Smallville star Tom Welling is reprising his role as Superman for the Arrowverse crossover event Crisis on Infinite Earths that kicks off this year. This year's crossover is set to be a major event, with all of The CW's DC TV shows uniting, even bringing Black Lightning into the Arrowverse for the very first time. When it kicks off later this year, Crisis on Infinite Earths will bring together heroes from Arrow, The Flash, Supergirl, Legends of Tomorrow and the still upcoming Batwoman TV show. Additionally, with Arrow set to end with season 8, which will be shorter than normal, Crisis on Infinite Earths is expected to close out the story of Stephen Amell's Oliver Queen.

However, in addition to stars from The CW's current lineup of series, Crisis on Infinite Earths will also include famous actors who have played DC Comics superheroes in the past. At San Diego Comic-Con this year, it was announced that original live-action Robin actor Burt Ward will join Crisis on Infinite Earths. Plus, Legends of Tomorrow actor Brandon Routh will suit up as Kingdom Come Superman - after playing the Man of Steel in 2006's Superman Returns. With The CW's Superman Tyler Hoechlin also slated to appear in Crisis, that was already two Men of Steel set to be in the crossover. And now another beloved DC TV actor, one known for his time as Superman, is confirmed to return.

Related: Crisis on Infinite Earths: Why Kevin Conroy Is NOT Playing Batman

As reported by EW, Smallville star Tom Welling, who played Clark Kent aka. Superman on all 10 seasons of the series, will be reprising his role for the upcoming Arrowverse crossover Crisis on Infinite Earths. Though EW doesn't specify whether Welling will actually suit up as Superman in the crossover, the publication does confirm Crisis on Infinite Earths will reveal what he's been doing in the eight years since Smallville concluded in 2011. Arrowverse crossover executive producer Marc Guggenheim said in a statement:

For eight years, Arrow has stood on the shoulders of Smallville. Simply put, there would be no Arrow, and no Arrowverse, without it. So when we first started talking about Crisis on Infinite Earths, our first, second and third priorities were getting Tom to reprise his iconic role as Clark Kent. To say that we’re thrilled would be a Superman-sized understatement.

No Smallville in Crisis on Infinite Earths

Crisis on Infinite Earths is gearing up to be a major star-studded event in terms of DC actors, with Ward, Conroy and now Welling confirmed. This latest casting news is perhaps the most surprising considering Welling turned down a return as Superman on Supergirl. While that arguably turned out for the better, considering Hoechlin's Superman has garnered plenty of fans, those who enjoyed Welling's work on Smallville will no doubt be excited to see him return as the same character. Further, since Welling didn't suit up as Superman in Smallville until the series finale, Crisis on Infinite Earths may give fans the chance to see him truly embody a fully realized Man of Steel.

Of course, as the crossover cast gets even more filled out with notable guest stars - including Cress Williams' Black Lightning in Crisis on Infinite Earths - Arrowverse fans may be worried about what this means for the current DC TV actors, particularly Amell. This may be the last crossover for Amell's Green Arrow, with many expecting him to either hang up his bow for good or die in Crisis, so fans are no doubt hoping he gets the sendoff he deserves. While the ever-expanding cast may be worrying some, it should be noted that Crisis on Infinite Earths will span five hours of TV, so it'll be longer than previous Arrowverse crossovers. As such, there's plenty of time for Crisis on Infinite Earths to include all these guest stars, Welling's Superman from Smallville now included, while still telling a story that satisfies Arrowverse fans.

Next: Crisis On Infinite Earths: Why A Smallville Crossover Is So Difficult To Do

Source: EW