Smallvillewas one of the most important series ever produced in theDC Universeand introduced a number of incredible heroes and villains, some of which, regrettably, did not get nearly the amount of focus that they deserved. Across manyrewatchableSmallvilleepisodes,the series built an incredible and original version of DC canon. In retrospect, some parts of that canon were successful, while some other components never lived up to the potential they were set up for.
Smallvillewas planned to have a number of spinoffs, andalmost launched aJustice Leagueshow. The series was an incredible influence on theshows of theArrowverse, and was briefly revisited in that franchise’s Crisis on Infinite Earths crossover event. With all of this in mind,it is notable how many characters were introduced inSmallvillethat not enough was done with. It is therefore worth looking back and reflecting on the enormous cast of characters that DC wound up letting down over the run of the series.
10Mikhail Mxyzptlk
Appeared in Season 4, Episode 7, “Jinx”
One of the stranger villains in DC comics lore, Mister Mxyzptlk is often depicted as an imp from another dimension.Using strange interdimensional and reality-warping powers, the villain has remained a major part of Superman’s story for many years. With an inhuman design and odd but potent abilities, Mxyzptlk is an important part of Superman’s canon because he possesses power that often even supersedes Clark’s own, making him a worthy opponent for the Man of Steel.
InSmallville,however, the character is significantly toned down. Mikahil Mxyzptlk is not one ofSmallville’s most powerful characters, butis instead a student with metahuman powers who gets into a football bet with Chloe.Using his powers to influence the actions of characters, he causes minor trouble for the heroes. However, this is done away with quickly and, while it is teased that Mikhail may regain his powers, the episode ends with Mxyzptlk powerless and defeated, never to return again to the series.
9Maxwell Lord
Appeared In Season 9, Episodes 18 & 20, “Charade” And “Hostage”
Maxwell Lord appeared onSmallvilleto little fanfare in a small part in season 9. While the character has a long comics history,the character’s appearance on the show felt minor, as a member of Checkmate who wished to help uncover the identity of The Blur.With mind control powers that were not given enough focus, Lord was a major DC Comics character who was not used nearly to his potential on the series.
Fortunately, other DC media has embraced the character in far more meaningful ways since.Smallvillewas the first live-action iteration of the character, but it was followed in the Arrowverse, and with a version inWonder Woman 1984, which saw Pedro Pascal playing the character as the film’s main antagonist. With Sean Gunn set to play the character in 2025’sSuperman, it appears likely that Lord will be given the screentime he is due in the near future.
8Morgan Edge
Appeared In Several Season 3 Episodes
Morgan Edge should have been a much more interesting character onSmallville. Introduced as an old friend of Lionel Luthor’s and featuring the performance of two different actors due to the character receiving plastic surgery,Morgan Edge could have followed his interesting comic book path as a media mogul who gets caught up in disturbing and crooked things.Instead, the show went a much more generic route, and turned the character into a crime lord.
Edge appears in a few interesting scenes, where he assists Lionel Luthor in taking down Lex in some disturbing ways.This eventually leads to Edge being killed by Lex, and Lex being sent to the sanitarium.In only a handful of episodes, the character seems to be set up to be something interesting and could have led into his strange and more eventful comic book stories. Instead, Edge’s story is cut short onSmallville, but is thankfully adapted with more detail in the Arrowverse andSuperman & Lois.
7Hawkgirl
Appeared In Season 9, Episodes 11 & 12, “Absolute Justice”
Hawkgirl is an important part of DC storytelling, but the character is never quite able to make a full appearance on the show.DuringSmallville’sseason 9 episodes, Shayera Hall is alluded to many times, and appears in a number of visions. Carter Hall appears as Hawkman, who laments the loss of his wife, who will one day be born again. However, despite a number of hints, and even a look at Hawkgirl’s cowl and mace, the character does not have anything to do outside of appearing in visions here.
Introducing Hawkgirl, only to do nothing with her, is a strange choice for the series. With a whole team of heroes, almost all of which being men, the exclusion of Hawkgirl feels like apoorly agedSmallvillemoment.Hawkgirl’s story then only becomes a story point for Hawkman’s journey, and it is disappointing that Hawkgirl did not appear in the series.Fortunately, she was given a bit more focus in the Arrowverse and will appear in the DCU.
6Aquaman & Mera
Appeared Several Times Throughout The Series, Notably in Season 5 “Aqua” And Season 9 “Patriot”
Aquaman seemed set to be a major part ofSmallville’s universe, with a spinoff series setup to continue the character’s adventures. However,Alan Ritchson was recast as Aquamanin the failed series, which never went beyond the pilot stage. Instead of having his own exciting stories, and expanding the lore of the universe,Aquaman only made a scant few appearances in the run of the show, with his wife, Mera, only joining for a single episode.
