"Smallville" Creators Explain Why Iconic Show Couldn't Be Made Today

As of November 10th, 2025, the creators of the hit TV series "Smallville" are reflecting on the show's lasting impact and why it could not be made today. Al Gough and Miles Millar, who developed the "young Superman" drama that ran from 2001 to 2011, are currently enjoying success with their latest project, Netflix's "Wednesday."

However, the duo acknowledges that the freedom they had with "Smallville" would not be granted in today's superhero-saturated entertainment industry. Millar explains that the show's core premise, which included Clark Kent arriving in the meteor shower that killed people and Lex Luthor being present, were completely new additions to the Superman mythology. These creative liberties, which were key to the show's success, would "categorically" not be allowed today.

Gough and Millar believe the current audience's intimate familiarity with live-action superhero storytelling would make it challenging to replicate "Smallville's" approach. While a remake could potentially subvert or exceed expectations, the creators suggest it would be difficult to tread the same familiar path that made the original series so groundbreaking and popular over its decade-long run.