In a time where there are currently five DC Comics series on The CW Network (six if you count iZombie), it might be hard to believe that in ten seasons of Smallville the series never spawned a spin-off.
Sure, there was the Aquaman “Mercy Reef” pilot that was produced, but even though it was created by Smallville’s producers, it did not feature Alan Ritchson who appeared in the successful Smallville episode “Aqua,” so it wasn’t a spin-off.
The actor who did play Aquaman in the episode, Justin Hartley, later went on to play Oliver Queen/The Green Arrow on Smallville. At one point, there was talk about spinning Green Arrow and his proto-Justice League off into their own series. The closing moments of the Season 7 episode “Siren” also seemed to leave a door open for a Green Arrow/Black Canary show of some sort.
There was at least some discussion about spinning off Laura Vandervoort’s Kara, but beyond that, the only other idea that seemed to go public was a Lois Lane spinoff starring Erica Durance, where it would feature her alongside some younger heroes including possibly Bart Allen, in Metropolis.
This week on Michael Rosenbaum’s “Inside of You” podcast, guest Justin Hartley revealed there was also another proposal: A series with Oliver Queen and Lois Lane in Metropolis. And apparently it was one of several ideas that was floated.
“While I was on the Smallville, there were several different spinoff ideas that they had,” Justin said. “They wanted to do a spinoff called Metropolis or something like that. I heard whispers of that, which was, like, Lois and Oliver in Metropolis and whatever that was. They were trying to extend the life of the show,” Justin said.
Oliver and Lois were romantically involved in Season 6 of Smallville, which makes us wonder if this spinoff idea was floated around that time.
Justin Hartley now stars on the hit series This Is Us; Michael Rosenbaum’s “Inside of You” podcast can be found here.
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Roger
June 4, 2018
I am also wondering if Justin Hartley is maybe misremembering this and perhaps they were actually considering a Green Arrow/Black Canary spin off after season 7 instead.
Craig Byrne
September 10, 2018
I think the Green Arrow/Lois thing would have been after he departed in Season 6.