Considering the incredible success of the DCEU’sAquamanand its lesser but still decent sequel, this was a major mistake.If these impeccably cast versions of these characters had been used properly, they could have contributed to a more fleshed-out and exciting DC universe.Ritchson has since proven himself to be an incredible star with his turn onReacher, and it is disappointing thatSmallvilleand its universe did not make better use of him at the time.
5Jason Teague
Appeared As A Main Cast Member In Season 4
Following the departure of Pete Ross, the showbrought in rising star Jensen Ackles to play a main role in season 4 ofSmallville.The character was poised to be a significant character that eventually became an enormous threat.However, whenJensen Ackles was revealed to be leavingSmallvilleearly, the show had to make adjustments. As a result, Ackles' villainous turn was too quick and not as effective as the character deserved.
With complex relationships in the series, including his romance with Lana Lang, there was much that could have been done with Teague. His villainous turn, too, could have been given more time and attention.With a star like Ackles, the character could have been one of the best on the whole show.Instead, season 4 ofSmallville,whichfeatured strange episodes like “Spell”,felt in some ways like a departure from the heart of the series that would only be regained in season 5.
4Kyla Willowbrook
Appeared In Season 2, Episode 10, “Skinwalker”
Kyla Willowbrook was an original character onSmallvillewho would have been well-served by a longer story. Introduced in a strange episode of the series,Kyla is a native-American skinwalker who is able to transform into a wolf.She and Clark immediately bond, and share a deep and intimate connection. In addition to this, the two actors had great chemistry, to the point that the showrunners even discussed regret over not planning a larger arc for Kyla.
Kyla could have been an important part of Clark’s emotional journey during the early seasons ofSmallville.Having someone with powers of their own, with whom Clark could connect, would have helped him on his journey.Instead, Kyla was killed by the end of her episode.The specter of her hung over Clark for the rest of the series, and he thought about her occasionally after this event. Unfortunately, Kyla never returned.
3Deadshot
Appeared In Season 10, Episodes 2 & 12, “Shield” And “Collateral”
Floyd Lawton, also known as Deadshot, has become a more prominent DC character in the years sinceSmallvilleaired due to his status as a member of the Suicide Squad.Smallvilleattempted to do some of these Suicide Squad stories near the end of its run, and Deadshot was brought in for a couple of short appearances as a result. However, in his simple cowboy outfit and bionic eye, the execution of the character failed to make much of an impact.
As a famous Batman villain, seeing Deadshot appear here was an exciting prospect.The character even had some redeeming moments, in saving Chloe at the end of his story.However, there is simply much more to Deadshot that is diminished by shoehorning him in as a minor character. Without enough room to tell an effective story with Deadshot, the character wound up serving as only a minor contributor to the DC Universe.
2Black Canary
Appeared In Several Episodes In Seasons 7 Through 10
Dinah Lance, also known as Black Canary, made a number of appearances onSmallville, although the character never lived up to her full potential. The character, who has long been known as a romantic partner of Green Arrow in the comics, was introduced as a villain before changing her ways and joining the Justice League after learning she had been tricked. From here,Black Canary joined the side of the heroes, where she wasn’t given much to do.
Following her appearance inSmallville, differentversions of Black Canary appeared in the Arrowverse, giving the character more time and focus.This comparison helps to illustrate how vastly underused Dinah Lance was inSmallville.While parts of Lance’s story were effective, she, unfortunately, felt like little more than an extra to an already bloatedSmallvillecast. Focus went elsewhere, and Black Canary wound up unfortunately underused in the series.
1Adam Knight
Appeared In Several Episodes Of Season 3
The showrunners forSmallvillewanted to build a larger DC universe in the series, andfrom the introduction of Adam Knight, it seemed that they intended to reveal the character to be Batman.Pulling names from both Batman actor Adam West and the famous moniker The Dark Knight, Knight’s character was teased as a mystery for some time. With up-and-coming actorIan Somerhalder in theSmallvillerole, the character seemed poised to be a major contribution to the show’s universe.
Instead, Adam Knight eventually turned out to be a resurrected teenager named Chad Nash who had been sent to spy on Clark and Lana.This eventual reveal felt strange and unearned, and caused many to speculate that the character’s path in the series may not have been what was originally intended.While it is probably for the best thatSmallvillenever introduced a Batman to its series, Adam Knight seemed to be the greatest candidate for the role that was never fulfilled.
Smallville
Cast
Smallville chronicles the journey of Clark Kent, portraying his origins from Krypton to his teenage years on Earth. The series explores his challenges and development leading towards his destiny as the iconic hero, Superman, set against the backdrop of Smallville, Kansas.
