Smallville

Smallville: Christopher Reeve’s Deleted Return as Dr. Swann in “Gone”

The Dr. Swann character played by Christopher Reeve on Smallville was originally written into the episode “Gone,” and KryptonSite has the details.

Published

3 years ago

January 23, 2024

Craig Byrne

One of the most iconic moments in Smallville’s ten-year history was the first appearance of Dr. Virgil Swann in the episode “Rosetta.” Clark Kent (Tom Welling) learned of his Kryptonian origins at last, and as an added bonus, legendary Superman actor Christopher Reeve played the part. Reeve would return again in the Smallville Season 3 episode “Legacy.”

The part of the story that has not been talked about as much, though, is that Dr. Swann was originally set to appear at the start of Season 4, but unfortunately, his health would not allow and he died on October 10, 2004. It is to be assumed that some material was cut from the season premiere “Crusade” that may have reunited him with his Superman III co-star Annette O’Toole; instead, Swann’s envoy Dr. Bridgette Crosby, played by former Lois Lane actress Margot Kidder, filled in when the episode was finally shot and aired.

Sadly, we don’t know much about a possible Reeve version of “Crusade” but here at KryptonSite Central we do have a script draft of the episode “Gone” which includes a scene of Clark confronting Dr. Swann about the helicopters that were sent after him and Lois at the top of the episode. With Michael Rosenbaum & Tom Welling’s TalkVille podcast covering the episode this week, today felt like a great time to share.

For some background, the episode was written by future showrunners Brian Peterson & Kelly Souders, and the scene takes place right after Clark and Lois tell Jonathan and Martha about what happened. The next shot is Clark going through the double doors of Dr. Swann’s office in Metropolis. The office is described as having a lot of mahogany lit by a noirish green desk lamp.

“You sent them, didn’t you?” Clark asks, confronting Dr. Swann.

“I’m beginning to understand why Jor-El felt the need to employ such severe parenting techniques,” responds Swann.

Clark apologizes for barging in, but asks: “The guys in the helicopter — you sent them after me because it was your jet I broke into, wasn’t it?”

“When was the last time I sent helicopters after you, Clark?” Swann asks. “All I’ve ever offered you is guidance.”

“In exchange for what? There has to be a reason why you’re always so eager to help me,” Clark accuses, clearly unaware of the “Veritas” storyline that is about three seasons away.

“Does there?” Swann asks.

“That’s usually how it works,” Clark tells him.

Swann tells Clark that he’s becoming jaded, and Clark gives Swann the same routine he’d often give others. “Thanks to people like you. It’s like you know about some big puzzle out there but you won’t tell me what it is. You’re just using me to solve it,” he says, before asking Swann why he didn’t tell him about the crystal.

Swann is surprised to hear the word “crystal” and begins to look alarmed. “The crystal you’re referring to — did it bear the Kryptonian description for the word ‘Crusade?'” he asks, and Clark confirms that it did.

“That crystal may be intended for you, but the quest for it is centuries old,” Swann says before activating a large screen behind them. On the screen, Swann shows Clark locations across the world where there are etched Kryptonian symbols, inscriptions, and paintings, and he tells Clark that “every culture has its predictions” but none knew where the crystals actually were. He reveals that by his interpretation, there are three crystals, and that only Clark could find them.

Clark is confused – if they’re Kryptonian, why would anyone else want the crystals?

“Answers. Strength. No one knows for certain what power the crystals hold, but for 1200 years people have killed each other seeking them out,” Dr. Swann tells him. “The crusade for the crystals has been a bloody one, and there are dark forces who will stop at nothing to get them.”

“That must be why Jor-El sent me back. It was like he reprogrammed me to find them,” Clark says.

“But you didn’t listen,” Swann admonishes. “You’ve continually refused to accept your destiny, Clark. It was only a matter of time before someone accepted it for you.”

Sadly, Christopher Reeve was never able to film this scene or this episode of Smallville, though it would have been amazing if Dr. Swann had set the stage for the season arc of Smallville Season 4. For now, 19 years later, we can only reflect and think about what might have been….

Follow @KryptonSite on Twitter/X for continued Smallville news – KryptonSite still exists! If you would like to quote this in another article, PLEASE include a link and do not reproduce the whole thing, so people can read the rest here. Thanks!

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Smallville

Cassidy Freeman To Make Her First Salute to Smallville Appearance!

Cassidy Freeman will be appearing at the 25th Anniversary Salute to Smallville convention in Nashville.

Published

4 days ago

September 21, 2026

Craig Byrne

Smallville Seasons 8-10 standout Cassidy Freeman is coming to the 25th anniversary convention in Nashville happening November 7-8, 2026!

Creation Entertainment announced her this afternoon, and tickets for the event are still available as well as photo ops/autographs with Cassidy. Get them while the getting’s good, because this is her first appearance at a Smallville-only convention and there’s sure to be a lot of demand!

Cassidy played “Tess Mercer” in those final seasons, and we followed her from her debut all the way to her reveal as a Luthor, and, of course, her eventual fate in the show’s finale. (No spoilers here!) She’s kept quite busy in the years since, starring in Longmire, The Righteous Gemstones, and more, always bringing her excellent talent to the screen.

