Smallville’s Tom Welling Being Courted for Movie Gig at Marvel

With Smallville hurtling towards its two-hour series finale this Friday, many are not only wondering how the show will end (will Clark indeed don the suit; how will the lives of the various characters end up, etc?) but also what will become of the cast.
And by cast, of course, we mean Tom Welling. The actor already has an office at Warner Bros and is producing the CW series Hellcats…but that’s not the only trick under his cape. According to What’s Playing, the actor is being eyed for movie work at DC rival Marvel Studios. But doing what? Read on…
What’s Playing reports that Welling is being scrutinized by Marvel for a possible role in one of their forthcoming comic book to film adaptations. In many ways it may seem unconventional that the studio is looking at Welling—given his long association with the DC franchise and relative inexperience with big screen productions (his appearance in Rupert Wainwright’s 2005 remake of John Carpenter’s The Fog as well as two appearances as Charlie Baker in the Steve Martin franchise, Cheaper by the Dozen being the notable exceptions). The actor certainly comes with a built in audience thanks to his work on Smallville, and many believed he should have played Superman instead of Brandon Routh in Superman Returns, or been cast as the Man of Steel in Zack Snyder’s upcoming Superman film. Welling wasn’t considered, likely because his association with a small screen version of the character would come with all the baggage and ‘scale limitations’ people associate with television.
Moreover, Marvel has demonstrated a knack for courting and signing big name movie talent to its hero franchises in recent years — and there’s the box office draw they automatically bring — so it again begs the question: Why Welling…and for what role? As we see it, the options are essentially as follows:
A lead in one of the lesser known (we call them B-level) superhero films that Marvel is developing.
A supporting role in same.
A single member of a larger ensemble group, or a supporting role here.
Iron Fist, Ant Man, Doctor Strange, Deathlok? Still not roles we readily associate with Welling.
Or, might Welling serve as a villain of some sort in any of these other lesser known properties? Now that’s a take which almost makes more sense. Welling definitely showed his acting chops when playing the alternate Clark, or when under the influence of red kryptonite.
It’s interesting to note that according to What’s Playing, Welling was “checked out” to play opposite Kristen Stewart for the role of the Huntsman in Snow White and the Huntsman, but that role has now gone to Chris Hemsworth.
We welcome your thoughts on all of this below.