Sam Witwer departed the DC Universe Superman prequel Smallville after only one season. The actor’s villainous trajectory on the series is reminiscent of Jensen Ackles, who also left Smallville early. Facing a series of changes, much of Smallville moved to Metropolis in season 8, and Sam Witwer’s Davis Bloome came on board as a new villain with Kryptonian heritage. The character had a long and strange journey over the season, culminating in a transformation into the villain Doomsday. The season ended violently, but did suggest a possible return by Witwer as a new, iconic character.
Sam Witwer joined Smallville during a tumultuous overhaul in the series. Many major actors from the series, including Michael Rosenbaum and Kristin Kreuk, left the show after the end of season 7. In addition, the original creators and showrunners of the program – Alfred Gough and Miles Millar – had departed, bringing in new creative visions for a total overhaul of the series. As a result, Witwer’s season-long arc in the series feels somewhat like a spinoff. Still, parts of his Davis Bloome character were effective, and it was disappointing the actor didn’t return, even if his explanation makes sense.
Sam Witwer Declined To Return For Smallville Season 9
The Actor Was Only Contracted For A Single Season
Sam Witwer’s story on Smallville was complicated, concluding with the two parts of himself finally separating. The Doomsday half was summarily destroyed, while the Davis Bloome half was made human. However, upon discovering that Chloe only helped him because of her affection for Clark, he became violent and stabbed Jimmy Olsen. This led to the heroes of the series having to track him down and kill him.
Unlike many of the other performers that appeared on the series throughout the years, including Sam Jones III’s Pete Ross, Witwer actually declined to continue with the series. The showrunners wanted him to come back to the show after his character’s death as the Kryptonian villain Zod. As Davis Bloome was birthed from Zod and Faora’s DNA, the creative team felt that there was sufficient reason for the actor to be able to play this second role in the series. Witwer was only contracted for one season, however, and the actor decided not to return.
Why Sam Witwer Passed On Playing Zod In Smallville Season 9
Witwer Didn’t Believe Characters Could Get Past His Visual Similarity To Bloome
Witwer was offered a chance to return to the series that had even been teased at the end of season 8. Because his Davis Bloome character was birthed from some of Zod’s DNA, the showrunners felt that he would be an appropriate choice to play the Kryptonian villain in season 9. However, due to the violent history of the Bloome character, Witwer didn’t believe that this would have made sense. Knowing the violent history of Davis Bloome, Witwer felt that people would immediately be afraid of Zod.
Witwer explained his reluctance to CBR: “this guy looks exactly the same, and we’ve already established that Davis Bloom’s likeness is all over Metropolis as a serial murderer in the newspapers.” Reflecting on the world as it appeared, the use of Witwer’s appearance as another character did not make sense to the actor. Instead, he decided to leave the series, allowing Callum Blue to take over the role of Zod.
Michael Rosenbaum’s Lex Performance Convinced Sam Witwer To Join Smallville
Davis Bloome Became The Show’s Main Villain Following Lex’s Departure
The legacy of Michael Rosenbaum’s Lex Luthor is considered by many to be one of the best iterations of the character yet. The actor brings nuance and balance to a person that is bound to become Superman’s arch-rival. On considering taking the role of Davis Bloome, Witwer reviewed episodes with a focus on Rosenbaum’s Lex: “I had to study what you did to see what’s possible on the show and I was like: oh, a lot. The answer is you could do a lot.” Witwer saw that potential, and the opportunity to do something significant but different.
Witwer’s comments highlight what a lot of people thought of Smallville at the time. Rosenbaum is a hard act to follow, but Witwer’s Davis Bloome did an effective job during his short period in the series. “You were going for it,” Witwer said on Rosenbaum’s podcast Inside of You. “Watching your performance convinced me.” Rosenbaum’s Lex Luthor showed that there were many great acting opportunities in the series, and that something effective and meaningful could be drawn from the scripts.
Will Sam Witwer Return If A Smallville Continuation Happen?
Smallville Stars Are Developing An Animated Sequel
Michael Rosenbaum and Tom Welling have been working on a sequel series to Smallville in animation for several years. While the birth of the DCU makes the prospect of an additional Superman series unlikely to be put into production anytime soon, the cast believes that the opportunity will eventually come about. The sequel animated series would follow the series’ conclusion with more Superman-centric stories, and many original cast members have already expressed willingness to return.
Based on Witwer’s limited time in Smallville and his character’s death, the actor may not choose to reappear if the animated series is made. However, he does have some voice acting experience, especially in various Star Wars series including Star Wars: The Clone Wars. That history may suggest a stronger willingness to be involved in projects like the Smallville sequel. Considering a good enough relationship with the cast and his respect for Rosenbaum especially, coming in to do a voice role could occur for the actor, although it is unclear what that role would be.
Witwer’s time on Smallville was short, but is generally considered effective. Some episodes of season 8 did struggle with the series attempting to find a new outlook and voice following the departure of many important cast and crew. Still, it is interesting to wonder how Witwer would have done with the Zod role had he chosen to return. However, his role in Smallville itself remains a fascinating part of the show to this day even without this broader storyline.
