The Smallville showrunners tackle Superman being an immigrant story, following the controversy that emerged with James Gunn’s DC Universe film. Over the previous couple of a long time, there have been many Superman films and TV reveals to reimagine Krypton’s final son on this planet of animation and live-action on the large and small screens.
Nevertheless, because the Superman film grew to become one of many greatest releases for 2025, a subject that gained consideration with Gunn’s movie was how the DCU challenge is an immigrant story by Clark Kent. Whereas there have been lots of totally different sides on the topic, among the hottest Superman storytellers are chiming in on the Man of Metal’s legacy in popular culture.
In an interview with Blissful, Unhappy, Confused, Al Gough and Miles Millar, who created Smallville, addressed how they agree with Superman’s immigration facet, in response to Gunn having spoken about it for his film. For Gough and Millar, they at all times checked out Tom Welling’s present going for that idea, together with how Smallville even did a narrative that straight addressed it in season 6:
Miles Millar: It is also fascinating, we at all times noticed Superman as an awesome allegory for immigration, that he was the final word unlawful alien. The truth that James stated, and it is so controversial, was kind of like…I could not consider, I used to be like, ‘That is so embedded in what it’s.’
Al Gough: We did an episode in season six with the place we kind of talked about it straight. Clark finds a boy who’s engaged on one of many farms. I keep in mind, on the time, considering, [because] that is, once more, 2006, the community was like, ‘I do not know…this feels a little bit political for the present,’ and we’re like, ‘It is actually the Superman story [laughs,] what would you like?’
Miles Millar: The truth that it is nonetheless [this] controversial concept…that is [what] is so nice in regards to the Superman story, that I believe that is why its legacy has been so highly effective. It actually speaks to what the American dream is, and all these kind of parts of Americana.
Ever since Superman was created, the concept immigration is a part of Kal-El’s existence has at all times been there. Even when different Superman films and TV reveals did not at all times go as deep into these themes, it by no means erased the truth that Clark is an unlawful alien, as a result of he nonetheless got here from Krypton to Earth.
The Smallville episode that Gough and Millar are referencing is episode 9 of season 6, “Subterranean”, which accurately has Welling’s hero calling himself an unlawful immigrant. Clark’s speech alone, together with the themes of the episode, was an awesome instance of the way it showcased that the Smallville solid and creators completely understood the illustration of Superman.
The one motive why Superman being an immigrant has folks divided is due to how social media exists, and the way it has gotten bigger for the reason that days of Smallville and former Superman initiatives. However even years later, Gough and Millar’s feedback make it clear that the lesson of Superman continues to be with them to at the present time.
After seeing the outrage that has emerged about Superman’s immigration story, it is nice to listen to creators like Gough and Millar name out what has change into a ridiculous debate. Following the Superman film ending, time will inform if future DCU tales will proceed to deal with the idea in better depth.
However because the Smallville co-creators stated themselves, Superman has at all times been an awesome allegory for immigration, and that may by no means change. Whether or not it’s the Superman film or Smallville, and even future Superman initiatives from different creators down the road, this can at all times proceed to be mirrored within the DC legend’s legacy.
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Smallville
8/10
- Launch Date
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2001 – 2017-00-00
- Administrators
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Mike Rohl, Jeannot Szwarc, Glen Winter, Terrence O’Hara, Whitney Ransick, Mairzee Almas, Paul Shapiro, Rick Rosenthal, David Carson, James L. Conway, Chris Lengthy, Michael Katleman, Morgan Beggs, Allison Mack, David Barrett, Marita Grabiak, Michael W. Watkins, Philip Sgriccia, Rick Wallace, Thomas J. Wright, Todd Slavkin, Brad Turner, Charles Beeson, Craig Zisk
- Writers
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Steven S. DeKnight, Holly Henderson, Don Whitehead, Caroline Dries, Mark Verheiden, Alfred Gough, Miles Millar, Philip Levens, Jordan Hawley, Kenneth Biller, Michael Inexperienced, Drew Z. Greenberg, Geoff Johns, John Chisholm, Drew Landis, Julia Swift, Doris Egan, Tracy Bellomo, Garrett Lerner, Greg Walker, Russel Buddy, Shintaro Shimosawa, Tim Schlattmann, todd helbing
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Superman
9/10
- Launch Date
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July 11, 2025
- Runtime
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130 minutes
- Producers
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Peter Safran
