Superman star David Corenswet addresses the comparisons made between his Man of Steel and Tom Welling’s Smallville take on the DC icon. 2025 will mark the year that Krypton’s last son returns to the world of cinema, as James Gunn’s Superman movie is only a month out from its big release. With Corenswet becoming the next live-action incarnation of the Man of Steel, he will be a Superman for a whole new generation.

Much as Corenswet will serve as Superman for a new audience, the actor himself recently revealed in an interview with Entertainment Weekly that Smallville was something that he grew up with back when Welling’s show was on the air. While addressing that he gets a lot of “physical comparisons” to the Smallville star, Corenswet discussed Welling’s vital role as Superman in the 2000s, stating:

I’ve also got a lot of physical comparisons to Tom Welling, who played Superman and Clark Kent on Smallville. When I was growing up, he was the Superman who was on TV every week. I think, to one extent or another, all of the Superman actors…There’s some Venn diagram of our physical characteristics, which makes sense for a superhero who is classically the one who doesn’t wear a mask.

What David Corenswet’s Tom Welling Comments Mean For Superman’s Media Legacy

Given how Smallville had a decade-long run for the Clark Kent-centric series, it’s not shocking that Welling’s version of Superman was the one Corenswet grew up with. When Smallville premiered in October 2001, Corenswet, who was born on July 8, 1993, would have been 8 years old, an age range where a lot of young viewers tend to get introduced to Superman. This is also similar to how Nicholas Hoult, who is playing Lex Luthor in Superman, described Smallville’s Michael Rosenbaum and his role as Luthor in​​​ Inside of You with Michael Rosenbaum, stating:

“I think my first ever Lex I saw was you. Smallville was on…I was 11, 12, I guess. That was the show I would watch and see my first iterations of Superman and Lex in all those stories. Since, I’ve seen Richard Donner’s movies and all the other ones and performances. But you are like the one! I love it, are you kidding? It’s the best! You did inhabit him with such depth and charm. That ability to switch, which makes him dangerous and formidable and a great opponent. I just love what you did.”

It also just shows that Superman’s media legacy doesn’t just have an effect on everyday fans, but Hollywood actors too – and, in this case, stars who are about to become Clark and Lex for Gunn’s DCU. In the case of Smallville, Welling having told Clark’s ultimate origin story for ten seasons is a testament to the DC legend’s relevancy in today’s pop culture. To hear that Welling’s Smallville and Superman legacy had an impact on Corenswet also makes his DCU casting even more poetic, as he went from growing up following the Man of Steel to now playing him in a huge franchise.

Our Take On David Corenswet’s Tom Welling Story

Corenswet’s Welling comments reinforce the significance of the previous Superman actor, and show the DCU Clark Kent’s awareness of the performances of those who came before him, and how they relate to the role he is playing today.

While time will tell if Welling were to ever get a role in the DCU timeline, it would be a huge moment for Superman fans if he and Corenswet were to ever share the screen together in any capacity as a fun nod to his Smallville history. Hopefully, the DCU’s Superman will mirror some of the best aspects of Smallville either way, and cement its legacy even further.

Source: EW & Inside of You with Michael Rosenbaum/YouTube