment, Gough said. Miller further explained that he felt audiences' expectations for story adaptations to be more faithful to their source material wouldn't give them the creative freedom they'd come to expect. Made a Superman origin story. Check out Gough and Millar's full explanation below:
Gough: To be honest, no. I think we told that story, and they’re always refreshing Superman. I just read last night that James Gunn’s writing a new younger Superman movie, and I’m like, “OK.” I feel like we were very, very fortunate to do the show when we did it because we got to make the show we wanted to make, and frankly, there was no committee sitting over us telling us what we could or couldn’t do. I mean, we had Warner’s features, who wouldn’t give us certain characters that we wanted, but we got to make the show we wanted to make which we wouldn’t be allowed to make that show today. There were so many deviations from the canon. One generation’s heresy is the next generation’s gospel. Millar: The whole premise of the show was not canon. The idea that Clark arrived in the meteor shower that killed people, and that Lex was there. All those things were completely new, added to the mythology of Superman, but we categorically would not be allowed to make that show and make those changes today, which is a real tragedy because I think what’s amazing if you look at the history of comics and these characters, is they’re always evolving. They never stand still, and the idea that there’s a certain canon you have to [follow], it’s actually leading to stagnation in terms of the ideas. Some of it’s, there’s obviously the cat calls from fandom, which people probably listen to too much that really, really has led to self-censoring, and we were still very privileged to have had that moment where we were actually free to do whatever we wanted, and it was it was amazing and very liberating.
Are The Creators Of Smallville Right?
With the formation of DC Studios under director James Gunn's vision and a series of restructuring decisions, it's hard to deny Gough's point about studio oversight. Many studios have attempted to create their own shared universes, with Warner Bros. attempting to create a shared DCEU being a more notable example. At first, the studio let creatives develop their own stories while co-creating the overall narrative, and the turmoil behind Justice League production and its aftermath exposed the downsides of that strategy as the studio entered a period of indecision about the franchise as a whole. future.
Still, Miller's argument about fan reaction may not be as important, as seen with the success of Batman and other less relevant works. Focusing on Robert Pattinson's Bruce Wayne Jr. rather than Ben Affleck's established hero, Batman offers a darker, more grounded take on Gotham and its citizens that strays from the Those legendary moments in comics. Batman remains true to its core values, winning over audiences and critics alike Hopeful message, even if it distances itself from elements lacking foundation in the source material. While some stories may avoid direct adaptations, many viewers are more concerned with whether characters are still recognizable by their counterparts in the source material, and tolerate certain narrative deviations.
Judging by Goff and Miller's recent reflections on Smallville, it's hard to deny the risks the franchise took in its Smallville saga. In having young Clark meet important friends and foes early in his life, as well as introducing new key characters like Lionel Luthor, Smallville created a story that was inspired by the comics but still distinct. While concerns about studio oversight are understandable, it's clear that, judging by Smallville's legacy and Batman's success, audiences are still open to bold retellings of DC's most recognizable characters, even if the studio isn't.
Next: Smallville: Clark Kent's 10 Biggest Season 1 Dreams Finally Come True
