Smallville Season 9 Casting News & Other Notes

During the break between seasons a few bits are developing in regards to the cast of the upcoming 9th season of Smallville.

The latest news I’ve seen is that Brian Austin Green is coming on board the Smallville to play the role of John Corben – or you may know him better as “Metallo.”

The surprising part for me is that it’s been reported that he stepped away from being a series regular on One Tree Hill for his two-episode appearance.

If you never caught Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, then you don’t know that Green can play a serious bad-ass character.  It shocked me when he showed up in TSCC but he pulls off the regimented, focused soldier part very well in both looks and performance.

Casting Bits

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Allison Mack Chloe Sullivan in Smallville

I came across an interview that Matt Dentler conducted with Allison Mack and in that interview, a few interesting things came of it.

First, that Tom Welling renewed his contract for 2 more years.  That makes a potential for a season 10 a bit easier to navigate for the beleaguered CW network.

The eye opener I caught was the following quote from Mack:

“I will be completed with my contract next year, and I am looking for new and exciting ways to carry out my character’s exit.”

Chloe has been more the mainstay than some other characters that should have been and I have to wonder if her leaving may mean something for the show itself?  (Just wondering for conjecture’s sake.)

According to Entertainment Weekly, the principal cast is lined up for next season.  The one “possible exception” was Sam Witwer who played Doomsday / Davis Bloom.

The Newest Showrunners Split Up

When Al Gough and Miles Millar left Smallville, the 2nd string team of showrunners stepped up and gave us a pretty decent 8th season.  Mostly (barring that rushed finale and a few other spots).  As you may recall, Darren Swimmer, Todd Slakin, Kelly Souders and Brian Peterson took over showrunner duties when Gough and Millar stepped out eloquently.

But after having stepped up, two of them are moving on it seems.  Swimmer and Slakvin are moving on to take over another desperate attempt at a remake called Melrose Place, leaving Souders and Peterson to run the shop.

I have to wonder when Swimmer and Slavkin left?  Did they do so before the season finale to work on Melrose?  That would explain the rushed feel to the season finale episode, that’s for sure.

Spinoff???

The former Robin as Nightwing

There is talk that despite Welling’s two year extension, that season 9 will probably more than likely be the last for Smallville.  Despite that, the CW may be looking for ways to keep one of their more popular and consistent franchises alive.

For the moment, these are just rumors floating around so don’t get your hopes up.

Maybe the two showrunners that are left heard what Screen Rant readers had to say when many of you suggested a spinoff titled “Metropolis.”

That’s right CW.  Screen Rant readers already coined a title for your new spinoff that many would like to see you do.

So what are you waiting for?  We have some pretty sharp minded readers and they’ve already done some of the heavy lifting for your CW brains!

Anyway, I presume spinoff success may have some hurdles like legal issues with character copyrights and who / what character it is they can spin off from the series and keep the interest in the new series alive.

Keep in mind as you, our readers, make suggestions for a spinoff, if there’s a movie franchise going on out there aimed at the big screens, there will probably be legal restrictions keeping those characters from doing much else.  I’m just saying… there are reasons we haven’t outright seen other characters on Smallville, and I’m sure it isn’t because they haven’t thought of them.

Ahem.  Notice my subtle suggestion for a spinoff at the top of this section?  No, not the Greysons.  God no.  Let’s just get right into it and start up a Nightwing series.  Then they can shove the ever non-existent Chloe in there.  (Non-existent meaning I don’t remember a Chloe in the comics.)

Pitch In, Gang

So let’s hear some decent viable ideas for spinoffs from you, our faithful Screen Rant readers.  Or I’d like to know from those of you who are crying out for a 10th season, how they might do that and keep it interesting for the rest of us who are wondering just how that might happen.  Because if they aren’t careful, the studio won’t see the shark fins in the water until it’s too late.

Sources:  TV Guide, Smallvilleph, indieWire, Entertainment Weekly