Joining Cassidy at the 25th anniversary celebration are Smallville creators Al Gough & Miles Millar as well as over a dozen members of the cast as well as guest stars – Tom Welling, Michael Rosenbaum, Erica Durance, Kristin Kreuk, John Glover, Laura Vandervoort, Helen Slater, Adrianna Palicki, Phil Morris, Erica Cerra, Eric Johnson and Sam Jones III! Hosting the event will be KryptonSite’s own Craig Byrne as well as Derek Russell from The House of El.

Smallville

Smallville Creators To Attend 25th Anniversary Convention

Smallville creators Alfred Gough & Miles Millar will be attending Creation’s 25th anniversary convention.

Published

2 months ago

July 16, 2026

Craig Byrne

Every story has a beginning… and these two were there at the very beginning.

As if there weren’t enough reasons already to attend Creation Entertainment’s 25th Anniversary Salute to Smallville convention which is happening November 7-8, 2026 in Nashville… two new additions have been added to the already-packed lineup… two folks who were there at the very start.

Smallville creators Alfred Gough & Miles Millar will be attending the 25th anniversary show, which will run a few weeks after the 25th anniversary of the October 16, 2001 premiere of Smallville on The WB. They’ll be joining a lineup already populated by some huge names including Tom Welling, Michael Rosenbaum, Kristin Kreuk, Erica Durance and more, and this year, there are even some new guests that are attending their first Creation Smallville show, including the legendary Helen Slater (Lara-El) and Phil Morris (John Jones!)

Beyond Smallville, Al & Miles have kept themselves very busy on several projects, most recently Netflix’s Wednesday and the Beetlejuice Beetlejuice film. Other credits of theirs include The Shannara Chronicles, Into the Badlands, and Spider-Man 2, the last of which is known by many as “the best live-action Spider-Man movie.” As far as we know, this is their first convention discussing Smallville since their time on the show way back when it was Season 7 being promoted at San Diego Comic-Con. If you’ve had questions about the show that you’ve been sitting on for over two decades, the two best people to answer them – Al Gough & Miles Millar – will now be there!

The anniversary convention will be co-emceed by KryptonSite’s Craig Byrne (that’s me!) and The House of El’s Derek Russell for the third year in a row, and we’d love to see you.

Get your admission passes, photo ops, autographs and more by visiting Creation’s website!

If you are still on the fence about going, Creation is offering 10% off all admission passes, photo op, autograph, and special event tickets for a limited time! Use the coupon code SMV10 and click “Apply” to get the discount (service fees and sales tax will still apply). The sale ends Saturday, July 18 at 5:00 PM PST.

A full guest list of the actors can be found below.

Comics

Black Star: Pre-Order The Comic From Kristin Kreuk Today!

Kristin Kreuk’s comic book Black Star is available to pre-order from your local comic shop.

Published

3 months ago

July 2, 2026

Craig Byrne

July 29, 2026 will mark the release of the first issue of the new Titan Comics series Black Star which is written by Smallville alum and current Murder In A Small Town star Kristin Kreuk (Lana Lang) alongside collaborators Peter Mooney and Eric Putzer with art by Joe Bacardo. The five-issue series is described as “a Northern Gothic Noir tinged with horror and dark humor.”

In Black Star, amidst skirmishings between two warring factions in the early nineteenth-century fur trade, Dashiell Carlyle discovers he has magical abilities… and that he’s not alone. Thrust into a secret order with designs to use their magic to build a new and better world, Dashiell discovers that their utopia may come at a horrific cost.

Here at KryptonSite, we of course are very supportive of Kristin’s new endeavor and hope others will by pre-ordering the first issue of the series. While there may be copies on the shelf on the day of release, pre-ordering means that you shouldn’t miss out… and the key pre-order period is what really helps for sales, as retailers have until Monday, July 6 to get their orders in. To find your nearest comic shop, visit the Comic Shop Locator website, and to ask then to pre-order a physical copy for you, call your local comic shop or, if in the UK or Europe, you can contact Forbidden Planet. Black Star will also have a presence (and an exclusive cover) at the Comic-Con International in San Diego later this month… just head to Booth #5337 (the Titan Publishing booth) to get yours! [Maybe while there, tell Titan you want more Smallville companion guide books from Craig Byrne! – shameless Craig]

The other thing you can do to ensure you get all five issues of Black Star is to set up a “pull-list” subscription with your local comic store, which tells the retailer to put aside a copy for you each time a new issue is released, on a rolling basis. Some retailers will also offer you the option of pulling just the first issue of any new related series, so you can try it before you commit. Either way, you won’t have to worry about it selling out before you get your chance!

Finally, you can pre-order a digital copy online… and maybe get a few cents to KryptonSite from an affiliate link as well. You can do that here.

Now for the really fun stuff… want to see some interior pages as well as several variant covers they are releasing. Artists for the covers include Martin Simmonds (The Department of Truth), Joe Bacardo (Black Star), Robert Hack (The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina), and Alison Sampson (Sleeping Beauties)! Enjoy: